Chapter 1: I'm Feelin' Good

Azura Arete

"Say farewell to peace. Great job Nohrians."

Azura ignored Takumi, it's not hard when there so much information all around her. So many details to frame and catalogue. It always starts the same, she takes a full snapshot from the temple entrance. Grabs the base of the whole crime scene, incase anyone contaminates anything or a breeze blows away something she could miss. This polaroid would act as the center framing device when she revisited this scene on the wall.

It captured the key elements of the scene. The Dawn Dragon Temple, three bodies found, all male, all amputated with assorted lacerations, Azura's working theory was post mortem. Blood was smeared across the face of the Dawn statue dragon, intentional defacement of Hoshido tradition. It was morning by the time Azura got there, the murder was in the open, discovered at the crack of Dawn, religious significance?

"Who's holding the perimeter?" Azura asked she she moved onto other, more detailed shots. The blood pooling on the stone walkway, messier than she would have thought. The humid air of autumn kept it from evaporating despite how hot it must have been leaving the body at the dead of night.

"Oboro, Hinata, the best," His best, "Oh and Hinoka's handling the crowd," better, "No one to bother you while you figure out the obvious." The obvious was what bothered Azura. She took another photo of the statue. There were cracks of something smacking against the stone work that connected its wings. Azura could see the reflection of metallic bits in the powder left from the damage. Someone took a pickaxe… no something sharp to the limbs. Someone had tried to cut them off, she surmised. They failed, or changed their mind.

"Detective Takumi, what then is the obvious?" Azura continues her work, only half interesting in his answer. Takumi wasn't a bad detective per say, just not an objective one. On a robbery turned bad he has a sharp eye, but not today. Today he's fidgeting, playing with the cuffs of his white and blue stripe suit. It was new.

When the primary victim was Fuga Nageyari, chief of the second largest Hoshidan gang, the Wind Tribe, and the primary pacemaker with the Nohrian controlled Dusk Side Gangs, Takumi can't be objective.

"Nohrians hit them; in a sick way with Sumeragi dead it makes sense to topple the head of the next biggest snake. It matches their tactics perfectly. Hell, I can give you the killer too. Her name's written all over this."

Of course it's wasn't. Instead there is the victims. Fuga, his son Hayato, and a currently unidentified Hoshido male with Wind Tribe tattoos Another photo revealed they were killed without a struggle, if they were truly killed on premises, which Azura still suspected to be the case. The bodies were evidently hacked up with an axe, patterns consistent with likely, but not certainly, a single left handed assailant. Limbs were detached but not arranged in a particular patterns, but strew about with intentional randomness.

He thinks it's Camilla.

"It's Camilla Siegfried. Psychopath likes to take an axe out when she scares businesses into paying protection. Just like when that monster 'accidentally'—"

"Camilla uses her axe as a scare tactic. Whenever Nohrian enforcers commit murder, its more efficient. Poison or a single bullet wound, occasional shootout, but nothing like this. Camilla's rumored to dismember victims, but there's never been any evidence of it." Technically no hard evidence of anything ever found it's way to Camilla, especially after she did time for manslaughter. There was a dark sea between knowing and proving in Valla, but this still didn't match Nohrian MO, especially since Xander took over.

Don't be over reliant on patterns during times of change Azura.

"So we found out the rumors about her are true, I mean are you surprised? Wait what are you doing?"

"I need to check something, don't fret please." Azura pushed back the heavy strands of her hair, straight and smooth it obeyed her every command. She couldn't risk getting loose sample in the wound. Sliding a glove on she pushed back the bloodiest fissure, one the assailant had landed right on the rib cage, repeatedly. Having peeled back the wound, she felt inside something deeply interesting. A slight texture of a burn. From a bullet perhaps?

"Azura, that's the coroners job. We look the other way from time to time, but I can only pretend to not see you screw around too much before you get us both get slammed."

Azura sighed, letting the body rest and peeled back her gloves. Another pair ruined, she wondered how many she could steal from medical without them noticing.

"So, Camilla right?"

"Most likely, I'm afraid," Azura replied to a scowling takumi, rubbing her clean hands instinctively against the fabric of her blue trench coat. Something felt off. There was no struggle, this is Hoshidan territory, if Camilla had a crew big enough to kill them all, how did no one see them? Why was Fuga even here? Why would he respond to an obvious ambush by Camilla in person? Despite the questions, none of them made a different suspect more likely. The working theory might be weak, but its still the best working theory.

"Hey guys!" A familiar voice managed to push up a soft smile on Azura's lips. The cheery tones and eager footsteps of her favorite officer in all of Valla. Hinoka. "I found a possible murder weapon!"

"Found a," Takumi stuttered as his eyes clenched closed like someone just took a bat to his legs, Hinoka was not Detective Takumi's favorite officer. "you're supposed to be holding the perimeter and keeping people out with Oboro!" She was his older sister.

"Calm down, I got Setsuna and Asami on it, I thought I'd take a look at the grounds, see if I noticed something, and oh did I." Though Azura would have prefered she not move it at all, a sigh of relief came when the white color of gloves caught the eye. The .45 in her hands was untainted as was ostentatious, gold flowering was engraved on the grip and the slide altered to be reminiscent of the Dawn Dragon.

"Good morning Hinoka, I appreciate the added eyes," Azura noted once she got a closer look. Hinoka had a confident smirk, pleased with herself, as much as Azura was with her discovery. "Could you remove the magazine and clear the chamber please?"

"Do you think it's the murder weapon?" she asked, excited to do as was told.

"No," Takumi answered for Azura, his own eyes catching the extra detail she just did. The barrel had a Wind Tribe stamp at the end.

"It's likely Fuga's," Azura elaborated as a single bullet popped out of the slide, "Could you please press on the top round, see if there's give." Hinoka did so and it was locked tight, either the magazine was unfired or reloaded before it was tossed. Azura suspected the former. "Where did you find it?"

"In the bushes behind that alter, it was just lying in the dirt sitting— Whoa that is grizzly." She must have seen the scene behind Azura, though the comment did not pull her eyes from the alter.

If it was Fuga's gun, and it likely was, the Nohrian MO would be to take it. They looted kills, either to mask them as robberies gone wrong, too wrong in this case, or just in favor of not wasting equipment, Azura wasn't sure which. They didn't toss it so haphazardly. No experienced murderer would if they bothered to consider it evidence.

What would Fuga see that would make him toss his own weapon? Camilla with an Axe would definitely not encourage Azura's disarmament.

"Azura," The rapid thoughts flashed to nothing as her yellow eyes looked back to a concerned Detective Takumi. More people were here, another crew. The specialists. "If you want to finish up taking your pictures, the circus is here."

"Yes, thank you."

Just one more run to clear her thoughts and formalize her professional opinion. Then, really what comes next was up to Chief Ryoma and him alone.

"It's a new dawn, it's a new day. It's a new life for me, yeah—"

"You really like Nohrian music don't you." Takumi interrupted Azura mid song and mid thought. While he drove, she turned on the radio, playing her favorites and singing along as they passed the dense streets of Valla. Jazz wasn't strictly Nohrian in any sense, but it was popular with the working class, and Nohrian immigrants were nothing if not poor.

"I've always been partial to Music." Jazz most definitely included. Takumi grimaced like he smelled something awful, as if they weren't use to the Dusk Side's ambient trash scent. Azura wondered how he'd react to her moonlighting with a song or four every other week at Cyrkensia, not that she expected him to to wander his way into a mob-owned, gay club in the near future.

"I prefer classical," he added, trying to be diplomatic, "I enjoy music having a tight structure, Jazz is a little too.."

"It's unpredictability is it's charm." Not that Jazz lacked structure, it just lent itself to passion and spontaneity. The freedom to improvise helped Azura relax, it's why singing and listening to music now, was so important. A blank stare, a preoccupied voice, a solid bit of brass, it all helped her focus on the case itself.

"I guess," Takumi landed flatley as he made the sharp right to cut back into Dawn Side. They shaved minutes by avoiding Dawn Side's more car rich streets, thought passing the invisible canyon between them would never stop being jarring. Suddenly the roads had medians with planted trees, cars flooded the roads, houses had yards and most apparent at night one could see neon signs begin to vanish, replaced with proper consistent streetlights. The city had pumped so much money into Dawn Side lately, despite being a mostly immigrant community. Azura supposed the Vallites, and the Mayor respectively, considered them a different brand of immigrant.

Azura didn't bother to reply, she needn't and Takumi didn't truly wish to speak with her anyways. Really he wanted the radio off, but alas. It was easier to compile with it. Chief Ryoma was not a violent man, but he would see things as Takumi does, in her own way she did as well. Though the evidence was suspicious, crimes are more likely poorly performed than part of a bigger plot. Suspicion was not grounds to official hold back a recommendation to pull Camilla into the station. If they could even get to her.

Azura felt like she was missing something, and if someone was playing her, to do just as expect felt nauseating. She could sing I'm Feelin' Good all she wanted, but as the car lurched to a stop in front of the Station, painted a fresh red and white, she certainly didn't feel good.

"Detective Azura, g-good morning," Sakura stuttered from behind the secretary desk right as they entered the second floor, she seemed even more pensive that morning, though Azura lacked the time for it. "You have a visitor waiting for you."

"Could you beg their apologies. I need to speak to Ryoma." Azura hated walking right past her like most of the detectives did. She was young, inexperienced, and people often said she was only hired on because she was Ryoma's sister, but she was trying, and a sweet thing. A source of gentleness that was cruely ignored. "Oh, and yes good morning." Azura added even as Sakura fell out of view. Takumi laughed.

"You seem excited. Want to bring her down huh?" Takumi certainly did.

"I have all the excitement of a death row inmate, after you Detective Takumi." Azura grinned almost invisibly as she held Ryoma's office door open for him with her cane. He was happy to face him first.

"Good morning." If there was ever a voice that could snug itself comfortably between booming and calm, Ryoma would be it's wielder. He took to authority, his shoulders leveled enough to make paintings jealous. His manners impeccable, tea prepared for three on his desk and chairs pulled out. "I've been given a briefing, but if you could please, Azura give me the details."

She was happy to, pictures included.

When it came to details, it was her eye that was trusted, her natural talent to become the perfect observer. That talent let her take just a few details and turn it into an hour break down. Takumi was content to let her take the reigns here as usual. Interrogation, interview, that sort of thing was where his excellence as a detective shown through.

"In your expert opinion then, would pursuing Ms. Camilla Siegfried and her team as our primary suspects be our best move?" He leaned back, likely having already made a choice in his head, but Azura always knew him as a man to take the insights of others seriously, especially her's.

"Of course," Takumi insisted before taking a tentative final sip of the tea, he burned through it faster, a jittery habit Azura took note of.

"We have nothing but conjecture, we won't be able to get an enforceable warrant for her arrest yet," Azura countered and received a glowering look from her partner in return, "but no better option for primary suspect has presented itself." From there, Azura retreats to her own tea, enjoying the orange tinge to it, and not enjoying the hot seat.

Ryoma nodded and took a moment, arms crossed with his face caught in a frozen expression that while serious betrayed no emotion. He was not a man to rush into a poor decision, but neither was he indecisive. There was no surprise when no more than a minute in, a decision was made.

"Fuga's death will cause disorder, something like this can not happen with impunity. Takumi, I trust you to assign a team to try find out where Camilla is and if anyone has anything to say, even if it leads nowhere, officers in pursuit will discourage any further violence. Azura, I need you to be ready when the coroner's report comes in. Keep a clear head and pull in whatever data you need."

"I don't believe she'll come in for questioning," Azura noted, getting a smile from Ryoma.

"Of course she won't, but we can't lay down and ignore cruelty like this." That earned a small grin from Azura. The former chief would have made the same decision, but prompted by the mayor, the press, his job. Ryoma, he moved because it was just. Such a thing kept her in the department and her P.I.s license unused. "I'll be spending the better part of my day switching between the prosecutors office and trying to get even a word out of Xander before he forwards me to his lawyer. You're excused detectives."

"Thank you," the two of them uttered with deeply disparate levels of enthusiasm.

Before, Azura even made the trek to her office, Takumi cut her off at the end of the hall, right before the curve towards Sakura's reception desk.

"You know, considering you gave the exact same suggestion in the end, care to tell me why you had to throw me under the bus first? What the hell is your deal." His cheeks blushed an embarrassed red. Looking like a fool in front of Ryoma was a well known nerve, but one Azura couldn't always avoid plucking. Partners or no, his approval meant several leagues more than hers.

"I needed Ryoma to see the whole picture before we—"

"You needed to hedge your bets so no matter what happens you're still the half right brilliant detective while I just carry your bag. That's the real story." His fists balled, the pressure enough for them to noticeably shake. Despite being the same height he leaned forward as if to dwarf her, make her feel small.

Azura stared forward, an expression cold and detached. In the end, he would not lay a hand on her, with that determined, what was there to be afraid of?

"So you've decided. Can you please move out of the way."

"Is that really all you're going to say to—"

"E-excuse me," Sakura, a little thing, but Azura could see the red of her hair beyond Takumi's shoulders. Whether she was nervous about interrupting this conversation, or any in general was unknown, "Detective Azura, I uh, really need you please."

To that, the detective let herself grin and brushed back some of her blue hair to let her see it. Unafraid she walked right through Takumi, who was smart enough to step out of her way before his pride was bruised by a shoulder bump. She continued passed Sakura but waved for her to follow.

"I'm in your debt with that rescue," she whispered.

"No, It was nothing," Sakura blushed, she had to speed walk to keep up with Azura's longer legs, but the detective couldn't slow down lest Takumi think they weren't both painfully busy. "But I uh-I did need you."

Azura's eye glanced back to see no one following them, hopefully a sign her partner had calmed down and returned to his more amiable demeanor. "Oh yes, the visitor, did you give them my apologies? Perhaps left you a number for me to reach them."

"No, I mean yes, to the first, but no to the second, they didn't leave me a number because—"

"Is that music?" Azura heard a beat in the distance, a soulful voice muffled by the sealed door to her office. The radio? If she'd had left it on, Takumi would have ribbed her all morning for it, half the department would have, and justly. "Someone's in my office."

"Y-yes, your visitor's still here." And playing with her radio. A useful trick if one wanted to cover up the sounds of rummaging through her office. Looking for records?

Azura didn't hesitate, she wiped the door open, hand on the the switch of her cane and hoping that the invader didn't have a gun ready and the kind of mad courage it took to commit a murder in the police station.

She had envisioned a man, strong, robust as he was dangerous, or perhaps one of the Nohrian mobs enforcers in their clean black suits and sharp cut faces marred by scars. Azura didn't expect a girl with skin and hair albino white with a contrasting black dress with gold accents and a silver pin in her headband. She didn't expect her to be singing the notes quietly off key, or dancing with the rhythm sliding off her shoulders.

Instead of an assailant with a gun, Azura was shocked with a beautiful girl with an embarrassed blush that matched her wide lovely eyes. Especially when, after just a few seconds of surprised frozen thought as they stared at each other in shocked Azura put a name to that faintly reminiscent face.

Corrin Siegfried, third child, third in line, to the largest crime family in all of Valla.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry. I was just waiting so long; I thought I'd put on some music. I promise I didn't change your station even!"

"I'll be at my desk if you need me." Sakura rushed out and closed the door, leaving Azura in a room what she knew to be a tiger, even if it looked, acted, and smiled with all the sweetness butterfly as she shifted nervously on the balls of her feet. The Siegfried women were all rumored to be beautiful by description, and Camilla was perhaps the only human to ever look stunning in a mug shot and though she had only seen it at a distance, Elise was quite pretty, but Azura hadn't predicted Corrin to be as striking especially not reeking of innocence, manufactured or otherwise.

"Oh, yes, introductions, my name is Corrin Yato-Siegfried," she stuck out her hand while Azura tripped on the obviously Hoshido addition to her last name.

"Yes, I know. Detective Azura Arete." Cautiously she took her hand. Her grip was far stronger than Azura would have thought, even as her eyes noted quickly the visible outline of Corrin's developed muscles.

"I know you too, you're Valla's greatest detective, private ones included," Corrin brushed her hair back as soon as Azura dropped her hand, likely unaware of what to do with them. Azura didn't imagine she was use to being in a station, or talking to officers, many of whom devote their lives to destroying her and her family. Azura included to some extent.

"I am a detective. Were you called into questioning?" Seemed impossibly quick, but Azura couldn't find a better explanation to why she was standing in her office, back against her bookcase of horror fiction, playing with her radio and waiting on an officer.

"No, no one called me, I'm here on my own, minus my drivers, but they're waiting in my car." Drivers, a person only ever need one, Azura could guess the second half of their job.

"I'm assuming you're not here to confess to today's murders, and I know you're definitely not here to enjoy a day listening to music with me—"

"No to the confessing, but the second sounds fun, we could talk about books though I don't think our genre's match." Her laugh was nervous, as it was distracting from the real point.

"But it's not why you're here Ms. Yato-Siegfried."

"No, it's not," she sighs as her red eyes scan Azura over, looking for something, "And please, call me Corrin."

"What do you want with me, Corrin?" Azura took back control, sliding around her natural opposition and taking her rightful place behind her desk, though she did not sit down nor let go of her cane.

Corrin seemed to notice, her eyes reverted from soft and sweet to something strong and passionate. She shared a vague resemblance, if shallowly, with Ryoma in that moment.

"Three innocent men died today and if I don't do something, the ones who did it will get away. So I intend to do something, and that begins with hiring you, the best detective in Valla." So it was about today's murders. Perhaps… had the girl gone rogue? Was she like Ryoma? Born into a crime family, but estranged from them? Much later in life than her chief's however.

"I'm not a P.I." Either way it hardly mattered. Azura couldn't take a case privately, especially not one from a known criminal circuit running concurrently with her public case.

"You are licensed to be one," Corrin notes, her voice trailing up with excitement, utterly blind to how creepy it was that she knew that.

"I'm already on the case Ms. Yato-Siegfried. I'm a detective for the city."

"Corrin, and I'm guessing you're next move will be to look for Camilla, she didn't do it and you're not going to find her without a court order." So it wasn't a betrayal. Azura hoped the shift in her brow didn't give away her interest. "As a P.I. you have more freedom to work and deal with people who wouldn't ordinarily talk to you."

"Like yourself. I wouldn't be liable to report you." Not that it wouldn't be grounds to fire her on the spot and still too easy to twist into obstruction of justice, "However, as it's a conflict of interest, I can't use that excuse."

"Are you afraid I'll report you?" Corrin laughed and Azura couldn't fight off a slight smile, "I know you've taken cases outside of official channels before. I know some people you helped investigate a cold murder before. I understand bending the rules when it means saving lives. I want you to do that with me now." Azure scowled despite herself. Her moonlighting was garnering too much attention, especially if a Siegfried was taking note. Far too much.

"The case isn't cold."

"It will be, and when it is, it's going to bring out violence."

Azura choked, if silently, on that. Things were...tense, but peaceful lately. Ever since Garon had an...accident. Murders down, robberies down, for once the vice teams were busier than homicide. That was precious.

"And if the Siegfrieds' are responsible?" Azura humored.

"Whoever it is, we'll do what's right by the people who have already died, even my family."

"I've never met a moralist mobster."

"I'm not a mobster, despite what you've probably heard. Right here, I'm just a girl trying to do what's right," there was a moment of silence, accented as the station switched between songs. "With a lot of money too...if that helps?" That did it, Azura shook her head and let her shoulders slug as the need to giggle hit her hard. Corrin broke into a full laugh, the tension just drained. What a odd mess this mobster.

"Ms. Corrin Yato-Siegfried, you are unexpected," Azura softened almost excited as this mornings song played again. " I believe we have terms to discuss."

A/N: "What three big fics, and another genre I've totally never been tested in." Lol this is going to be fun. So big thank you to both TigerLilly and Savvymeme for reading this over for me and for cursing me with the idea in the first place. Beyond that I wanted to clarify some things about the A.U. (Small spoilers for Fates)

First off, Azura and Corrin are not related, end of story, that twist aint part of this

The setting is of course fictionalized and based off of basically an amalgamation of the 20s, 40s, and 80s, taking elements of all the great semi-imagined periods of american crime fiction.

Takumi and Hinoka are related, Ryoma and Sakura are related, said groups aren't related, but they all treat each other like siblings so nothing romantic between them fyi, its just for plot reasons and realism.

All the Nohr kids are related of course.

Also I haven't forgotten Takumi has a good side I promise.

Beyond that things are in flux. I'll keep you posted. As for posting schedule I don't have one, but if you look at my history, especially on where I have more albeit shitty stories, I've never not finished a fic that I started so know I will be here again. Let me know what you think and be gentle, I know I'm trash.