Prescient 31
Chapter Two
As I take the elevator up to the second floor I readjust my blazer for what feels like the 100th time.
I take in my reflection in the giant mirrors and wonder again if should have gone with something different.
I have on a beige pants-suite and some matching flats, tame and intimidating. I hope that's not too formal for my first day. I'm shaking I'm so nervous.
Thank God I don't wear high heels or I would be tripping all over the place due to my nerves. Well, it's not that I don't wear heels, I can't wear them.
From what I've seen thus far the building isn't anything special. Grey and white and boring. Same on the inside as the outside. You enter the building on the basement floor and go upstairs for everything else of importance.
The highlight of downstairs was the pat-down I received at the check-in station after I set the detector off. The kicker is I don't have on anything metal. Just my luck I guess.
I exit the elevator and walk towards the only structure on the floor, a grey desk with a single employee behind it. There's a giant 'Prescient 31' sign hanging overhead.
There is a think white wall behind him with a heavy-looking metal door attached. My test will start as soon as I cross that threshold, and I'm ready.
The man at the desk greets me with a kind smile. His name tag says 'Houjo', and he seems out of place. He's skinny and seems too kind to be guarding the entrance-point to a facility with so many dangerous people. He looks like he couldn't incapacitate a toddler.
"Hello, my name is Officer Higurashi. I'm here to see Captain Totosai." I give him as an explanation for my presence.
He scans his computer before answering. "Higurashi, Welcome to 31. Can I see your badge and your intent letters?"
I sit my briefcase down on his desk and fish out my papers. They are on thick card stock with the official seal of the H.D.I.F. The head director there, Kaeda Houko, signed them herself. She's the one that offered my name up for the assignment to begin with.
They feel so heavy in my hand as I hand them to him. Houjo gives them a look-over before typing some information in his computer. He scans my badge into a small machine and I watch him as he works because there is nothing else to look at in the barren office.
He hands them back to me with a smile and reaches below his desk. I hear a buzzing sound and he gives me back my badge. With a smile, I thank him and head towards the doors. It's finally time.
I walk to the door, ready to take on whatever's is on the other side, and I take in one more breath and walk forward to push it open.
Smack.
I run right into the glass doors, dropping my briefcase in the process. Welp, that's one way to make an impression. I'm a clown. Thankfully only Houjo was around to see my clumsiness.
"It's a pull", Houjo says, his lips quirking upwards.
I give him a sarcastic thanks at that obvious tidbit of information. I reach down and snatch up my dropped possessions and then pull open the door.
I enter, finally, and I'm immediately pulled into fast bustle of the employees.
The people in front of me all seem like they are on missions. They're off to work the next case or to rescue the next victim.
I see a mix of humans and demons and men and women all working for a greater good. There are people dressed up in suits, in plain clothing, in cop uniforms, and in lab coats. There are so many people here.
They all move past me without sparing me a glance. They are intentional and determined, and I just look like a clueless wander, wide-eyed and confused.
I may work in the criminal system too, but just from my demeanor they can tell I'm not one of them, not a '31er', as other offices call them. It takes something extra to work here, something I just don't have yet.
A lot of them work out in the actual field, in the real world. They get to see firsthand how evil people can be.
I work with evidence. It's inanimate to most people, but to me, it's full of life. Evidence informs me, confuses me, helps me catch suspects, and is where my heart is.
Occasionally I do get to work with people too, but they're usually dead since I have a minor in mortuary science.
As I turn my head back and fourth trying to figure out which direction to go in, I get a look door I just went through. I could have passed out from embarrassment.
The door may have looked like plain metal from the outside, but it was actually a mirror, and you could see clearly through to the other side.
That means everyone saw me trip up just a few minutes ago. I shake my head and sigh. Great way to start out, Kagome.
As I walk further into the precinct I notice the building has more life on the interior. Still the same white and gray, but with black and maroon accents.
The floor was state of the art still seemed well kept with 'Precinct 31' signs and emblems everywhere.
They was the most competent and successful in the state, so it's only right for them to have such a nice workplace. Their donors were very generous and their funding was up in the hundreds of millions. They also were unique in another way. They had an equal demon to human ratio, which added to their appeal.
I stop at the nearest bench to once again go over my resume and mentally prepare myself for the impending conversation
Captain Totosai knows I'm coming, but I don't know how much he knows as to why.
I normally work in forensics downtown, but with me applying for the Senior Examiner position I was told I need more field experience to boost my resume.
When Kaede told me about an opportunity to do just that e I literally jumped at the chance. When I found out it was here, I was even more ecstatic.
I was less happy when I found out I was also going to be monitoring one of their officers who had a record of destruction. I didn't mind the field work since I did go to police academy, but I didn't like the idea of babysitting.
But, whatever got me there I guess. I wanted this promotion with everything in me so I would do what it took.
Not only would I get to oversee all the forensics in my building, but I would get to speak with victims and help them in getting justice and closure. It was my dream.
After reviewing my resume I shuffle the page to look at file for the officer I would be working with. I've never seen him but his reputation proceeds him. Hazardous, dangerous, reckless, volatile and not a team player to list a few.
Inuyasha Tashio
Demon: Dog
Weight: 230 pounds
Height: 6 Feet
Precinct: 31
Skills: Combat, weaponry, strength, speed, sense, misc
Partners: N/A
Years Active: 16
I give a deep sigh as I slip the paper back in its place and close up my briefcase.
Sixteen years active? He's been fighting crime since I was in elementary. At least I would be able to learn from him. That N/A worries me. I don't know how he will react to my presence.
Despite all his flaws, his success rate was 100%. It was unmatched and unheard of. It was higher than anyone else in the city, maybe even the state.
Despite all I've heard I hope he isn't too bad. I just need to get through 6 months and then the promotion will be as good as mine.
I glanced down at my Fitbit. 1:23pm. I still have seven minutes but I decide to go ahead and head in. Better early than late for my first day.
With renewed confidence I walked towards the office with 'CAPTAIN' embossed into the door. I raise my hand to knock, but before I can do so Captain Totosai throws me a "Come in."
He must be a demon to have heard me. I open the door and put on a bright smile.
I exit the Captain's office feeling a little less nervous then when I entered, but just a little. He briefed me on my time here and we just had casual conversation.
When I asked about Inuyasha, about how he was, he just stared at me with a blank expression. That wasn't a good sign.
Totosai pointed me in the direction of his desk and told me he wasn't in yet, so now would be a good time for a tour.
He got up, opened his door, and yelled out for "the intern to get in here now". That was five minutes ago I was currently sitting on a bench waiting for him or her to show up.
"Officer Higurashi", I look up to see a young fox demon looking down at me. He's adorable. I stand up and flash him a smile. When he seems me he seems surprised, but it's only momentarily.
"I'm Shippou, I'm one of the forensics interns," he says as he reaches out and gives my hand a firm shake. Forensics?! A man out for my own heart. Well, demon.
"Hi Shippou, it's nice to meet you, thanks for showing me around", I grab my suitcase and follow him to the elevator.
"I also work in forensics back at my home office. Where do you go school? What do you want to do when you graduate?" How old are you?
Me and Shippou ease into chatter as we make our way around the building. I like him already.
Apparently this is one of his normal task, giving tours, so he's able to give me some interesting facts about the prescient that I didn't know, like this division has been operating for over 200 years. And their oldest demon here was older than that, he was 250 and still in his prime.
That makes sense. 100 years to a demon is like one. They live to be thousands of years easy.
We start on the first floor where there is a cafeteria, a gym, and a place for employees to take naps. In the cafe is five different food stations that sale a variety food.
Demons eat human food too, but they also have high energy and high protein snacks to provide them with the extra nutrients they need.
I met the head chefs, wolf demons and brothers, Ginta and Hakkaku. They were very nice and they gave me some samples.
The rest area was cool as well. There were cubes where you checked in with your badge, crawled inside, and slept and that's it. I would definitely be using those.
We didn't go the basement since besides the initial check-in there wasn't anything but holding cells.
Next, we went to floor three, which housed evidence. Like I said, they were the best in the city so their evidence room was enormous and still overflowing. Employees can't touch anything that comes in, not even one tootsie roll, so everything just sits here and piles up.
Shippou walks me through the rows and rows of confiscated good and I was in awe already, but my mind was blown when he showed me the safe.
It was biometrically wired, only accessible to the Captain according to Shippou, and impenetrable. But like everything else here it was glass, and I could see money and bullion piled high to the ceiling.
I gave the safe one last longing look on my way out. That was more money I would ever see in my lifetime. It was a sight to behold.
Next was the fourth floor, which was forensics. Seeing the people clothed in masks and caps excited me a little too much.
We probably spent too much time there, exploring the current cases and meeting all the people.
The fifth and sixth floors were dedicated to medical. The fifth floor was used to treat the detainees and it also served for overflow for other precincts. It was also a temporary morgue.
The sixth floor was dedicated to medical just for the staff. It was mostly for field officers to be patched up but also for routine jobs like vaccines and physicals.
The rooms were immaculate, the equipment pristine, and the staff top-notch. There was a giant glass desk with glass partitioned stations with Macbooks for computers. I was introduced to some of the nurses and they all seemed nice.
Well, all except for one. She actually wasn't a nurse. She was the head doctor and she not only oversaw medical here but all the medical wings in the city. That's five wings and at least 100 employees. She's a power woman for sure.
I remember her particularly because she seemed so cold, and because Shippou mentioned that when he saw me he thought I was her because of the strong resemblance.
So that's why he looked so surprised when he saw me.
She was outside of her office talking to another doctor and we had to wait almost a full minute for her to acknowledge us.
She was polished and tall and pristine. She looked more like a runway model then a doctor. A rude thought entered my head when I saw her. I had thought if she got to where she is on talent, or on looks, but I chalked that up to jealousy.
She shook my hand and gave me a small contained smile and that was it.
When that awkward encounter was over and Shippou headed back to the second floor.
"I forgot to ask, whose your partner?" Shippou says as we get back on the elevators to go downstairs.
"Tashio. Inuyasha Tashio." Shippou's eyes go wide and he just stares stright ahead. I can't make out that look but it's the same one Captain Totosai gave me when I asked him the same question.
"What?" I ask and turn to him, waiting for an explanation just as the elevator doors open.
"Nothing," he says as I step off and turn to him since he stayed on. Right as the elevator doors close he gives me a grimace and a fleeting farewell. "Good luck, Kagome".
The doors close and then he's gone. That means Tashio must be that bad.
Well, I'm about to find out. He should be here already since the press conference was scheduled to start soon.
I take a deep breath to steel myself and head in the direction of his desk. I notice I have to walk deeper into the floor, away from most of the other employees.
As I get closer I naturally mask my scent and my aura since I don't want him to realize I'm there just yet. I want to have a moment to just take him in.
I stop a ways off and then make my steps even quieter as I approach him.
I step closer to the glass divider that is blocking him and I finally get a look at him. A look at my partner.
Holy Shit.
As soon as I see him, my breath hitches in my throat. He was paying attention to something on his desk so he doesn't notice me, but that is good because even if he did I wouldn't be able to speak.
Oh my god.
Oh My God.
He's…. gorgeous. Like 'this can't be real' gorgeous. He's not a demon, he's half, I can tell by his aura, but that doesn't matter to me. His silver hair looks long and thick, and is on top of his head in a bun.
No fair. He has nicer hair than me.
I notice two small ears flanking that bun and I feel my body reacting without my consent. The dark blue uniform he was wearing was very tight in the shoulders and around the arms.
God. What is happening? I couldn't stop staring at him. The light overhead catches his face and I see his strong jawline and thick eyebrows.
I realize I've been standing there ogling him, so I finally decide to make my presence known. I step forward to the glass and put on the nicest smile I can muster.
"Hi, I'm Kagome", his eyes flash to mine, and I can tell I surprised him. When his eyes meet mine, I could have melted right there.
Gold. Or amber. Or something else supernatural that I've never seen before. I feel like a teenage instead of a 27 year old.
He's beautiful on the outside, so I hope with everything in me that his inside matches.
"Do I look like I fucking care?", he asks, his voice void of any emotion.
Welp, I've been wrong before.
Needless to say, that lovely first encounter was yesterday, and I've been sitting at Officer Tashio's desk for the past hour. I got here at 6:00am sharp, like he told me to, well, 6:02, because I got lost, but I've been waiting for him to come in ever since.
I didn't have a way to contact him so I'm just waiting. I'm dressed more casually today, just some jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and some booties.
Yesterday he didn't even greet me or ask me anything about my, he just told me to get lost.
I tried a different approach and tried to just ask easy questions like his name, which I already knew, but it didn't work. And he lashed out so unexpectedly he made me drop my barrier!
When I finally told him why I was here, who I was, his eyes turned dark, and he stormed away from me into to Captian Totosai's office.
Not even one minutes later he came barging out. All he told me was to meet him here, then he got up and left. And that was it.
Although he was rude and cursed like a sailor I desperately wanted to make a good impression on him. His recommendation would help with my promotion. And I was tasked me reporting on him.
I see another agent walk past and eye me. I think her name is Sango.
"Hey, Kagome right, what are you doing here? She asks me, probably trying to figure out why I was sitting at someone else's desk.
"I'm waiting for Officer Tashio. He told me to meet him here today", I tell her. She scrunches up her eyes at that and gives me a confused look.
"Inuyasha is on leave till Tuesday. I don't know why he would tell you to come in." she says and point's to a giant digitized board thats hanging at the front of the office.
It has all the names of the officers on the floor and shows whether they're in or out of the building. Beside Tashio's name was a giant OOO, Out of Office. And then she walks away, giving me a pity smile on her way out.
But I don't even notice her leave because the blood in my veins was literally starting to boil. I clench both my fists.
Number 1, why didn't I notice that board yesterday?
And number 2, Damn him!
I mean, how rude and inconsiderate can you be?! He knew he wouldn't be in today and still made me get up super early on my Saturday. I love my Saturdays with a passion that only falls second to Friday.
Wait. I do remember something from yesterday. It was that look he had on his face when he told me to meet him here, like he knew something I didn't.
He had this smirk on and I didn't read into it because I was too busy thinking how stupid it was that it made him look even more attractive.
Damn my hormones, and double damn him. He used my naivety to his benefit and took advantage of me. That, that...
"That dick!" I practically yelled to the empty area. I grabbed my briefcase and I began to storm out, but not before turning back around and knocking his chair over.
That'll show him.
Thanks for reading!
V.L.
