[PRP] Rightful Owner

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

The informant was on-edge. He was no longer a Rocket, but something he had seen on the internet had actually made him consider theft from a high-ranking official - no, a noble from Grande Ile. He wasn't a thief; he didn't normally put himself in harm's way. This, however, was important. He needed this. Of course he would attempt to put his usual tactic to use of talking to get what he wanted, but in this instance, if that didn't work, he was desperate enough to try more desperate measures.

A while ago he had been skimming some internet articles as he tried to catch up with the news of the world and had come across something startling. In one of the articles was an image of Grande Ile Noble Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. Izaya didn't know the woman all that well, really, but there was something familiar about the picture. Around Natalia's neck was a finely polished labradorite pendant on a fancy chain.

It could have been any labradorite pendent. However, Izaya thought it too much of a coincidence that this woman wore this one when he remembered who he connected her with. Asch had been sweet on her once if he recalled correctly. However, Asch had also been the Rocket partner of Agent Aila. And the reason why Natalia's pendent struck Izaya as so familiar was because it looked identical to the one that Aila had first stolen as the jewelry thief, 'Bouquet'. Izaya knew this because, as an informant, he had sold her the information to steal it way back before either of them had been Rockets.

How, then, had it come into Natalia's possession? It didn't take a genius to guess. Agent Asch had likely had access to Aila's personal belongings when she had died and had, perhaps, been given the pendent. What right did that give him, however, to gift it to some other girl who probably didn't even understand its full significance? Natalia probably never even knew Aila. Even if Asch had explained to her the stone's source and origins, it wasn't likely the noble would have been able to appreciate its true value. And, as a noble, she probably had hundreds of gems and other jewelry to wear. With this thought process, Izaya decided Natalia didn't deserve to have it in her possession.

He thought about it long and hard as he tracked the Grande Ile noble down and planned to confront her. It would be incredibly risky what with Shizuo in Camphoreon, the KSO around, the Rockets monitoring him, and Faleen still loose somewhere, but this was not something he could back down on. Maybe the piece of jewelry held sentimental value to Natalia now that Asch was dead and that was why she still wore it. The thought that the pendent - Aila's pendent - would have been used to remind someone of Asch instead of Aila just disgusted Izaya. There was no way he was going to allow that to continue. Besides, he thought the pendent's rightful owner might have wanted it back if she had, indeed, returned from the dead.

So there he was, seated outside at a cafe that he'd heard Natalia had often been spotted from or around. He was in his less conspicuous attire than his fur-trimmed parka and wearing shades as he typed away on his laptop like a devoted student. Out the corner of his vision, however, he watched and waited patiently for his target.  

[Natsuko-neko]

Natalia hadn't been doing anything of great importance in Kodo for the last, was it two or three years now? She had spent a lot of that time back on Grande Ile with her family as staying in Kodo had just been too much. She had lost contact with friends and acquaintances she had before while gone, as well as not kept up with the news. She had in fact only recently returned to Kodo a few weeks back as she was testing the waters to see if she could handle once again living in the region.

Since she had been back, Natalia had gotten into the habit of going to a nice cafe every so often to relax at. It had good atmosphere, good food and drink, and more importantly she had no previous memories of this place so she could continue to ease her way back into society with out it being overwhelming should it prove to be.

Today she was once again going to the cafe and was glad to once again not run into anyone she had known previously just yet on the way there. Opening the cafe door she briefly looked around the inside but didn't recognize Izaya outside at the tables when she passed them, only having met him once before, and continued to the line to wait her turn. While waiting she got lost in thought and one of her hands reached up to touch the stone on her necklace out of habit.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

He could hardly dare to believe his luck. The informant had expected to have to stake out the place for a few days, maybe even weeks. But there she was, pendent and all. Closing his laptop, the man got up from his seat and lifted the portable computer to carry it under his arm as he followed Natalia inside.

He stood behind her in line as if preparing to buy himself something but instead tried to think of how to confront the young woman. Seeing her touch the pendent, however, his eyes flashed and he leaned forward to speak softly near her ear.

"What a lovely necklace. I'm not sure it suits you, though, Natalia-chan."  

[Natsuko-neko]

Natalia was startled out of her thoughts at the man's whisper behind her and just barely managed to keep from jumping in reaction to it. With her body tense from the surprise she looked over her shoulder at the vaguely familiar man. No name came to her, nor did any event where she saw him before. The night she had met Izaya had been rather emotional and the only clear parts were talking to Luke and Asch if she was being honest.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" She asked when she was sure her voice would be steady. He could just be someone who knew her from reports or news so she didn't ask him how he knew her. The hand that was touching the pendent closed over it protectively thanks to the man mentioning it.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

Izaya smiled pleasantly and straightened up from his stoop, raising his shades from his eyes now that he was indoors. If she didn't remember him, that was fine; in fact, it was probably for the best. He didn't know if Asch's farewell letter had reached Natalia or if she may have remembered the red-head's warning that Izaya and Faleen were both Rockets.

With luck, since - from what he'd read - she'd been in Grand Ile for the past few years, she hadn't concerned herself with the League's wanted lists, either. If that was so, things might go a lot more smoothly than he had anticipated.

"Pardon me; I'm a fan of yours. I've read about your work as a Grande Ile noble over the internet and I was really impressed. However...during my research, I couldn't help but discover something." His crimson gaze drifted to her hand over the pendent. "That stone you're wearing...it was reported to have been stolen many years ago. The thief was a woman known as 'Bouquet'.

"From what I read, they never discovered her true identity as she was never caught." He tilted his head at her curiously, his volume still low. "So...I had to ask: what would such a thing be doing in the possession of someone such as yourself?"  

[Natsuko-neko]

Natalia studied the man as he explained how he knew her. She wasn't surprised that was his reason though something about it rang a bit off. She ignored that part though since she couldn't think of what might be off in the first place. "I see, thank you for your interest then. Though you have me at a disadvantage seeing how you know me but I do not know you. What is your name?" She asked his name with her polite politics smile.

Her smile twitched slightly when the man continued on to say that he found out the pendent was stolen. She hadn't known that but at the same time... she found herself not surprised. "Indeed? Is there any possible way you are mistaken?" She wasn't going to mention that she had gotten it from her deceased fiance. Asch had never been revealed in the news so as far as the world was concerned, Natalia's fiance had been Luke who is both alive and married to another woman.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"Chrome," he said without skipping a beat. "Pardon me; I don't get out much so I forget simple social courtesies like self-introduction." He dipped his head lightly, presumably out of respect or in lieu of a full bow since they were in such close proximity in line.

The man shook his head gently. "I'm afraid not. I take my research quite seriously. Information is something I highly value and thus have no tolerance for that which is unsubstantiated." He reached out to put a light warning hand on her shoulder. "That being said...would you happen to have any way to prove that you are not, indeed, the infamous jewelry thief known as Bouquet?"  

[Natsuko-neko]

Natalia barely blinked at the name given, either it was an alias or it was his actual name. More then likely it would be the only one she got from him though so she wasn't going to ask. "Pleasure to meet you then. That is quite alright sir, it happens tot he best of us." She said with a dip of her head.

She ran her thumb over the pendant as she listened to him explain how he couldn't be wrong. "I see, you will however have to excuse me for asking you for your credentials on the matter." Her politic polite smile was back when she said this. Her eyes shifted over to his hand on her shoulder then back to his face, not showing that she did not enjoy the touch. "Certainly, hard to be the thief when I was on Grand Ile when the thefts happened."  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"Credentials? Why, anyone with access to the internet could confirm the information I looked up," he told her. "No need to take my word for it. But if I were to, say, leak an anonymous tip to the police and suggested they investigate, that might be troublesome for you, hm? So I thought I'd give you the chance to resolve things here and now."

He removed his hand from her shoulder. "My lady...how do you know when the thefts happened? I certainly didn't mention that. I said 'a few years ago', but if I remember right, you were not on Grande Ile 'a few years ago' either." He raised a brow. "If you had absolutely nothing to do with the thefts, then how would you know when they occurred or have reason to have looked up that info prior to my bringing it up?" The informant couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips. "I never said the thefts hadn't taken place on Grande Ile, either."  

[Natsuko-neko]

"Indeed, but also anyone could come up and claim something had been stolen before as well." Natalia said. Her eyes got a hint of steel at the threat but she kept her politician smile. "Thoughtful of you to come up and giving me the warning out of the goodness of your heart then." By this point she was more then sure the man was after something and the next bit of his speech just added to that confidence.

"I didn't, I took a wild guess since you didn't give a time frame. Yes I was away from Grande Ile for a time. However unless the dates match up with me being in the same area as the theft then your warning had been reviewed and this conversation is over as I have a schedule to keep." She kept her voice even and the tone pleasant. "And again, I assumed it didn't happen on Grande Ile since I do not remember hearing about it." Natalia shook her head slightly and decided that she would just skip the drink and head back. "If that is all I must be going."

lZAYA ORlHARA

 

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

Chrome reached out to catch Natalia by her shoulder and took out his phone to show her the screen. On it was an article detailing the crimes of the thief known as Bouquet. "Not so fast. Look here if you don't believe me," he said, any friendliness he'd shown before evaporating into seriousness. He lowered his voice, locking his gaze with hers. "You may not have stolen that pendant, but it was stolen. From the look on your face, though, I'd be willing to bet you didn't even know that much about it."

Taking a deep breath, he sighed. "If someone else sees that you have it, especially while you're here in Camphoreon where it was originally taken, someone might report you for being in possession of a stolen artifact. It'll be way more bad publicity than a Grande Ile noble like you needs even if it's not your fault. Because while you might be guilty of that crime, that pendant is evidence of you being guilty of another - associating yourself with a certain criminal. A late Fon Fabre, to be exact." His crimson eyes went from hers to the labradorite stone. "I can rid you of that risk. Just give me the evidence."

Natsuko-neko