The half-boiled detective would hear some scuffling behind the door gilded with hats belonging to detectives past and present. It bursts open to reveal a young man in his twenties wearing some form of goggles, which had various attachments clearly meant to increase the level with which it could see. In his hands he held a level, and the bright green tube with the bubble in it wobbled to and fro in its container. "I'm clarifying that our little tilt problem has subsided once and for all. It has in the garage, but I'm mainly concerned about the foundation of the office itself. Could you please clear a spot on your desk? I want to check that as well, as I can't say for certain our furniture left entirely unscathed." Phillip attempts to make his way toward the desk, but stumbles on a chair as he approaches it. In a brief moment of clarity, he flips the assortment of lenses out of the way. Without them blocking his vision, he swiftly arrives at the desk.

Shotaro rolls his eyes as he watches his partner almost fall and follows closely behind him. Getting to his desk he clears off a spot where a few dishes resided. Mostly coffee cups but a few plates were piled from long nights and snacking. "I sure hope our issue is gone too. I'm still not even sure what caused that. It had to be a memory, right?" He quickly gets out of his partner's path and brings the dishes to the sink. He slowly begins to fill it up with hot water so he could at least pretend to be helpful.

As Phillip comes to the recently cleared desk, he places the level atop it. He slowly begins flicking down lenses as he adjusts the lump of plastic to meet his vision. Almost as soon as he reaches the eleventh lense or so, he suddenly begins to have a look of pure childlike wonder on his face. "Shotaro, you seem to have cultured a new form of life! There's quite a bit of it, too! Your desk certainly needs a thorough cleansing to be purged of this microscopic menace. Some spray and a rag will do." After this exchange, Phillip seems to be satisfied with his conclusions. "Whatever it was that ailed us has certainly left for now. As for what caused it, I wouldn't pin it on a memory. My guess would be that this world shifts so much in structure that there are bound to be some shifts in the earth. Of course, that's just a guess."

"Ah mou... I forget to wipe my desk like..." He couches and opens the cabinet under the sink as he counts off a few fingers on his hands. "Okay it's been awhile since I properly cleaned. But you mean to tell me I let it fester and create life? That's ridiculous!" He shakes his head as he reaches for the rag and cleaner. He promptly closes the door and returns to the desk. He hits it with some spray and begins working some elbow grease into fixing their microscopic mishap. "And maybe it wasn't a memory. It's like you say, this world is anything but normal. It's almost like anything goes in a sense."

With his partner cleaning, Phillip takes inventory on the agency. The sight is mildly disturbing, but it isn't the end of the world. "I believe this is called, 'Spring Cleaning'? Apparently a ritual in which the muck and grime accumulated in the winter is purged in the span of several days. Why they don't just clean regularly in the winter is beyond me, but I've always thought of tackling it firsthand. I didn't get the chance when Akiko was around keeping the place organized!" With little time used, Phillip rushes in and out from behind the door adorned with hats. He returns with a radiation apron, and a welding mask. "We didn't have any traditional wear used to clean, so I've taken some liberties with the attire. I believe the first order of business is to remove the trash you've accumulated in your leisure time!" With a brief flash of a grin, he lowers the visor as he begins to bag up crumpled wrappers, failed journal logs, and other miscellaneous garbage.

"Spring Cleaning". The words were simple, yet they held such crushing despair for those who'd much rather partake in the leisure side of living. Shotaro, wanted to be one of those who enjoyed life at his leisure, but with the Chief absent... it really was up to the detective and his partner to keep the office presentable. "Ah mou... I didn't hear anything about this..." Resigning himself to the task at hand, he proceeded to spray down the surfaces in the office. The kitchen counter, the coffee tables, the shelving units. All of them would meet cleanliness by the detective's hand. "Oi, Phillip. What exactly are you classifying as garbage over there? I have some erm... sensitive documents littered about the place."

Looking as though he had just arrived from a welding shop, Phillip peruses through a variety of the garbage he has collected. "You don't keep erotica at the agency, for your sake and mine own. No need to worry, just remnants of your delusions and the like. You throw them away for a reason, yes?" The toil surrounding the back room of the office has mostly been cleared, and the picturesque hard-boiled aesthetic shines in the light from the lamp overhead. "I must say that I am glad we managed to leave the consulting area fairly clear. Cases may be dry, but with the winds of spring taking the city I'm quite certain we won't be otiose for long."

A knock on the door could be heard followed by a confused mumbling coming from the other side. "This is the right place, right? I'd hate be bugging someone I don't know." Outside would be a confused looking young man around 19 years in age. His clothes were all white with odd black spots that seemed to be there for medical equipment of a sort to possibly connect to. He almost looked as if he just got out of some kind of lab or hospital.

Shotaro laughs in relief at his partner's remark. "Right! My delusions are certainly problematic. I make eighth graders look tame on some days." He hangs the rag over his shoulder as he takes in the office's renaissance. It was certainly worth the effort the pair put forth. Luckily there wasn't much space for them to get to. "And I agree Phillip. The wind may be peaceful now, but much like a bear, trouble is just waking up from hibernation!" The man grins eagerly as he watches the door of the agency. Some day soon, a case unlike any other would shake the very foundations of the office. And Shotaro would expect nothing less. And it seemed to come sooner than expected! "Oh! Just a moment!" Shotaro quickly rushes to the door and opens it for the stranger. "Welcome to the Narumi Detective Agency. Please come in!"

"Alright, uh, thank you." The boy would enter the building while trying to remain calm. He was nervous because he'd never visited a detective agency before. He would look around oddly amazed by even the most simple of things. "This place is really fancy, isn't it? Sorry, I'm not used to this kind of thing at all."

With the new arrival, Phillip would shuffle to the back of the agency. He begins to examine the contents beneath the couch which his partner spent many a night on. "You can handle this one, call me when necessary. Most importantly don't lose this case! Or whatever Akiko would tell you to get you ready to go."

He simply smiles at the young man and ushers him towards a small sitting area to the right of the door. Shotaro would take a seat in a chair on one side of the coffee table and offer the newcomer sit on the couch. "I wouldn't say this place is anything special per se, but I'm glad you like it." He quickly turns his head to speak to his partner in the back. "Typically it entails threats of physical violence, but I appreciate the moral support, Partner!" He turns back to the young man and presses his hands together in his lap. "Alright. My name is Shotaro Hidari, but please just call me Shotaro. Now how can I help you?"

The young man would take a seat on the couch before scratching the side of his head. He'd begun speaking in a calm voice. "Well, I guess I should start with everything that's happened to me. I woke up here a while ago actually but I'm not sure exactly when. I don't know why but it feels like I was sleeping a while and my head's all cloudy. I can barely even remember why I'm here or what I was doing before but that's not why I've come today." Tiz would bring out a journal from his pocket. It would look a little old with the leather cover seeming somewhat worn but it was still in a decent condition. "I've had this journal since I got here and well, something strange has been happening with it. I never let go of it, it's always in my pocket but whenever I sleep there's always something new written in it in green ink. Sometimes there are random facts about gardening and vegetables or sometimes these really oddly accurate descriptions of the things around me. It even has commentary on each thing. I thought maybe someone was following me and writing in the journal while I sleep but even when I'm in an enclosed space or locked room the journal gets updated. So, I guess what I want to find out is who's writing in it. Do you think you could help me?"

Shotaro listens to every word the young man says with no sort of distrust in his eyes. It certainly wasn't the strangest thing he'd heard, so he had no reason not to trust the man at his word for now. "Alright. I won't say it sounds simple enough, because that's never how this stuff plays out. But I will absolutely do everything in my power to help you find the perpetrator. A case like this won't incur too much of a fee, but it won't be free. If that is acceptable, then I'm more than ready to get to work." The man flashes a warm smile as he puts forth his hand to the young man. "I should also grab your name. I was worried with the way you were talking at first. I thought you might've had a case of amnesia."

The young man would nod before smiling knowing that his case wasn't hopeless. "Of course, I've been able to survive off the money I've gotten taking on random jobs. I should have enough to pay you." He'd grab the detective's hand in response before giving out his name. "I'm Tiz, Tiz Arrior. I look forward to your help, detective!"

Shotaro chuckles to himself as he gives a firm handshake. "Tiz in a tizzy, well it looks like that's the new chapter for the agency!" He breaks off the handshake and sits back into his chair. His fingers begin tapping rhythmically upon his knees as he considers where to go from here. "So, Tiz, this only happens whenever you fall asleep. Correct? If so, I'd like to perform a sleep study of sorts. Set up a device to track any energy that might appear while you're sleeping, and of course, my watchful eyes."

Tiz would seem to remain calm at the suggestion as a certain determination shined in his eyes. "I understand, I'll do whatever is needed to help get to the bottom of this. Uh, what do you mean by sleep study exactly? Are you going to put me to sleep or something?"

Shotaro shakes his head dismissively. "Can't go around drugging clients, and I'm not sure if knocking you out the old fashioned way would hinder the outcome. I'm not much of a science expert, so playing around with factors doesn't appeal to me. Instead, I can set you up in a spare bunk we have in the back and have you sleep the old fashioned way." He points behind himself to where Phillip was finishing his cleaning. "I have a portable DVD player and some period dramas if you need a sleep aid. We should also have tea in the kitchen should that suit your fancy." His eyes narrow on the journal in question. This case certainly was an oddity. "And whereabouts do you keep the book when you sleep? Just so I can figure out the best spot to put my equipment."

Tiz would nod his head once more as he tried to think through everything Shotaro was saying. "Well, I think I can put myself to sleep pretty quickly but some tea might help speed that process. I usually just keep my journal in my pocket. I don't really have anywhere else I could keep it." Tix would look over the journal once more as Shotaro examined it. Even he wasn't sure exactly how the information in it was so well kept and in a way part of him almost wanted to thank whoever was taking the notes. They didn't seem like a bad individual but it was still disheartening to know that someone was getting their hands on the journal so easily.

"Okay, let's get this slumber party started! You can head on over to the bunk and lay down. I just need to grab something from my partner's office. I'll be back in a flash!" Shotaro quickly hops out of the chair and heads to the nook of a kitchen. He sets up the kettle to boil and then walks towards a wall adorned with many hats. He reveals the wall to be a hidden door as he quickly walks disappears inside of it.

Tiz would get up before heading to the bunk mentioned before and trying to get settled. He felt a bit awkward trying to sleep in a bed that was unfamiliar but he seemed to recall many times in the past when he slept on the floor of a tent or sometimes even next to an open fire. "Alright, no problem. I just need to fall asleep. Oh right, the journal. I still have it out." He'd quickly put the journal back into the pocket of his clothes. He was unsure of how things would go and his anxiety would certainly show.

Appearing once again, Shotaro now holds a tiny robotic snail in his hands. "Sorry for the delay. This little guy crawled into a hidey hole and it took some coaxing to get him out." He approaches the bunk and sets the snail above Tiz, allowing it to have the widest possible view. He'd then quickly return to the small kitchen and pour some hot water into a cup. Moments later he'd add a chamomile teabag to the water and present it to his client. "Here goes nothing, Tiz. I'll be monitoring the situation remotely, and I'll wake you if I notice anything. We'll catch them for sure!" With a warm smile, he returns to the hidden door and exits. The room was now empty save for the snail, Tiz, and his thoughts.

Shotaro would remain huddled behind the door staring down at a laptop. His brow would begin to see traces of sweat popping up here and there. "Still nothing big so far. Let's hope the culprit actually shows up." He'd mumble to himself quietly as he stared intently at the screen. His eyes would try and find anything out of place anytime the young man budged in his sleep.

Shotaro would stand up and lean against the door after verifying what he just saw on the screen. He hadn't ruled out the possibility of sleepwalking, but this seemed much too unusual for it to be called that. "Alright. Now or never, I suppose..." As quietly as he could, Shotaro opens the hidden door once more and steps back into the office. He looks towards the back room as he enters, his eyes scanning for Tiz. He'd slowly approach the threshold of the back room but he wouldn't say anything. He was curious as to how "Tiz" would react to his presence.

He would continue taking notes and occasionally looking up from the journal. He'd walk as he does so, trying to discover anything that perhaps was new or unusual. Finally in his observation after taking a second glance he'd notice Shotaro. As he spoke, his voice was obviously not Tiz's. His voice sounded much older and had a more poetic tone to it. "Ah, yes. Shotaro, correct? I hope you aren't too surprised by this outcome, oh, but I should explain myself. Words are like the heads of cabbage, we should be careful to weigh them well before we choose."

His eyes go wide as "Tiz" speaks to him. However, he quickly composes himself and leans himself against the tall coffee table in the center of the room. "Surprise is something that comes naturally in this line of work. But I can't say this possibility wasn't floating around my mind... strictly because it was absurd enough to be possible. And I would certainly welcome an explanation, please and thank you!" He runs his right index finger along the brim of his hat as he awaits the young man's words.

He would almost seem to ignore Shotaro as he continued his cabbage based rantings. "For cabbages, you see, grow faster on the inside. Thus it is not size but rather weight which reveals its true value. The same could be said of one's words." Finally he would seem to hear Shotaro's words as if by a delayed reaction. "Oh, yes, of course. You may call me Altair. My current position has much to do with the condition of Tiz himself. My soul was placed inside his body as a sort of replacement sot hat he may wake from a deep slumber. Of course, finding ourselves in this world was not quite part of the plan. Young Tiz isn't quite aware of my presence as while I am awake he is often sleeping once more. That is when I take control and busy myself writing notes on what I see. I was a researcher and scientist long ago, you see."

Shotaro would stifle a laugh as the young man continued heading the conversation to a cabbage patch. However, once things got back on track, Shotaro was deeply intrigued by Altair's words. "You know, the union of a soul and a body like that sounds familiar. And it sounds like you're a pretty decent guy, Altair. You'd probably be a match for my partner if you were a researcher, I'm sure you two wouldn't be able to stop talking!" He laughs to himself as he pictures the scene in his head. "This place isn't really an ideal place to pop up one day, I will give you that. But going off what you said, Tiz lost his soul... right? What happened there?"

Altair would ponder for a second before replying to Shotaro's inquiry. "A difficult situation to explain as even I am not sure exactly how such an event came to be. My memories in regards to young Tiz only stretch back to the union of body and soul. Otherwise, all I'm aware of is that he had been sleeping for nearly 3 years beforehand. His body was kept stable by a combination of magic and technology and the reason for his sudden awakening as well as my own was due to a terrible fate soon befalling the world. However, it's hard for me to say exactly what that fate was or whether or not it was ever dealt with. There's a gap in both our memories as to how we ended up here which is troubling, especially for me." Altair would pace around for a second before raising the journal slightly as if to gesture to it. "Even this journal was mostly blank upon Tiz's arrival. I'm unsure as to its previous content but I'm sure there was quite a bit of information in it before. Also the insignia on the front. It shows the letter 'U'. I'm unsure of whose initial is 'U' but I'm certain that this journal belonged to someone else before."

Shotaro simply nods along to the story. It was certainly not an entirely pleasant tale, if anything he was worried about the young man. The circumstances around him were intriguing on a personal level now. "Alright. That sounds incredibly rough... not knowing anything of your past like that. And as for the initial you found, that could be a very important clue...but it's hard to say if the holder of that initial is either alive or here." He brings his right hand to his mouth as he mumbles to himself. He stops after a few moments and moves his hand. "I guess there's no helping it at this point. Altair, would you allow me to help you find the owner of that journal? My partner and I are pretty good when it comes to stuff like that." He flashes a warm grin before speaking once more. "Oh, right! Can I reveal your existence to Tiz? That was the reason he hired me after all!"

Altair would nod as he looks down at the journal. He couldn't deny that it made him curious as well. "Well, I have no doubts finding out who this journal originally belongs to would be no easy task but if you wish to investigate its owner than I have no objections. I planned to try and discover that truth myself." Altair would seem to jump suddenly as if remembering something upon Shotaro's mention of the original job. "Ah, yes. Young Tiz is unaware of my presence. Yes, it would be a good idea to tell him but you'll need to explain the situation well to him. I'd hate for him to think bad of me for using his body like this without his permission. It wasn't exactly my intention to do so."

Shotaro would point just above Altair to where the snail was placed before the sleep study began. Its large red lenses would peer down at the man with great precision. "The Denden Sensor will be able to replay this conversation so there's no need to worry about things being lost in translation!" He grins happily to himself. Phillip would be hard pressed to find fault in his detective process for once. "And as for the investigation into the journal. My partner should be able to cut investigation time by at least seventy percent. So long as the previous owner is a resident of this world... at least that seems to be the limitation it has."

Altair would give a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure what Tiz's reaction would be but he was hoping he would be understanding to the current situation. "I see, well, in that case, I shall return young Tiz to sleep. I don't think they've quite woken up yet and I'd hate to take too much rest from their body, of course, if that's alright with you. This is the place of your business, after all." Altair would look somewhat curious as to the mention of Shotaro's partner and his efficiency. "Your partner sounds like an amazing researcher if he can gather such information so quickly. Perhaps I will need to speak with him myself. There are many subjects I still have yet to fully finish my own study of. Perhaps they could give me a proper source for which to pursue such topics."

Shotaro waves his hand dismissively at Altair's concern. "Nonsense. The bunk is there for whenever I have to work late, so accommodating for Tiz would be no trouble. He seems like a kid who might need a nice warm place to rest his head." He then begins to crack up again at the thought of Phillip and Altair talking ad nauseam. "You could say he's exceptionally well read. Finding just the right information in the library is his forte. But I'm sure you'll understand whenever it comes up. And I'm sure he'd love to learn about your world. Anything to keep him from chastising me would be welcome in my books." With a final smile he gives a simple nod to Altair. "I guess I'll be seeing you around then. This mystery certainly goes deep. I'm getting goosebumps!"

Altiar would give one final nod in return. "Until next time then. Feel free to just ask Tiz if you wish to speak with me. Once he knows of my presence things may become a bit simpler in terms of our communication." Altair would finally return to the bunk as Tiz expression would return to normal before falling unconscious once more on top of the bed.