[Rail IC] Academy City

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Shelley's family's apartment - This Morning - about 20 minutes ago

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Today, Shelley feels like she can take on anything.

She had just emerged from what must have been the best rest she had had in about a year and a half. She had opened the blinds and met the bright purple sun-drenched world with wide-open eyes. She had actually beaten her mother to the shower and turned the water up to full blast.

Shelley couldn't remember the last time she had actually showered. The sound of the water rushing through pipes and crashing against porcelain was ear-splitting. Today was no different... well, except it was different. She could still hear every single little rattling droplet. But, for some reason or another, this time she was determined not to let it get to her.

She stands next to the refrigerator, staring into a cup of chocolate mousse, spoon in hand. Last year her parents had made an enormous, cake-sized bowl of the stuff for her birthday, but it was simply impossible for her to eat any meaningful portion of it. Every so often she would return to the fridge for another attempt, but to no avail. Her taste buds remain every bit as messed up as the rest of her. But today? Today she feels lucky.

She scoops up a glob of delicious goo and slips it in her mouth.

...

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BLUH!!! Still too rich!

...and everyone wonders why she got so thin just from laying around at home all day. After removing the evidence of this little piece of breakfast theater, Shelley sits down to her usual meal of unseasoned potatoes and water as she considers the events of the previous night.

The Subway - Last Night - about 11 hours ago

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Shelley was out of her seat, cringing, covering her already muffed ears. Tears streamed down her face as she alternately cried and gasped for breath.

Everyone else could hear it too, sort of. A rumble echoed through the tunnels as the arcade above and ahead of the train began to collapse on itself. Of course, it still had nothing on the girl that had suddenly gone insane and started freaking out right in front of them.

She could hear everything - the creaking girders, the shattering glass, the bloodcurdling screams of the innocent bystanders. It was too much. It was like he was right there, except she was powerless to either help, or escape, or even tell what was going on over all of the settling debris. It only became worse as the train approached the site.

But then, suddenly, an unnaturally clear shout rang out and pierced through the panic and the screams, in no language in particular.

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¡やめて!

Throughout the train passengers halted their conversations, dropped their pencils, discontinued their snogging, and ceased their impromptu breakdancing competitions. Several had interpreted the command differently and pulled the emergency brake, causing the train to squeal and decelerate rapidly.

Shelley didn't notice. The voice was so clear, familiar even, that even the brakes and the engine seemed to quiet down to listen. Everything was suddenly calm again, for the first time in... in...

As the subway train screeched to a halt, Shelley collapsed onto the floor, fast asleep.

[Anyr]

The morning sun rose over Academy City with a brightness that promised a pleasant day to follow. Sounds of awakening filled the air as the city gradually returned to life along with its inhabitants. And among those sounds, one more rang out to greet the new day:

"Riichi!"

Jirou had slept well, but hadn't been in the mood to linger in bed. There'd be plenty of time to relax once he'd finished separating some clueless rubes from their cash at the Mahjong table. He certainly wasn't relaxing as he sat forward in his chair, despite the disgustingly low calibre of his opponents. He'd been having trouble going into 'autopilot' all morning, thanks in no small part to that smirking huckster from the day before. Sure, these people looked harmless, but what if one of them was another Cale in the grass?

Jirou unconsciously drummed his fingers on the table in irritation; This was no fun at all. He'd probably call it quits and go for a walk after this game. While the glory of nature usually ranked a distant second compared to the glory of Mahjong, it was worth a try. Besides, there was no denying that his walks had become a lot more interesting lately...

[Silverraptor]

Jason

Jason was about, looking around the city cautiously. What yesterday told him was that it certainly can be dangerous in this city. He was told that it was the most technologically advanced city in the world, ahead by about 20 years. Yet an esper destroyed the area outside of the arcade in no time at all. What is the point of having this technology if they can't stop things like that from happening?

He was bent this morning on finding out how such a crisis would normally be avoided. And to do that, he knew he had to go out through the city on look around. He needed to figure out what kind of capabilities espers were made of. Because since he had potential to be one, he needed to know what he was getting into.

[Lillith]

Saturday night. Location unknown

A red light started flashing in a room without window. The ear piercing sound of an alarm filled the place that seemed to be filled with strange massive glass tubes. A female computer voice repeated her line over and over again.

"Warning! Warning! Subject becoming unstable! Warning! Warning! Subject becoming unstable!"

"LA MERDA I SA!" A male voice screamed in response. He seemed to be bashing the keys of a machine in haste, stalling as long as he could. This couldn't be happening, not now! He was so close! "Come on you bastard! Stay with me!"

"Warning! Warning! Subject becoming unstable! Warning! Warning! Subjects signs are decreasing! Losing control..."

"No, no, NO! Vaffanculo! STAY WITH ME!"

The room filled with silence. Both the alarm, the voice and the lights had disappeared. There was only the sound of a panting man to be heard.

"Subject... lost."

"NO!" The man smashed his hands into the keyboard and kicked a nearby trashcan. Another subject lost! How could he let this happen?! And this one was so important too! Why didn't it work?! He would have to make sure that next time...

A door slid open on the other side of the room.

"Ahh... Mirandola..." a soft, stern voice said. "Could you explain to me what that... alarming noise was?" The way he spoke those words send chills down Mirandola's spine. He always hated it when this happened.

"Sir... the subject has been lost sir." He waved his hand in the air. "Robin didn't do her work correctly. The program didn't work... I-"

"AGAIN?!" The voice seemed to explode into Mirandola's face. Then a small sigh was to be heard. "My friend... if anybody can do this... it would be you. Just get another subject and try again. We still have plenty of time."

"Yes sir." Relief... he must have been having a good day today. "What do I do with this one?"

"Dispose of it."

Sunday morning. Jane's apartment

Jane was standing in the middle of her room, staring at the cellphone that lay before her on a table. Behind her was a backpack full with stuff she thought she might need on her trip exploring the city. There was just one thing she couldn't make up her mind about.

"Should I call him? Or shouldn't I call him? He gave me his number, so that should mean he wants me to call him. But wouldn't it be too soon after only one night?" Maybe he would think... things of her if she did. Then again... having a guide would be handy while exploring the town. With a sigh Jane picked up the phone and put it in her pocket. She didn't have the guts to do it.

With one hand she picked up her backpack and walked out of the door. But before the door had closed behind her, the cellphone was back in her hand. Cale's number flashed on screen. Jane bit her lip while her stomach turned into a knot.

"Pick up..."

[Mina Kobold]

Sunday Morning, Katsu's apartment

The young speedster awaken, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleepiness as he tries to move out of the chaotic bed sheets.

As he finally finds himself up and at his little kitchen room, he begins to really wake up and as soon as his sugary and cinnamon-flavoured breakfast is on the table he remembers that the morning he has woken up to is a Sunday and no doubt one filled with exploration and speeding around town to witness how Academy city is waking up and looking at a new day of fun and excitement.

Soon he leaves his apartment and, sliding down the railing on the stairs, he speeds out into a new day and new adventures.

[Rhydeble]

Cale was very busy at the moment. He knew Jirou wasn't very good in chess, so he should be able to win this, but the problem was that his pawns were being countered by Jirou's infantry battalion on the east flank. Cale might've been able to counter that by shoving his tower into their faces, but that would allow Jirou's queen to hit a homerun.

After careful deliberation, Cale decided to sacrifice a bishop and a sailing boat to summon his blue eyes white dragon, but that activated Jirou's trap card. The sprung trap created an overwhelming blast of sound. Cale countered the trap card by reaching out with his hand, finding his nightstand, and picking up his phone.

"Hello, this is Cale sleepovich."

[Lillith]

"Hello, this is Cale sleepovich."

Oh no, he picked up! Wait, wasn't that what she had hoped for?
"<Uh... Hi Cale...> Did he just say his name was sleepovic? <It's Jane. I wanted to explore the city today and uh... I was afraid I might get lost so uh... Just ask him already! <Could you like... give me a tour?>"

[InyutheBeatIs]

[Mori Hajime]

Another uneventful day, another satisfied costumer, another paycheck, another balanced meal of homegrown vegetables. Today had gone by rather smoothly, rather in stark contrast to the "incident" earlier that week.

The sound of running water and his own breathing and heartbeat filled his ears as he meditated on the events so far. He didn't do this out of spiritual enlightenment, mind you, but rather out of trying to find peace and prepare himself for what is to come. He opens his eyes, looking at his arms. All across were little marks and scars, seemingly refusing to heal themselves and dissappear.

Soon, he reaches behind him and turns off the shower, pulling aside the foggy glass door and drying himself off, before putting on night clothes. Just as baggy and practical as always, a pair of loose fitting pants and a loose fitting shirt in neutral colors. One might even mistake them for his normal clothes.

He walks over to a desk with a rose growing out of a clay vase. The stem seems to be entertwined, slipping into and out of the vase as if it weren't even there, making blurring the line between pot and plant until it doesn't exist. He turns on the laptop, one of the few pieces of true technology in his apartment, and goes about typing up an email.

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Dear Mom and Dad,...

He types the email and sends it to his parents far away. The email describes his week, everything from report card scans to his income, from a visit to that shop he never went to before to the incident with the robot, it was all there. At the end, he tells them that he'll be sending money their way soon, to help them get through the month. It was the least he could do.

His email sent, he closes the laptop and approaches his bed. He slowly lays his head on the rather spartan set up, not even a blanket over him. Just a simple pillow under his head, and a decent mattress underneath. The day ended, he closes his eyes and soon drifts to sleep.

[Rhydeble]

Oh no, he picked up! Wait, wasn't that what she had hoped for?
"<Uh... Hi Cale...> Did he just say his name was sleepovic? <It's Jane. I wanted to explore the city today and uh... I was afraid I might get lost so uh... Just ask him already! <Could you like... give me a tour?>"

When he picked up the phone, Cale was pretty sure that he was now awake.
But Jane was calling him, so it had to be a dream.

"<You want me to give you a tour?.. That sounds like a great idea... shall we meet at the kadokado café? it's pretty good.>" Cale asked her, while his half-asleep mind was still trying to process the fact that he was being called by the lovely Jane. "<I hope you didn't get in trouble for breaking curfew yesterday, did you manage to get back home safely>"

[shinnmoso]

Outside Pasticceria Manicagni, Streets of School Garden

Rockwell drew a short straw this morning during their routine meeting. Meaning he has morning patrol duty today. Luckily, it's within an area he is always around.

The drowsy feeling has already worn off and he is now in combat ready state. Dressed in his usual uniform, He is armed with an H&K MP7 PDW today, since the knock-down power of a full rifle is not needed. Another benefit of holding a SMG is that Rockwell can run faster due to the lightweight and compactness of the SMG.

It's still quite early when Rockwell checked his watch, but the streets are already packed with students from the Five Elite schools within School Garden. He would see faces that he recognize due to them being in his English class or he covered for Physics. Although the students may not recognize him, he is forbidden to talk to students on duty due to Anti-Skill regulations.

Rockwell taps his partner on the shoulder
"Let's move on. We've still got a lot of area to cover"

"True. Let's go."

Rockwell and his partner continues down the street.

[Lillith]

"<You want me to give you a tour?.. That sounds like a great idea... shall we meet at the kadokado café? it's pretty good.>"

Kadokado cafe... she had seen that somewhere yesterday, she could probably find it. <"Sounds good, I'll be there in about half an hour!">

"<I hope you didn't get in trouble for breaking curfew yesterday, did you manage to get back home safely>"

Jane smiled. <"Nah no troubles at all. The streets were very quiet so I managed to get home very quickly.">

Sunday. Anti Skill headquarters of Division 10

The door to the main lounge of Division 10 swung open. The detective in his brown trench coat walked inside with a very grumpy and tired look on his face. He'd have to go to his office soon, but right now... he needed coffee. He barely managed to reach machine on the other side of the room or he was met with a high chirpy voice.

"Hey Yamato-san! What are you doing here on a Sunday?" said a female officer who was trying to hog as much of the bright red couch, that was standing in the middle of the lounge, as she could. "Aren't you supposed to have the day off?"

"No..." he responded with a grunt. "An incident at the arcade yesterday. Just before my shift ended. Just my luck. Just got back."

"Haha, sucks to be you to be stuck with Sunday service. What happened?"

Yamato grunted. "Teenage Espers, what else? Some brats decided to fight. Then a third one tried to stop them with some mind wave." He put a cup inside the machine and pressed the button, waiting for his coffee to arrive.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that." The woman said pondering, she moved her legs so she could sit up straight normally. "People were acting strange within a block or two radius."

"Yeah," he nodded while picking out his coffee from the machine and sitting next to the curious officer. "The female Esper apparently gave some sort of command and people would act differently depending on how they interpreted it. Some would drop dead in their tracks. Others would try to stop subways from moving. One big mess. Had a girl just falling asleep right in the middle of a wagon. That was one mess to figure out who she was and who to contact."

Yamato took a sip and felt how the hot coffee was slowly waking up his body again. Ahhh... bless the person who invented caffeine. If only he could inject himself with this stuff every day.

"Anyways, I've got some good leads on who the perpetrators are. Got some leads on their powers and looks. Some people even thought they heard names so I'm going to run them through the system in a sec. It shouldn't be that hard to find their names." Another sip, oh caffeine, you're a godsend. "I'm actually very interested in the girl."

The woman raised her eyebrow. "Cause of that mindblast she did?" Yamato nodded. She immediately rolled her eyes in response. "Urgh Yamato, just give that theory up already."

"I won't, I can't drop this unless I'll solve it. And you can't tell me this is a coincidence!"

The woman's face turned angry. She tilted her head as if she tried to look inside Yamato's mind. "This has nothing to do with your other case. From what I can understand it's just a couple of kid Espers making a mess. It happens. They're kids with superpowers, they'll make a mess. It's our job to clean it up. You know that as well as I do."

"And I'm telling you that kids with superpowers is probably the worst idea in the history of this world! But fine." With a huff Yamato stood up, clearly insulted. Don't believe me Moreau. It doesn't matter anyways. I'm the head of that case as I am of this one and I shall prove they're connected!"

With his cup in his hand, Yamato walked towards his office and slammed the door behind him.

It didn't stop Moreau from calling after him, "Just focus on ONE CASE AT THE TIME YAMATO!"

[Rhydeble]

Kadokado cafe... she had seen that somewhere yesterday, she could probably find it. <"Sounds good, I'll be there in about half an hour!">


Jane smiled. <"Nah no troubles at all. The streets were very quiet so I managed to get home very quickly.">

"< Okay, I'll see you in half an hour then, bye>" Cale said, his mind racing to figure out whether or not he had time for a shower before heading out, and whether or not Jane would like him with hair that was still wet or not..

[Anyr]

In one of Academy City's many streets a panting figure leaned heavily against a convenient lamppost. Jirou's casual stroll had begun well enough, but unfortunately nothing he did ever remained casual for long. In no time at all the stroll had turned into a brisk walk; Then a determined jog; And finally a frenzied race against a completely imaginary opponent. Unfortunately spectral foes are well known for their endurance, so now Jirou's time was split between gasping for breath and trying to look as if he wasn't gasping for breath.

Feeling his legs starting to give despite the pole's support, Jirou staggered forward and fell gratefully into a nearby chair. Far too tired to question the origin of this convenient fixture, he simply sighed with relief and settled down into it. Behind him a large sign proclaimed the presence of the 'Kadokado Cafe', but that wasn't important. Anywhere that provided outdoor seating for passing marathon runners had already earned Jirou's blessing.

[Silverraptor]

Jason's walk continued to take him all over the city. The casual observer would see a boy being highly interested in the surrounding. While in actuality, he was paying attention to everyone around him instead, mainly those who would be in school. He wanted to know how they acted. How often they used their powers. Anything that made them unique. He was going to become one of them, so he wanted to make sure what they expected of him.

However, most of his trip was a disappointment. Everywhere he looked, it was just normal kids doing normal stuff. Finally, he stopped and leaned against a building. If only there was something he snack on, maybe it would make him feel better.

Of course, this was him being oblivious to the sign of 'Kadokado Cafe' being right overhead.

[Mina Kobold]

Katsu's trip through the city had been an adventure of exploring Academy City's alleys, jumping from fence to fence and all in all a great day for the hyperactive speedster, which was why he was now skipping his way toward a place to eat.

As he moves through the mass of slowly walking passerbys he spots Kadokado Café ad in an instant he is on his way through the door, the wind from his sudden burst of speed causing clothes to flap and a girl to yell in Katsu's direction may even catch the attention of anyone bored with the lack of Esper powers and looking for a snack.

[Lillith]

<"Bye!"> Jane responded and closed her phone. She put it into her backpack and immediately grabbed out a map. It didn't take her long to retrace her previous route and remember where she had seen the cafe that Cale mentioned.

With a quick pace she hurried towards her new destination. Half an hour might be a bit too short of a time for her to get there.

[Rhydeble]

Cale quickly showered, put on a rather relaxed outfit of a shirt and some loose pants, and some thick air for insulation if it got cold outside, and started walking towards his destination, about ten minutes from his dorm. On his way there, he amused himself with looking around with his psyked-up sight, seeing the airflow around the city, and when he looked up, the massive currents of the wind up there.
Peace would not stay with him, for when he was nearly there, something happened that Cale remembered from yesterday. Some strange interference in the air that Cale couldn't place. In fact, if he thought about it, he remembered the guy that was on his shoulder was the one that did it. and he was pretty sure that he'd seen the kid at school once.

[Silverraptor]

Jason turns at the girls yell, but he doesn't seem to find the source that caused her to yell out. By the direction of her yelling, he guesses the person went inside. He turns away and begins walking down the street. Though the sound of someone out of breath caused him to look around again.

"[Jirou?]"

[Anyr]

Jirou started in surprise at the familiar voice. It wasn't exactly an unpleasant surprise, but it was definitely badly timed. He'd have much preferred to run into Jason half an hour later, when his bones didn't feel so much like sculpted jelly. With an effort he straightened up, in an effort to look at least mildly presentable. When he turned and greeted Jason it was with exaggerated casualness, as if the sweat on his brow was just the result of standing too close to a pyrokinetic.

"[Well if it isn't the new kid! Hey, don't just stand there; Come on over and take a seat. So, how's the tour of our great city going? You finding your way all right so far?]"

[InyutheBeatIs]

[Mori Hajime - Apartment, Sunday morning]

Hajime opens his eyes as the sun peaks out from the clouds. He gets up, puts on a fresh set of clothes, brushes his teeth, straightens out his hair and grabs some books and various papers related to homework.

Thus began an almost weekly ritual. Every Sunday, Hajime went to the park to relax and study. Of course, he'd pick up an apple or other piece of fruit along the way for breakfast, often growing it on the spot.

However, that didn't mean there weren't interruptions, and given the recent events he wouldn't be suprised to find himself staring down a rather complicated situation.

[Silverraptor]

Jirou started in surprise at the familiar voice. It wasn't exactly an unpleasant surprise, but it was definitely badly timed. He'd have much preferred to run into Jason half an hour later, when his bones didn't feel so much like sculpted jelly. With an effort he straightened up, in an effort to look at least mildly presentable. When he turned and greeted Jason it was with exaggerated casualness, as if the sweat on his brow was just the result of standing too close to a pyrokinetic.

"[Well if it isn't the new kid! Hey, don't just stand there; Come on over and take a seat. So, how's the tour of our great city going? You finding your way all right so far?]"

Jason causally walks over and sits down in the chair on the opposite from Jirou. He sat there for a moment examining Jirou's face, noticing the sweat.

"[What's going on with you? You look like you've been running from the police.]"

[Anyr]

Jirou briefly pondered making up some heroic story to explain his current state. Unfortunately nothing believable came to mind in the three seconds available, so instead he just waved away Jason's concerns with a hand that seemed to be having trouble staying aloft.

"[It's nothing, really. Just a quick morning jog. Anyway, don't change the subject; We're talking about you right now. How have you been doing?]"

[Silverraptor]

Jason shifts in his chair to have one arm leaning on the back of his chair.
"[Its been alright. I'm still learning where everything is.]"
He glances around before leaning closer to Jirou. He speaks in a whisper, as if anyone could be listening in.
"[How common is it for places here to get destroyed or damaged?"

[Anyr]

Jirou eagerly shifted forward as well, if only to give himself an excuse to lean on the table for support. His still-burning lungs were also thankful for the drop in volume as he matched Jason's conspiratorial whisper.

"[Pretty damn common. Think about it; This whole city is basically one giant research lab, working to harness a type of power which didn't even have a name until recently. And since it's far easier for kids to learn this power than adults, it's no surprise what it gets used for half the time.

Take me for example. Do I look responsible to you? Do you think any sane adult would put the keys to reshaping reality in my hands if they could help it? But that's the thing; They can't help it. Only a few kids have the potential, so bouncing any because of their psych profile just isn't going to happen. So in exchange for getting our brains poked by guys in lab coats every once in a while, we get to spend the rest of the time using them to break things. Not a bad deal, right?]"

He smiled broadly at Jason, as if he'd just finished describing the perfect world. Despite the precious breath his long speech had consumed, it was worth it to see the look that would soon be on the other boy's face. Jirou honestly enjoyed explaining the ins and outs of Academy City to Jason; Especially when it involved giving good news like this.

[Silverraptor]

Jason stares blankly at nothing for a long moment. Time seems to extend endlessly for Jirou, that he might get the sense he said the wrong thing. But finally, Jason manages to speak.

"[So... What is your power, Jirou]?"

[Lillith]

While she was slightly out of breath, Jane managed to get to the Kadokado cafe just in time. Cale didn't seem to have arrived yet, good... at least she could try to catch her breath before he got here. She leaned against one of the chairs with one hand, panting softly and oblivious to what was happening around her.

[Anyr]

Jirou's smile widened even further. He always loved being given the opportunity to show off his talents. Having watched with glee as Jason absorbed the news (clearly staggered into silence by its impact), Jirou took great satisfaction in playing to this new line of questioning.

"[My power? Well, it's hard to do it justice with words. Tell you what; I'll give you a demonstration. It's pretty impressive to see the first time, if I do say so myself. Okay, you see this glass? Now watch it caref-Jane?]"

Jirou abruptly fell into silence, eyes now fixed on a point just over Jason's shoulder. His expression was a strange mixture of surprise, pleasure and apprehension; As if he'd just caught sight of a particularly rare and valuable breed of rattlesnake. Unsure whether to approach it with enthusiasm or to back away slowly, he settled for sitting completely still.

"When did it get so hard to tell the good guys from the bad ones?"

[Rhydeble]

When Cale reached the Café, he was happy when he saw Jane already there.

Something else didn't make him happy... Jirou was there, sitting next to someone he remembered but didn't recognize.

Cale walked towards Jane, hoping she'd see him, and Jirou wouldn't.

[Lillith]

Jane quickly turned around to see who called her name. Her face looked happily surprised, though a bit red from the running. <Jirou!"> she chirped. <"I didn't expect to see you here! How are you? I forgot to ask you last night if you had fun at the dinner. What are you doing here?"> Jane looked at the obviously foreign looking boy Jirou was with. Only someone from the US would wear their flag on their clothing. <"Who's your friend?">

Though before either of them could respond, Jane saw Cale in the distance. Waving with her arm so he could see her. <"Heeeey Cale!">

[Silverraptor]

Jason turned around at the sound of someone else speaking english. He see's a fairly attractive girl standing behind him addressing both himself and Jirou. But the main focus was on the accent associated with those english words. It was just the sort of accent anyone in america would stereotype as someone being from Britain or the UK.

If his mind was checked, it would show a distinct interest and curiosity.