[Rail IC] Academy City II: Electrokinesis Is Love~

[KerfuffleMach2]

Krystal looks over the new sketch for a moment, then smiles and gives a thumbs up.

Perfect, Kin.

[Lady Serpentine]

Yuuma shrugs off Koto's comment with a yawn.

Blame my parents and Operant Conditioning for my amazingly suave table manners.

Although he talked as if he was bragging about this; but his face and tone of voice seemed disinterested, as if he'd rather not talk about such things.

My power is technically Aerokinesis although at this point I can only do troublesome things with it.

expertly twirling a chopstick between his fingers Yuuma looks thoughtful for a moment.

So how did you three meet each other?

He said motioning to Tobio, Aila, and Johnathan before returning to his food.

"We met because my brother likes to explore the city," Alia replies, grinning, and sounding rather amused. "He ran into a Skill-Out, and got in a knife fight with her. Which turned out to be utterly useless for both of them, as it ended with him agreeing that he'd stop twisting a knife around in her knee if she'd stop trying to kill him, and them both going on their respective ways.

Where Tobio comes in is that he's a member of Judgment, and goes to the same school my brother does, so when he heard about what happened, he stopped by to see him."

[Terry576]

Moroe grimaced at this new development. Bodyguard duty? That didn't sound like the quick and simple task for which she'd been hoping. It was also hard to tell whether her new 'client' was a true innocent, playing with forces which she couldn't comprehend, or just another masked sadist who delighted in pulling people's strings. Age wasn't much of a guide when it came to judging these things. Still, for Shougo's sake, Moroe had to at least try to get out of this. Putting on her best begging face, she looked down at the little girl who held her leash.

"Erm, how urgent is this job of yours? It's just that...Oneechan...has something she really wants to do right now. A (I can't believe I'm saying this) precious friend is in trouble. Bad people are chasing him, and he needs my help to stop them. If you want I'll still go with you, but it's just so hard to leave someone who's (please don't let anyone else hear me spouting this tripe) so very close to my heart. So could you maybe manage without me for a little while? Please?"

Somehow Moroe managed to get through that whole plea without breaking character. Such things definitely did not come naturally to her.

"B-b-b-but oneeeeee-chaaaaan!" The little girl pouts at her, her eyes watering slightly. "I've got a lot of bad people after me!" She looks around conspiratorially before whispering,

"They wanna use my ability Onee-chan! And I dunno how to stop them!"

Hajime

"...Master, Hajime says, finally speaking up, If you wish to continue helping your friend, I will watch over this person until you are free. He looks at the little girl for a second before looking away."

A way out. A really easy way out - one that got rid of both her newfound follower and this girl who was already deep in the dark.

[Anyr]

To Moroe's shame, she barely hesitated before nodding.

"Okay. Protect her to the best of your ability. Oh, and try to keep her happy, within reason. I'll come back to take over as soon as I'm done helping Nimori."

Moroe turned and walked back down the corridor, feeling more than a little guilty about what she'd just done. That had indeed been an easy way out, in the same way that pulling a trigger was easy. Hajime had offered to help because he thought of himself as her servant. By letting him take her place, she'd not only reinforced that belief, but also become a hypocrite. What was the value in all those words about treating him as an equal if she abandoned them the first time they became inconvenient? Kami, she really was pathetic.

Moroe reentered Shougo's room with a heavy heart. She greeted him with another reassuring smile which was just as unconvincing as the first one.

"Good news: False alarm. Ready to go, partner?"

Krystal looks over the new sketch for a moment, then smiles and gives a thumbs up.

Perfect, Kin.

Kin responded with a double thumbs up of her own, before putting both thumbs to work elsewhere. Wasting no time, she became a living whirlwind of activity. Spaces were cleared, equipment unpacked and fabric sorted in no time, by what looked like a girl-shaped blur. When she'd finished, an expensive sewing machine sat gleaming on her bed, along with everything else needed to make the perfect costume. Kin's outline became distinct again when she sat down in front of the array. A look of intense concentration filled her face as, with barely a pause, she began to sew.

"No time like the present..."

[KerfuffleMach2]

Krystal watches Kin with awe in her eyes. Clearly, she was in the presence of a master.

She offers to help Kin in any way she can.

[Terry576]

To Moroe's shame, she barely hesitated before nodding.

"Okay. Protect her to the best of your ability. Oh, and try to keep her happy, within reason. I'll come back to take over as soon as I'm done helping Nimori."

Moroe turned and walked back down the corridor, feeling more than a little guilty about what she'd just done. That had indeed been an easy way out, in the same way that pulling a trigger was easy. Hajime had offered to help because he thought of himself as her servant. By letting him take her place, she'd not only reinforced that belief, but also become a hypocrite. What was the value in all those words about treating him as an equal if she abandoned them the first time they became inconvenient? Kami, she really was pathetic.

Moroe reentered Shougo's room with a heavy heart. She greeted him with another reassuring smile which was just as unconvincing as the first one.

"Good news: False alarm. Ready to go, partner?"

Alas, Moroe had not thought this all the way through - "within reason", for Hajime, was "treat her as you would me."

"Oniiichaaaan! Can we go to the arcade?!!? Can we go to the Garden!?!? I wanna see everything, Oniichan! I wanna see the whole wide city, 'fore they find me, okay?"

She smiled at Hajime - who stood complacently behind her. He wasn't talkative.

"...Oniichan, do... do you not like me?"

The girl looked shyly at the ground, her eyes downcast for once. She was rather sad at discovered that her oniichan didn't like her. He never spoke, never reacted to what she said, even as she dragged him out of the hospital, his silver hair and eyes drawing looks from everyone.

"S'okay oniichan... lotta people don't like me! I think... I think oneechan doesn't like me very much either..."

"Hajime speaks to the sad girl, saying I like you just fine. I am just unused to reacting to news, as I am a a blank slate at the moment. I suspect you merely startled Master, and that is why she did not say anything to you."

The girl looks up, some small tears falling from her face. "R-r-really?"

He nods.

"...Oh. That's okay then! But seriously Oniichan, when we're at the arcade, an' the bakery, an' the movies... You need to smile, okay? Don't always look so blank oniichan! S'not good!"

And the two began moving, entering the School Garden with relative ease.

And another strand of the silverette's hair faded to blue.

[Atrum-Persavor]

Judgement Branch 092. Afternoon, 4:00PM.

Nimori Dojo. That was a name Shirogane Ren had never heard of before. However, it didn’t really matter. What mattered more was that he was taking up his break to do something that seemed utterly ridiculous. Acting off a tip-off and committing trespass from some random stranger on the tip was rather out-of-character for Ren.

That is, if it didn’t involve other Judgment members potentially stooping down to the level of mere street thugs with powers or if it didn’t involve a serious case of bullying.

Sure, the “order” of the world and Academy City was as artificial as it came. Sure, there was a lot of pain and suffering buried under the happy exterior. Sure, being a by-the-book Judgment agent was just an act. But if there was something Ren hated, it was a bully.

If those idiots attacking Yoroi were really Judgment members, he would HUNT them down and make them PAY.

“Break time, Ren?” The voice of Nakamura Nagare carries down from his seat by a workbench. It took Ren a while to realize he had subconsciously teleported himself from school to his Judgment Branch. Not that it mattered, really. Branch 092 was an especially large branch- an ‘area headquarters’ of sorts- and most of the Judgment members working there tended to use it as a place to relax and study in peace.

“Hn.”

“Vocal and enthusiastic as always.”

“Socrates himself wouldn’t be able to match your insight.” Ren grunted as he left.

He stepped out, and teleported himself onto the roof.

Then, he began to move from rooftop to rooftop, heading towards District 6.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From afar, the Nimori Dojo looked like a standard Japanese dojo- one made out of wood, in fact, surrounded by the other western-style structures of Academy City. In other words, it looked COMPLETELY out of place.

On top of that, there were bright red flags bearing the characters “Wind”, “Forest”, “Fire” and “Mountain” hanging from the sides. But something was wrong- the flags look like they hadn’t been washed for days. On closer inspection, the exterior of the place looked like nobody had bothered to clean it up for at least a month- certain places were already gathering dust.

Ren teleported next to a wall, then peered in through a window.

A dozen- no, more, Pure Streets members, including one foreigner. Strange. Nobody he knows, and nobody stupid enough to wear their Judgment armbands. Ren crouches down, stills his breathing and begins to listen in.

“Maan, this place is a dump.”

“Your right, the woman here can’t clean.”

“Tch, anyway, did you hear? Yuu and his bunch got beaten on by another Judgment members.”

“No way.”

“Yuriko says it was that Nagatenjouki esper. You know, the one who stopped the robbery this morning?”

“Uh, what was his name again?”

“Can’t remember. Don’t matter, does it?”

“Yeah, Jounouchi’s back. Party on tonight, Daisuke’s place, woo.”

Silently, Ren stands up, turns and teleports a hundred meters away. He would have to come back some other time with a few audio bugs. Daisuke huh... He certainly knew a Daisuke- Ashikaga Daisuke. That would explain the Pure Streets name.

[Lord-Cao-Cao]

When Moroe made her way back to the hospital room, she would have found Shougo intently running through his ninjutsu forms. He was so absorbed in it and the performance afforded by his newly healed body, in fact, that he did not even notice Moroe entering the room until she spoke. When she did, Shougo suddenly snapped to attention, flushing and stuttering briefly.

"A...Ah, of course, Ishimaru-senpai!"

Shougo took a deep breath, calming himself, and noting with approval the absence of that unnatural being with dead eyes (in addition to the little girl who was clearly not right in the head). Offhandedly, he wondered where they were, or rather, where Moroe left them. He hoped they were not in any place to cause trouble; that would be improper, and would inconvenience Moroe. Moroe might note that the window was open now, the crisp spring breeze entering in through the window and ridding the room of its' formerly hot, clammy air. Faint murmurs from other conversations, many floors down, filtered through to the room that they were currently in.

"What are we going to do now, senpai?"

As he finished this sentence, Moroes' phone began vibrating in her pocket-She was being called once again. And judging by the stares, Shougo noticed it too. If she decided to pick it up, she'd have noted that this was from that Kyoto number from earlier-Most likely that Fumiko girl. There was a brief click, and then an unmodulated voice. Yep, it was her again.

"Oh no, that video I sent you wasn't enough, was it? It was a copy of a clip from the original security camera, I didn't realise that quality would be quite that bad...It was incorrect of me not to take a good look at it first, but I was desperate."

There was a pause as the speaker on the other end braced themselves near-audibly for the earful that they would no doubt receive from Moroe. When it was over, the voice continued.

"I'm really sorry...But I think I've found a way to get more concrete evidence. I'll need your help, though; if you're willing. You see, Daisuke is hosting a big party tonight at his penthouse in District Six because my Jounouchi-kun's back. Normally, that place is locked up with so many defenses - Security guards with guns, and all. You'd be crazy to try to break in, correct? But tonight...He's letting almost all of them down so that some fool from the party doesn't trip them off incorrectly.

But I'll get to the point, should I? He keeps all his recorded videos and stored data in a room on the third floor, if I am correct and I know I am on this count. None of them are connected to the internet, so I cannot access them; but I know they're there. In particular, there's this one camera that would be of interest to you, the one that was actually recording the murder. If I'm correct, it's a chrome blue Nikon video camera with a red sticker still stuck on it.

And here's where I'll come in, if you're willing to accept my help...I'll distract the partygoers, and on your signal-I'm the only technopath there, if I'm correct, so it'll be alright-I'll set off the fire alarms and blitz the security cameras. That'll make everyone go outside, and if I'm correct, you'll have about five minutes to nab the camera and any other incriminating evidence you want-There's a lot, if I'm correct. Then you have to make a quick exit."

This time, she didn't hang up. She was waiting for Moroes' response, and her voice was tense and nervous-But resolute. 'Fumiko' could have walked away with what she had-She already had her boyfriend returned to her; but she didn't. This was obviously important to her, and something that she felt she had to do.

[Anyr]

Moroe pulled out the phone with a speed born from years of working for powerful, impatient people. Her temper flared when she saw the caller's identity. She almost didn't answer at all, but eventually relented, if only to tell Fumiko how useless she was; Which she did. Though Shougo's presence prevented the rant from straying into truly dark territory, it still contained enough vitriol to cause cancer in lab rats. Luckily she was still curious about what the hacker had to say for herself, and so didn't hang up once she'd run out of breath.

The ensuing explanation helped to take the edge off Moroe's anger. It seemed that this Fumiko at least had a sense of obligation; A surprisingly rare trait in this day and age. The lead she'd unearthed sounded shaky, but sincere. Moroe didn't sense any deception in it. Normally she might have dismissed it, but the things she'd learnt about Daisuke over the last few days made it sound plausible. That arrogant sadist certainly seemed like the sort of idiot who'd hang on to a self-incriminating tape as a memento. Perhaps he dug it up every so often and rewatched Mr Nimori's murder on widescreen TV, while sitting in a beanbag chair and laughing his face off. That image alone was enough to make Moroe at least consider the possibility. Of course, the decision wasn't just hers.

"That's quite a story you've got there. Give me a minute to think about it."

She put the phone on silent. Then she explained the situation to Shougo.

"...only have five minutes, so we'll have to be quick. Needless to say, there are a lot of things that can go wrong with this plan. So, what do you think?"

[Tanjun]

"We met because my brother likes to explore the city," Alia replies, grinning, and sounding rather amused. "He ran into a Skill-Out, and got in a knife fight with her. Which turned out to be utterly useless for both of them, as it ended with him agreeing that he'd stop twisting a knife around in her knee if she'd stop trying to kill him, and them both going on their respective ways.

Where Tobio comes in is that he's a member of Judgment, and goes to the same school my brother does, so when he heard about what happened, he stopped by to see him."

I see...

All this talk of fighting seemed pretty surreal to Yuuma. It's not like he didn't know that there were people who found themselves in conflict with many others in academy city. It was just that he himself had managed to steer clear of most of it, and so the concept of knife fights and ESPer fights felt like it belonged in the rumor boards and the movies.

I didn't picture your brother as the the kind to start a fight...

Yuuma pondered the thought for moment before tossing it aside.

Eheh I generally try to stay away from dangerous circumstances. I'm surprised your brother did so well against a Skill-Out.

[Lord-Cao-Cao]

Shougo blinked as he listened to Moroes' tirade, and then looked down at the hospital room floor after she finished, deep in thought. He had much to ask-How did Moroe know this person, and how did this person know about this...Travesty? Was his fathers' death [I]recorded[/I?] On tape? In Daisukes' house? Was Daisuke so repulsive as an individual that killing his father was not enough for him, that he had to watch it over and over? Internally, he already knew the answer to that, and he struggled to keep his composure even as a boiling, sizzling, blazing rage more intense than the sun began welling up in his heart. 'Hold not onto hatred', his father had said many times, 'but turn it into courage.'. At that point of time, it felt nearly impossible to hold onto his fathers' teachings, but he had to. For his father's sake, and his mother's sake, and of immediate concern was not looking like a fool in front of Moroe, the girl who had, against all odds, made justice a possibility. After a moment, a long moment, he looked up, a grim look of determination and purpose in his eyes.

"Of course, senpai. Without...Without a second thought. If it will bring Daisuke to justice, I will go to anything lengths bar endangering you. I also happen to know the location of that place, and how to get in stealthily, and a basic layout of the rooms-Long have I dreamed and prepared for this day. When do we leave?"

If Moroe asked, Fumiko would have replied quickly.

"It starts at seven and finishes past midnight, if I'm correct. It's at Block 312 at District Six...It shouldn't be too hard to miss, there'll be lots of people there. You could even sneak in amongst the crowd, although that could be risky if you ran into the incorrect people...And there will probably be alcohol involved, which might make your job even easier if you go later."

Daisuke and his crew were certainly not of the legal drinking age. Regardless, the duo had some time to prepare for their break-in. When Moroe had finished speaking to Fumiko, Shougo would have calmed down, and would be looking at Moroe, a look of truly sincere gratitude evident on his face.

"Thank you, Ishimaru-senpai. I never thought this would be remotely possible, not in a thousand years, though I dreamt of it every day and every night. I owe you my honor and my life. Thank you, Moroe-dono. Truly, thank you; for everything."

[Anyr]

Moroe shied away from Shougo's gaze, along with as his words; Not the ones swearing revenge on those who had wronged him (which were like an old, familiar tune that she knew by heart). No, it was his words of gratitude which made her look away. She unconsciously took a step back, as if trying to gain some breathing room. Despite being in a spacious area, her partner suddenly seemed uncomfortably close.

"Did he just call me 'Moroe'? He's never done that before. What's with this weird atmosphere?"

There was a strange aura surrounding Shougo at the moment; It felt disturbingly similar to the one which always emanated from Hajime. She really needed to have a talk with her two shining knights, before this misplaced devotion grew any stronger. Until then, Moroe tried her best to ignore it and focus on the task at hand.

"Save the thanks for after we win. Now, let's start planning our strategy..."

And so they did. For perhaps the first time since they met, Moroe and Shougo had the chance to work as equal partners again. One had a (rather suspiciously) large amount of expertise about infiltrations in general, while the other knew the specifics of this one particular target. They genuinely needed each other to construct the ideal plan. When at last they were done, all that remained was to memorize every detail, pick up some equipment (which Moroe just so happened to have at home), and set off to utterly destroy the life of a man for whom retribution was long overdue. All in all, it promised to be a rich, full evening.

Krystal watches Kin with awe in her eyes. Clearly, she was in the presence of a master.

She offers to help Kin in any way she can.

Not wanting her friend to feel left out, Kin found some useful things for Krystal to do. After a while her adrenaline high started to fade, and she settled down to sew with far less bounce than before.

"That's the trouble with long jobs like this: No matter how dramatically you start them, they never stay that way for long. At first it's all 'Leap! Bang! Whap! Zollop!'; But all too soon it's just someone sitting on a bed going 'clickety-clack' over and over while their very bored friend watches them do it...'

[KerfuffleMach2]

Not wanting her friend to feel left out, Kin found some useful things for Krystal to do. After a while her adrenaline high started to fade, and she settled down to sew with far less bounce than before.

"That's the trouble with long jobs like this: No matter how dramatically you start them, they never stay that way for long. At first it's all 'Leap! Bang! Whap! Zollop!'; But all too soon it's just someone sitting on a bed going 'clickety-clack' over and over while their very bored friend watches them do it...'

Krystal gives a short laugh. Well, for one thing, I never said I was bored.

However, it is usually a good idea to take a break from long projects. Otherwise your brain starts to leave ya. She stands up and stretches her arms out. We could grab a bite to eat.

[Lady Serpentine]

I see...

All this talk of fighting seemed pretty surreal to Yuuma. It's not like he didn't know that there were people who found themselves in conflict with many others in academy city. It was just that he himself had managed to steer clear of most of it, and so the concept of knife fights and ESPer fights felt like it belonged in the rumor boards and the movies.

I didn't picture your brother as the the kind to start a fight...

Yuuma pondered the thought for moment before tossing it aside.

Eheh I generally try to stay away from dangerous circumstances. I'm surprised your brother did so well against a Skill-Out.

"He didn't start it; they were actually getting along just fine, until she found out he was an Esper," Alia clarified, frowning a bit, and wondering where Yuuma had gotten the idea that her brother had started it. "As for why he did so well, he's had some training, as have I. Rich parents, y'know? They didn't want us to just cower behind bodyguards, though that ended up not being a concern with me a year ago..."

[Tanjun]

I see, I can understand the rich parent's part. Although your's seem a lot more practical than mine.

Finishing off his food Yuuma relaxes against the wall with his hands behind his head and yawns almost like a cat.

I guess I should count myself lucky that I've been able to avoid such dangerous situations...does it happen to you two often?

he looks up curiously at the brother and sister duo.

[Anyr]

Krystal gives a short laugh. Well, for one thing, I never said I was bored.

However, it is usually a good idea to take a break from long projects. Otherwise your brain starts to leave ya. She stands up and stretches her arms out. We could grab a bite to eat.

Kin didn't hesitate. She immediately stopped sewing and leaped to her feet. She would probably have danced out of the room without delay, if it hadn't been for the need to check herself over for bits of lingering fabric; This accomplished, she gently pulled the door open, skipped through it and twirled back around to face Krystal.

"If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get. Although between this and the pastries from earlier, we'll soon be kissing our trim figures goodbye..."

[KerfuffleMach2]

Krystal grins as she follows her friend. That might be true...if it weren't for the fact that we always seem to be running to places.

[Lord-Cao-Cao]

Shougo paused.

"Well, my father left behind his equipment at our home...I think it would be appropriate for me to collect those. However, I am unsure if..."

He bit his lower lip, contemplating whether to tell Moroe about the situation involving Daisuke and his fathers' dojo, and then remembered that he had already told her. Even now, his body thrummed with excitement, eager to set out for something previous thought impossible.

"They might still be there. Still, once they leave, I would like to collect that equipment. And then we could plan...Here would not be a good place, though. But I'm sure you already know that, Ishimaru-senpai. Where would be a good place to do so?"

[Anyr]

Moroe hesitated. Given her worries about Shougo getting too close, inviting him back to her house didn't seem like a wise move. Then again, it wasn't as if she could take him to a GATE safehouse, or any of her other secret places. After a little thought, Moroe decided that she was just being paranoid. Letting Shougo know where she lived might cause a little trouble, but there wasn't any danger in it.

"Since we seem to be low on options, I suppose it'd be okay to use my house; So long as you promise not to keep dropping by uninvited once you know the address. I was expecting the Pure Streets to target it, but apparently they didn't think I was worth the trouble. Besides, I'll need to swing by there anyway to pick up the materiel for this level. So, where first?"

Krystal grins as she follows her friend. That might be true...if it weren't for the fact that we always seem to be running to places.

"Except in school. It's so boring having to plod sedately from place to place. No wonder I started running like a maniac during the 'incident'."

Matching actions to words, Kin was keeping up an appropriately ladylike pace while walking through the dorm. This illusion lasted all of ten seconds, before a sudden bout of giggling spoiled it. Now that she came to think about it, her behaviour during the 'incident' was downright hilarious.

"Oh Kami, I really let loose back then. Who'd have thought I'd have the guts to basically kidnap another student and run pellmell through the corridors with them? I still can't believe that you didn't punch me right in the face for dragging you off like that!"

[Lord-Cao-Cao]

Shougo stopped to think about Moroes' question, a little taken aback by how she was willing to invite him to her place. Whilst he certainly had no intention of invading her privacy uninvited, the level of trust she seemed to show was unexpected. But then again, she had already done all these things for him, undeserving as he was; he truly was in her debt.

He was also surprised, pleasantly so, that Daisuke had apparently decided that Moroe was not worth the trouble; he was afraid that they would have targetted her especially and potentially put her well-being at risk.

"Hmm...Well, I would much like to gather my equipment first before we set off-Additionally, ah, I have drawn maps and plans of the building we are to infiltrate. They should be in my room. In addition, senpai, my house is close by here-It will not take very long at all. If that is okay with you, senpai."

[Anyr]

"Whichever you like. It makes no difference to me."

Moroe didn't speak on the walk over; She just followed Shougo and frowned pensively. Maybe she could take this opportunity to gather her thoughts, as well as make some sense out of these last few, very eventful days.

[KerfuffleMach2]

"Except in school. It's so boring having to plod sedately from place to place. No wonder I started running like a maniac during the 'incident'."

Matching actions to words, Kin was keeping up an appropriately ladylike pace while walking through the dorm. This illusion lasted all of ten seconds, before a sudden bout of giggling spoiled it. Now that she came to think about it, her behaviour during the 'incident' was downright hilarious.

"Oh Kami, I really let loose back then. Who'd have thought I'd have the guts to basically kidnap another student and run pellmell through the corridors with them? I still can't believe that you didn't punch me right in the face for dragging you off like that!"

Krystal smiled as she remembered the shenanigans. Well, you didn't come across as threatening in any way. Just hyper. And I can't very well punch a person for being hyper. That'd be rude.

[Anyr]

"I'm glad you're the sort of person who thinks before acting. A lot of people wouldn't have been so cool-headed."

It wasn't long before the two of them exited the dorms. The School Garden was as picturesque as ever, even in the fading afternoon light. In Kin's mind the phrase 'gilded cage' sprang immediately to mind, but even she couldn't stop herself from loving it. The whole area was just so wonderfully distracting.

"So, what sort of snack catches your fancy?"

[KerfuffleMach2]

Um... Krystal taps her chin as she thinks for a moment, then suddenly snaps her fingers. You know any place that does a good burger? I haven't been able to find one since I moved here.

I'm talking the big, fat, greasy kind loaded with onions and lettuce and tomatoes and pickles and ketchup and mayo...and a side of greasy, salty fries, too. Mmmm... Krystal rubs her stomach and looks dreamy for a moment.

[Lord-Cao-Cao]

Shougo was right in stating that his house was not very far away from the hospital-It was little more than a ten minute walk down the road.

And it was a most unusual house indeed-A traditional Japanese dojo, made out of wood with white plaster walls, with a tattered red banner with the characters for 'Earth', 'Fire', 'Wind' and 'Water' flying doggedly at the corner of the roof. It even sat elevated upon a visible stone foundation. It was certainly unusual, especially amongst the modern buildings of Academy City; it was a building a few hundred years out of place. Still, while it was largely in good shape, telltale signs of negligence were beginning to creep into the buildings' appearance.

As they approached it, Shougo immediately dropped into a low crouch, motioning for Moroe to remain silent as he inched his way quietly towards the house, ears pricked for any sign of (unwanted) rowdy guests. After a few tense moments of waiting about a foot away from the outer wall, he concluded that nobody was there and stood up, sighing in relief, before walking towards the front door and motioning Moroe to follow.

"Good. They have left."

The inside of the house was a mess-There were holes in the walls, discarded wrappers and bottles everywhere. Dust was gathering in infrequently used spots. The floors were sticky with dried soda, and the paintings hanging on the walls were torn to shreds. This place looked like it hadn't had a good clean in weeks, and the sight of it sent a visible pulse of anger down Shougos' spine which was hurriedly suppressed as he glanced up the stairs.

"The equipment is upstairs. Please forgive me; senpai, I will be just a moment."

And then he proceeded to creep up the stairs, apparently on the lookout for someone. Despite his caution, he still moved at quite a rapid pace and with a light and even step, balancing deftly on the balls of his feet. Soon he was out of sight.

And then there was a loud creak from a ceiling beam above Moroe-Somehow, someone was up there, balanced precariously amongst the wooden beams, despite the immense difficulty involved in getting up there.

(OOC: aturm your turn gogoggoogogggggggooo, also, sorry for the late reply.)

[Atrum-Persavor]

Ren breathed a small curse. He had misjudged. The shadowed rafters made it near-impossible to judge their stability. Apparently, this one was as badly-maintained as the chairs in the break area. And now there were two people down there, looking for him.

He opened a portal to another rafter and crawled through, before pressing himself down flat and stilling his breathing.

No line of sight to the outside. He can't teleport out. He'd have to shift to another rafter so that he could see where he was teleporting to.

...How irritating.

[Lady Serpentine]

I see, I can understand the rich parent's part. Although your's seem a lot more practical than mine.

Finishing off his food Yuuma relaxes against the wall with his hands behind his head and yawns almost like a cat.

I guess I should count myself lucky that I've been able to avoid such dangerous situations...does it happen to you two often?

he looks up curiously at the brother and sister duo.

Alia shrugs, leaning against the wall as well.

"One could say that, yeah. More to me than to him, though. I've always had a bit of a tendency to get into trouble - no-one seemed to care as much when I did as if he did something he shouldn't - and getting kicked out a year ago with nothing but my computer and a thing of clothes didn't exactly help with that."

[Anyr]

When Shougo's house came into view, Moroe could scarcely believe her eyes. Was this some sort of joke? But no; Unlikely as it seemed, this dojo from a bygone age really was her partner's home. No wonder the poor boy seemed so out of place in Academy City. She followed him inside, wondering just how accurate an anachronism this place was. Hopefully it at least had running water...

She didn't react to the mess inside; It was hardly unexpected. Maybe if she'd been here before, when the house was in its prime, she'd have been more offended. As it was, this was just another black mark on her 'reasons why the Pure Streets must die' list, which was already far too long. She watched Shougo disappear upstairs, then turned her attention to surveying the scene. This house was going to take some serious effort to put back in order, after all this was over. It might be easier to just move, but she doubted that Shougo would want to do that. Hmm, maybe she could-

*Creeeaaakkk*

Her eyes shot to the rafters. Someone was here. She placed a hand on her gun, without actually drawing it, while trying to pick out the intruder in the gloom.

"Heads up, we've got company!"

Um... Krystal taps her chin as she thinks for a moment, then suddenly snaps her fingers. You know any place that does a good burger? I haven't been able to find one since I moved here.

I'm talking the big, fat, greasy kind loaded with onions and lettuce and tomatoes and pickles and ketchup and mayo...and a side of greasy, salty fries, too. Mmmm... Krystal rubs her stomach and looks dreamy for a moment.

For once, Kin was at a loss. Her seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of leisure locations had finally met its match. She could name every top of the line restaurant and cafe within miles, but as far as fast food went she was completely ignorant. Looking suitably distressed about this deficiency, she stuttered her apologies.

"A...Burger? Er, I don't think, um, I've ever...No, sorry, not a clue. Sorry."

[AnimeKid]

Tobio looks at Alia for a moment before he says, "Really? I-I mean no o-offense Alia-san but y-you don't really seem like the type to be a t-troublemaker. I-I mean your so nice. P-Plus getting kicked out s-seems a little extreme to me. N-Not that I-I trying to saying anything b-bad about your parents. I-I'll just shut up now." With that Tobio sips down the last of his soda, most likely the first one to finish his meal.


(OOC: Anyone want to run into Crocell? If not I'll probably just have him finish his parkour training and go to bed.)

[KerfuffleMach2]

For once, Kin was at a loss. Her seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of leisure locations had finally met its match. She could name every top of the line restaurant and cafe within miles, but as far as fast food went she was completely ignorant. Looking suitably distressed about this deficiency, she stuttered her apologies.

"A...Burger? Er, I don't think, um, I've ever...No, sorry, not a clue. Sorry."

Krystal tilted her head a little in surprise. Really? Never had a burger? Huh. Gonna have to fix that. She smiles.

And just so you know, I'm talking about a good restaurant burger. The fast food stuff's okay, but nothing beats a burger from some hole-in-the-wall restaurant. We should find one so you can try it.