standing in the middle of roads upon arrival is becoming tradition

[broroona]

[Funny, how your life can change in an instant. Baroona had already experienced it enough. Twice recently–both arrivals to the City. But after a year he had assumed he was stuck there. A permanent fixture in a futuristic city he had only just started to get used to.

He was wrong.

From laying in the park to sitting up in a dirtied alleyway, the change was instantaneous. A quick look around guarantees that he's alone, allows for a moment of panic. Check to make sure everything is still here: knives, cigarettes, lighter, clothes... translator? Baroona stares down at it curiously, it's presence oddly comforting in his hand. He keeps it there and stands, listening and looking.

It looks like the City. There's a thick crowd at the end of the alleyway and brightly colored balloons passing by overhead. He recognizes it from the City. A parade? Maybe. It's certainly noisy enough.

This isn't going to be fun.

With a sigh, he presses forward anyway, slipping through and around people, taking himself to the front. People glare as he pushes past but get distracted before there's any issues. A float passes by. Baroona regards it plainly. Definitely a parade. What a pain.

Looking past the floats and balloons, Baroona studies the buildings, looks for something familiar. But familiarity is hard to spot when everything looked foreign in the first place. It's hard to tell. A quirk of a frown pulls at his lips as he moves towards another tactic. He fits the translator into his ear, and pushes it on.

At first, all goes well. The strange language being spoken around him gets translated. Yeah, I'm– and then cut off. Static fills his ears instead, loud and merciless. Baroona bows forward, clutching his ear with a wince. The people around him notice and give him space but he can't tell. The static changes to feedback-a high-pitched scream drilling into his head. He winces again and stumbles forward, into the parade and in front of the float. Still, Baroona doesn't notice. Not until the translator is out of his ear and thrown on the ground does he even look up, shoulders slumping.

The people on the float look down at him, shocked. The parade comes to a temporary halt. Security closes in on him from all sides and people shout foreign words from the sidelines. But all Baroona can hear is his own breath as he looks over the float as a thought occurs to him.

He has no idea where he is.]

Comments

[broroona]

So?

[Baroona's a fast runner. There's every reason he could match her pace and make it easier for them to flee. Does he do it? No. To the contrary–he lets Mikoto drag him in a small act of revenge. Payback for the crossdressing suggestion, the dragging him around, the minimum explanations of everything that's going on.

He's cranky but he meets Mikoto's glare coolly.]

I don't mind.

[Granted, all the attention Mikoto garnered was annoying but not to the degree Mikoto treated it. He could ignore crowds and photo flashes.]

[railgunning]

[Fuck her life, man. Who's the girl here again?

Still, to their credit, they've reached a courtyard of sorts in between a few apartment buildings, so they should be golden for the time being, unless a certain someone pulled stupid shit again---

----She lets go of him and sighs loudly, leaning against a nearby wall, looking up exasperatedly at the sky.

Well.

She supposes she should give him more intel.

Even though she doesn't want him getting involved in the slowly-unraveling conspiracy that was casting its shadow over Academy City. Even though she doesn't want him knowing the true, awful nature of what they did to people like her for the sake of finding a way to achieve Level 6.

But he's her friend (or was it something a little stronger than that, at this point? ugh, not now...). He has her back. She knows he does...yet was it worth throwing him in harm's way, despite him having no powers?

Mikoto scratches her head. As if he'd back down, the idiot.]

Yeah? Well, it's not just my classmates you have to worry about. A suspicious guy who suddenly shows up and just happens to know Tokiwadai's Ace! [She rolls her eyes after doing that impression of a newscaster.] Judgment's gonna get involved and think that maybe you're a spy or something. Kuroko's a member of their outfit, too, and she's not gonna interrogate nice. Along with Anti-Skill, they're more or less law enforcement here, so that'll be out of my hands. That's why I was hoping to just have you blend in.

[She crosses her arms, looking a bit perturbed.]

You came at a bad time. A lot of weird stuff's been going on. They're pointing fingers everywhere. The secret experiments make the city look bad.

oH GOD I ONLY HAVE HIS SAD ICONS LEFT I JUST REMEMBERED

[broroona]

[Baroona's brows knit together the more she explains. There's a lot to ask about, clearly–Judgment, Anti-Skill, secret experiments? But the most important thing that crops up is:]

They're going to arrest me?

[There it is again. An unmistakeable sincerity to his voice. He looks at her, honest and open, the question pressing his brows and showing a scant trace of fear.

As with anything with him, it's brief. He looks away almost immediately, eyes moving down to the ground. It made no sense why they would move that fast. Even if everything was going on–he hadn't broken any laws. They had no reason to hunt him. Or at least they wouldn't in a normal world. But there was no saying that Mikoto's home was anything like the City or Chronos or anything he had experienced. He had no idea if the laws had been breached, if he'd be arrested, interrogated, taken prisoner.

In the end, the fear of being rebound and restricted scares him more than his pride can protest. There's a disconnect he resents. The expected naivety of being a new world made worse by the fact that Mikoto is at its center, knowledgable about everything, while all he can do is spiral around lost.

He has to depend on her and it kills him.]

... Fine.

it's fate greer

[railgunning]

[Mikoto swallows as she looks back at him and sees that faint flash of fear in his eyes, the vague strain in his voice. Duh. Of course he'd be on edge. He'd been a prisoner all his life before he became a warrior. The last thing he'd want was to return to square one----sure, times had changed and even the most hardened of criminals were treated somewhat more humanely than in the past, but...it didn't change the fact that there was a possibility he'd never see the light of day again.

You're just lucky you're even alive, I bet. With this in mind, she has to be honest with him. She exhales a bit, crossing her arms and casting her gaze a little to the ground.] There's a chance, yeah. [And I know how you can get.] Look, Baroona...

[Another deep breath, and she tucks a bit of hair behind her ear. She knows how useless and helpless he must feel right now---Saten used to struggle with those feelings too, being powerless, a Level 0 herself; so desperate was she to feel useful and accepted that she turned to the Level Upper...

...And very nearly died.

Mikoto doesn't want that to happen to Baroona. She also knows he's used to brushing elbows with death, but...he can only be so lucky for so long.

She doesn't want to lose him. Not after he'd helped her so much.] ...I wouldn't make you do this otherwise.

[And with that, she kicks off the wall, takes a few steps toward him, and puts her one hand lightly on his shoulder, looking up at him somewhat awkwardly.] I mean...you trust me, right?

[Or so she (secretly) hopes.]

[broroona]

[He sighs softly, meeting her gaze halfheartedly.]

Isn't that obvious?

[It sounds almost reluctant–not as a sign of mistrust but rather speaking through the dread of what he knew was to come. Begrudgingly, he asks, gaze averted once again:] What do we have to do?

[railgunning]

W-well----

[Mikoto turns a slight pink and averts her own eyes once more; uh...no. No, it wasn't. That's why she asked. Since when was it obvious? Was it ever obvious?

......Or rather, why was she only noticing it now? The way he so readily approached her in front of all those people; all the times he's opened up; how he only ever lightened up when it was just the two of them---considering her a friend was one thing, but...trust?

That was a sign of something deeper. Mikoto grumbles slightly, fingering her chin.] ----I-I just wanted to be sure!

[.......She doesn't want to dwell upon that. There were more pressing issues to attend to. Crossing her arms, trying to look authoritative, Mikoto decides to at least give Baroona a choice. It was only fair.

Though, it's funny how he's looking away now. Pfft.]

Well, I can hook you up with some kinda hotel room, and make stuff up to my parents and to anyone who asks, but that'll probably end up getting real complicated, real fast.

[A beat.]

Or there's my original plan. It'll be easier to lie to the faculty about you being an exchange student my parents are hosting, since I'm...pretty much the top student in my school. I know it's super-humiliating, but...no one'll be able to track you down if you're in disguise.

[She shrugs.] It's your call.

[broroona]

[YEAH WELL MIKOTO YOU'RE NOT THE ONE WHO HAS TO PRETEND TO BE THE OPPOSITE GENDER OKAY. He's embarrassed to even be considering this. Can you blame him for looking away?]

Won't I have to stay that way forever? If I drop the disguise you'll get in trouble.

[It's not exactly how he wants to live his life. Tricks and disguises are fine to survive but not to live on. It's too much stress. He wouldn't be able to keep it up–not for a long period. His own frustration with the situation would get in the way.

Mikoto probably hasn't accounted for that. She might not have accounted for a lot of things.]

How would I talk? I'm not changing my voice. If I don't talk people will get suspicious and what if your parents visit?

[A beat; his eyes narrow.] You want me to keep up a complete disguise. How is that less complicated? Have you actually thought this through?

[broroona]

["Parents weekend" was a godsend, if Baroona believed in gods. After months of only skirts, forced smiles, and silence a weekend off was a welcome change. Exchanging his skirt for pants was the happiest moment he'd experienced in Academy City and the weekend was still young.

Mikoto was off in a hotel with her mother and Kuroko–though watchful–was easily distracted. It wasn't hard to slip away. All he needed to do was be back in the dorms before Mikoto returned and stay out of them until then. It was easy enough in a city this huge and it would be nice, sleeping under the stars again (what little he could see).

He waits until late Friday to set out–past curfew. It's risky but no more than an earlier time. The amount of students in the city make anything hard to do without his "disguise".

The dorm is hard to escape but he manages, sticking to alleyways and dark streets until finally making his way to one of the parks–a welcome quiet amongst the bustle of the city. His pace slows, his posture relaxes and for the first time in a long while he breathes in deep and smiles, head tipped towards the sky.

For once, he's alone. It's just him, the trees and the stars.

And... the obnoxiously loud drunken stumbling multiple yards away. It ruins Baroona's serenity with the clang of a trash can and begrudgingly, he looks towards the sound.

It's a woman, definitely drunk. He considers leaving her be but obligation gets the best of him and he sets towards her after a belabored sigh.]

Hey.

[railgunning]

Of course not! We'll...

[Mikoto growls somewhat, her own frustration beginning to seep into her features. It's mainly because he brings up good points, and there's also the implication that, yes, she hasn't really gotten things squared out just yet.

More importantly, the implication is actually right on the money. The plan started out as a joke. A part of her still found it to be an absolute riot, but now reality's hit and it bites.

He's right.

He's always right, and it drives her up the wall. Planning and strategizing were a huge part of his life as a soldier---where there could be no errors. An error meant defeat, capture, or even death.

Goddammit. Mikoto starts pacing around to keep her temper from rising any more than it already has; she couldn't lash out at him. None of this was his fault (er, mostly, anyway).] ...We'll figure something out, okay? [As hilarious as it is, she just knows she's going to feel awkward seeing him as a girl after a while, especially if it goes on for an extended period of time.

And then there is Kuroko. The moment that one 'catches' Mikoto with a 'new woman' in her life...crap.

She'd really have to come up with something convincing. A huff.] For now, I'll just say that you can't speak Japanese and that I'm your...interpreter, I guess. Mom won't really care...

[She wrinkles her nose, looking exasperated.

Misaka Misuzu wasn't...quite your conventional mom. In fact, she was very unconventional.]

...In fact, she'll probably just try to drag you with us when we go shopping. I'll...have to talk to some people ahead of time, though.

[Her expression relaxes. Hopefully Konori-senpai would understand if she explained the situation; or maybe...

----Ugh, she's not good at these things.] I'll make this work. No one's gonna come after you.

[broroona]

[For as much as he disagreed with her plan, hearing her backtrack and think out loud is almost worse. Guilt lingers and tears at his edges–a new and wholly unwelcome sensation. Back in the City they had been on equal ground, similarly lost in a new world. Here? Just how much of a burden was he being to her?

Maybe if it would make things easier for her...

He sighs.]

You could be my interpreter if we go with your first plan. It'd explain why I can't talk. You can tell your parents your school assigned you to me. They do stuff like that, right?

[The things he does for you, Mikoto.] I don't think people would buy it for long but we could probably use it until we think of a better plan.

[It would make going outside together easier. He can't believe he's agreeing to this. It's practically grumbled out and you can damn well bet he's not meeting her eyes:] That still leaves making me look convincing.

[not as hard as you think baroona but ok]

1/2

[railgunning]

[MEANWHILE....Mikoto has...lost her mother. The plan was to head out to dinner (with Kuroko in tow, because Kuroko made it a point to...always be around now ever since the 'kidnapping attempt,' as Kuroko herself called it, and ever since the sudden arrival of 'Maria-chan,' the mysterious, silent, awfully tall transfer student who never seemed to leave Mikoto's side).

Misuzu had brought that up a good four hours ago. It was nearing 8:00 PM, and Mikoto had yet to hear from her mother after texting and calling her countless times. Kuroko peeps her head out from where she's freshening up in the bathroom upon hearing Mikoto's loud growling as she calls Misuzu yet again, only to yet again be taken to voicemail.

"Still nothing, onee-sama?"

Mikoto is mere moments away from destroying her phone. She's gripping it in her hand, eye twitching.]

No, because my mom's stupid. God, why can't she ever----

["Ah, but onee-sama, surely we can have a moment to ourselves for the time being~"

Mikoto swiftly whirls around; she knows that purr in Kuroko's voice anywhere, and...there she is, dressed in scandalous lingerie.

Needless to say, the hotel suddenly goes dark.]

[railgunning]

[Thereafter, as the hotel employees are panicking, and Kuroko is left twitching and fairly burnt on the bed, Mikoto takes to grumbling and scowling on the balcony. It's not just her mother she's concerned about.

There is also the matter of Baroona (Maria-chan). She wasn't quite sure if either of them were ready for him ('her') to meet her mother just yet. So she she left him ('her') to his ('her') own devices.

Hopefully he would behave himself.

Oh, those are the most famous of last words. When Misaka Misuzu gets drunk (she'd come upon a bar offering happy hour in the midst of shopping for an outfit to wear for dinner....which, incidentally, she's all but forgotten about), she gets clingy.

"Ah, hellooooo~"

Especially if the person in her immediate vicinity is male. Misuzu has an unfocused facsimile of a flirtatious grin on her face, and, with alarming speed for someone who's so obviously hammered, within a few steps, has up, gone, and is clinging to Baroona's arm, attempting to bat her eyelashes at him.

What probably doesn't help is that she's the near-spitting image of Mikoto---in twenty years.

"What's your name, hm?"

Run.]

[broroona]

[Yes, she's older. Yes, her voice is different. But weirder things have happened. Baroona's learned not to limit the possible.

He stares at the woman, eyes wide.]

Mikoto?

[A moments pause and he winces–she's clutching his arm too tight and dragging him down. Gently, he tries to loosen her grip, attempting to peel off her fingers with his free hand. His brow continues furrowing in confusion at the woman in front of him.]

No. [A beat. His eyes dart to the flirtatious smile, the more impressive taste in fashion, the breasts. The differences were obvious.] Who are you?

[railgunning]

Quite a bit, actually...still, yeah. Until I can somehow convince people you're not a weirdo or even a pervert, [Said with a roll of the eyes, because she knows that's what Kuroko in particular is thinking. She doesn't even need telepathy to be aware of that.] this is...just how it'll have to be.

[Mikoto sees that aversion of the eyes on Baroona's end and sighs; now she's feeling guilty for more or less (more) making him humiliate himself. Splendid.

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY. Oh, how you stick her with all of these increasingly awkward feels, Baroona.

Still, she doesn't see any of this as troublesome or burdensome, for once. At least, not because it's him. If this is what it would take to keep him out of the underbelly of Academy City, then so be it. All minor annoyances and conflicted feelings aside, he was...important to her, and the last thing she wants is for him to find himself in a bind on her account.

...It had already happened one too many times.

Mikoto scratches her chin, her mouth quirking.]

Well, for one, you need another wig; secondly, we have to make you look unrecognizable.

[A beat, and she slaps the bottom of her fist into her palm.]

...Maybe you can wear glasses...

[railgunning]

[Mikoto, in the middle of idly playing some puzzle game on her cell phone, considers maybe convincing her mother to get her, er...'new friend' (Maria-chan) a present. Namely a cell phone of her (his) own. Sure, her mother would make fun of her ("Mikoto, that's pretty generous! This girl must be quite the special friend,hmm~?"----and then the row would begin.); sure, she'd have to come up with an extremely foolproof, no-questions-asked argument to make it happen; sure, she'd probably have to teach her (him) how to use it; but she figures it'd be the best way to remain in contact for when situations like these arose.

She huffs.

She really hadn't thought this through, had she?

God, why does he know me like the back of his hand?

(1. it's been two damn years.

2. she's predictable.

3. she's closer to him than she's willing to allow herself to admit.)

Misaka Misuzu, meanwhile, is all about the sudden and unpredictable. Still clinging to Baroona's arm, she actually looks fairly shocked and is blinking woozily at him.

"You know Mikoto?"

Oh-hooooo...tittering, she goes and cups his chin in her fingers, grinning all the more saucily. "Well, well~! My little girl never told me she had such a handsome rascal for a friend! You know, she's really quite shy..."

For a brief, all-too-fleeting moment, Misuzu proceeds to actually look maternal.

Unfortunately, what could've been a transition to a heartfelt, emotional aside about how precious and innocent her dear daughter is gets completely and utterly razed by this haymaker:

"Or maybe it's because you're not shy, huh~? Now you've got mecurious!"

Misuzu's waggling eyebrows definitely make this all the more horrifying.

"They do say mother knows best, after all!"

And she bursts into laughter. In fact, she's laughing so hard she actually falls on her side.

No, really.

Save yourself.]

[broroona]

[Of all the things to bring his gaze back to her, it's the wig that causes it.]

Can it be less itchy than that one?

[Jabs a finger back in the direction of wherever the last burned wig is, he considers the potential of glasses.]

Would I be able to see with them?

[broroona]

[Wow, a cell phone for Baroona would be cute as fuck but that is the least of his worries right now. After recovering the momentary shock of... apparently finding Mikoto's mother (maybe?), Baroona sighs. Years of dealing with mercenaries have given him proper experience in the art of dealing with drunks and though the circumstances are different, this is still largely the same.

Sort of.

He moves to his knees, wrapping his arms around her to get a proper hold before slowly–and with plenty of grunting–lifting her up.] It's been awhile. She probably forgot.

[It's a good way to (hopefully) stop her from asking questions, hinting that they're not close. It'll be easier to help her out without that coming up as a topic.

With difficulty, he adjusts his grip, wrapping one of her arms around his neck and moving an arm around her waist.] Is there some place you should be?

[railgunning]

[Mikoto grumbles a little. Well, excuuuuuse her, Prince(ss).

(It'll still be a long-haired wig, though. Looking back, he really did look like a girl with the other, deceased wig on.It's something even she knows better than to vocalize, however.

She's not that cruel.)]

...I'll see what I can find. [She nods at his next question.] Uh-huh. I can get you fake glasses.

[She's trying her darndest not to let her imagination go wild again.

It's kind of hard, but meganekko Baroona...

Nope, still funny.]

[broroona]

[Oh my god, Mikoto. He can tell you're daydreaming and it's weirding him out. The side-eyeing is strong in this one.]

Shouldn't we start looking?

[Waits for a response but grows impatient.] You're not imagining anything suspicious, are you?

[More suspicious, really. "I want to turn you into a woman" is already pretty bad.]

[railgunning]

[Oh, goddammit. Mikoto, in the middle of flipping through channels, makes a final, desperate (not really) attempt to contact her mother. She's over the whole dinner thing by now, but it's already nearing about 11:00 PM, and, admittedly...she's slowly starting to get worried.

Even though she's pretty sure her mom's gotten herself drunk again if it's taking her this long to, at the very least, return to the hotel.

How are they related again? Nevermind that people always mistake them for sisters...

The following text gets sent:]

mom

where the heck are you????

[That was a bad choice on his end, sorry to say. Not only has Misuzu resumed clinging onto him with renewed force, she's actually now coiling her other arm around his neck. She giggles, winking at him.

"I don't think she'd forget about someone who looked like you!" Needless to say, this is the booze probably doing all the talking. Well, most of the talking, anyhow. "I know I wouldn't~! And besides, I think it's about time she found herself a nice boyfriend...it'd loosen her up. She's always so uptight!"

Misuzu pouts, only to start chuckling. "Oh, but you'll---"

She's cut off as she hears her cell phone ringing. "---Huh?"

He'll be given a reprieve as she goes to pick up. Sees the message from Mikoto. She gasps. "I was supposed to go to dinner with her and her friend, wasn't I?!"

Misuzu clings to Baroona again, but she looks more (drunkenly) determined.

"Carry me back to the hotel! It'll be quicker that way!"

.....What.]

[railgunning]

[Mikoto jumps, startled out of...fairly questionable thoughts about making him go zettai ryouiki along with the glasses. And maybe even pigtail----yeah, it gets more awful from there.

She rolls her eyes, making a soft 'pssh' noise.]

Now why the heck would I do that? [DON'T FLATTER YOURSELF. Well, no, she's two steps ahead of the game there.] What do you take me for, a pervert? But since you're so impatient, let's go to the mall.

[She pauses in the middle of walking ahead of him.

Oh.

There is the matter of public transportation.

Mikoto groans.]

....You'd rather walk, wouldn't you?

[broroona]

[She's getting such a disbelieving look when she disregards his accusation. He can feel your suspicious thoughts, Mikoto and he's beginning to feel a sense of dread in his stomach. Still, he follows her anyway. Which means he stops short when she does.]

I'm not stepping foot on anything else.

[FIRMLY SAID. And hoping she doesn't get the idea to drug him like Tom did.]

Walking's fine.

[broroona]

[Due to the fact that she is desperately attempting to... do something to him, it's not exactly hard to read the text. Which is good–it confirms things. Yes, this is definitely Mikoto's mother. Yes, she is missing. Yes, she should be brought back.

There's just the issue of how to bring her back or rather, how to ensure no one sees him when he drops her off. He thinks about that while sighing, tapping out his cigarette with one hand and pushing Misuzu away with his free hand.]

Alright.

[True, it'll give her better access but it'll also make it easier to move. Better to carry her than have her drag them both behind. There's more opportunity for them to be seen that way–a prospect Mikoto would likely flip out about. Getting clung to and breathed on would just have to be a small sacrifice.

Finishing off the cigarette, he stomps it out and scoops her up bridal style.]

You'll have to tell me where it is.

[railgunning]

[Seriously, Baroona?

Seriously?

(ALSO SHUT UP HER THOUGHTS ARE PERFECTLY INNOCENT OK...well, as innocent as imagining a boy crossdressing can possibly get. Which is a whole other hot-button debate in itself.)

Mikoto throws up her hands in defeat. Cool your jets, Miss Daisy.]

Alright, alright. God, you are so lucky I don't dislike you, Baroona.

[She runs a hand through her hair, and covertly sends the following text message to one Saten Ruiko while making as if she's checking the time---]

what style would go good with glasses?

[If only because it's Saten who's the otaku, not her.]

[railgunning]

[Mikoto receives the following (near-illegible) text message some time later:]

on ym wya bcka

[Cue the lineface to end all linefaces, in the middle of listening to Kuroko screeching and squealing in ecstacy in the middle of what is undoubtedly a perverted dream. About her, as evidenced by the occasional cry of "Onee-sama...!"

Mikoto puts her pillow over her head, actually wishing and hoping and fervently praying that her mother gets home soon. The power in the hotel came back on not too long ago, so she can't zap Kuroko into respectful silence again without causing another panic.

"A few blocks from here! Just keep heading north!"

Elsewhere, within an alleyway, Misuzu giggles cotentedly in Baroona's arms, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. "Wow, you gentleman! I didn't think you'd actually go along with it!"

(Don't flatter yourself, lady.)

She pokes his cheek playfully. "Now I really wonder how you got Mikoto to befriend you! She hardly ever notices boys unless they irritate her! Why, you even call her by first name, without honorifics!"

Misuzu looks off to the side, looking almost maternal again. "She must really like you, to allow that. I'm sure she doesn't show it, though. She's the same way with me."

Another laugh. "It's funny. The more she seems to hate something, the more she actually likes it. I think she gets it from her father. So she's finally growing up, huh..."

Well, it turns out that that wistful, emotional look was just her about to let out a yawn. She rubs her eyes with one hand.

"I wonder what she'll be like, as an adult..."

Leaning her head on Baroona's shoulder, Misuzu lets out a sleepy grunt, closing her eyes. "Do me a favor, hmm? Take care of her. She's stubborn, moody, and silly, but she's a good girl..."

If only her subsequent loud snoring didn't just absolutely ruin what could've been another poignant moment.

Her and Mikoto are quite alike that way, frankly.]