compyuutah | standing in the middle of roads upon arrival is becoming tradition

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standing in the middle of roads upon arrival is becoming tradition

[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.]

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[Yes, really. All the world's a stage, etc etc, and Mikoto knows far better than to leave his ass to the mean (not really) streets of Academy City. One reason being he wouldn't know what to do with himself---the other, actual reason being that she'd feel bad.

Because she'd already did that once. And she made a promise that she wouldn't do it again. Although, those wrong impressions....

....She'd deal with it later. Somehow. She knew she was going to hear it from Kuroko...

She peeks her eye open once she hears the din die down, and feels Baroona's tugging. Sticks her tongue out playfully at him.]

Hey, I warned you.

[She sits back up, and takes off the wig, ruffling her hair a bit to straighten it out. Gives him a sidelong glance as she carefully climbs down.]

So, what brings you here? Did something happen to the City?

[Mikoto's face and voice become a little more serious at that. If anything happened to their friends...]

[There's a small smile as she stands up and before he turns around. With the immediate problems taken care of, relief sets in, slow and seeping. Apprehension still clenches his gut, but Mikoto's presence loosens its hold. At least he has someone he can rely on here.

A giggle startles him. He looks up; one of the classmates caught the smile and looks at him knowingly. Immediately, it disappears and he stands up, following after Mikoto.]

Nothing happened. [he shrugs while he speaks, waiting for her to climb down before starting himself] Everyone just left. First you, then Yusuke and Keiko. The only ones left were me and Blue.

[Finally, she's down far enough he can start his own descent.]

[Mikoto frowns---'left'? When she turns back around, confusion is scribbled all over her features. Yusuke and Keiko had been in the City for so long---in fact, it was Keiko who directed her to the Academy. Strange...

She wonders if he's sad. He and Yusuke seemed pretty tight. Though, if he was----she knew as well as anyone else that he wouldn't let it show. He was just like that.

And there is also the matter of Ares, but she won't bring that up. No use making him feel worse...]

Well...did they say anything about coming ba---

[Because she wants to go back, but---and then her cell phone goes off.

Mikoto instantaneously facefaults. She bets 1000 yen it's Kuroko, freaking out.

She'll let it go to voicemail. She doesn't want to expose Baroona to that level of terror just yet.]

---yeah, don't mind that; it's just my phone. [Said rather flatly, as she furrows her brow in thought.] Now, we just have to figure out where you can lay low. And no, you're not hiding out in a park.

[No one comes back to the City after they'd been gone that long; the cell phone saves him from saying it. Thank god to technology, for once.]

I'll find something.

[It's still worrying, relying on someone else for shelter. If it were only a day, he'd feel more comfortable. Passing through felt natural but staying placed... There was only so much he could do to pay someone back for that.

The last thing he wants to do is burden her.

Maybe if he changes the subject quickly enough, she'll let it go.]

Who called you?

[Yeah...it's better that she doesn't figure that out.

But have they not met before? Mikoto raises a disapproving eyebrow at him. No, no, and no. She is not allowing him to bum around. At all. Period. End of discussion, and that is final, Bueller. She just...has to think of somewhere he can hide out without anyone questioning who he is and especially what he is to her.

Because she didn't quite know the true answer to that yet (friends, yes. though, at times, it seemed like he wanted to get closer to her. or maybe it was the other way around? or maybe---argh, now's not the time...).]

And not somewhere underground, either. Look, I just need to think---

[----Her cell goes off again, this time with the text message ringtone. Mikoto huffs, rolling her eyes and pulling it out. Lo and behold, it's from the Great Miss Shirai herself:

WHAT'S THIS I HEAR ABOUT SOME GUY TRYING TO KIDNAP YOU????

Eye. Twitch.]

A so-called friend of mine. [Said through gritted teeth as she grips it in her hand, electricity sparking past her head.] Forget sheltering you---I have to hide you now.

[Yeah, ok. Quirking a brow at the "underground" jab. It's almost insulting, really. How much of a hermit does she think he really is?

It's probably better not to ask.

Once again, his attention is drawn to the cell phone. .]

You know a lot of hiding places?

[A playful jab that he hopes isn't true. The city seems peaceful enough, but he's been here too short to tell for certain. The last thing he needs is a threat chasing him through unfamiliar streets. Even so, Mikoto should know by now that he can take care of himself.

He takes out a carton of cigarettes and shuffles one out, holding the lighter to his lips before speaking again.]

I can deal with him if he's dangerous.

[IT'S NOT AN INSULT! It's common sense. Baroona pls.

(Also, uh. Baroona is the epitome of hermit, but even Mikoto shall remain respectfully silent about that. Since. Culture shock, and all.)

Mikoto scratches her head as she tries to think. Suuuure, he's a big boy, but also from, like, Ye Olde Fantasy Land and she doesn't want any more complications.

(See: The Subway Field Trip. Just saying.)]

I'd hide you in my school, but...it's...all-girl. [And Ryoukan-sensei would execute the both of them.] Dammit! I have to...

[She grumbles in frustration. Another text message tone goes off. Mikoto starts rubbing her forehead.

Speaking of complications. She fiddles with her phone again.] It's a she. [She doesn't really have many dudefriends here. There's Kamijo, but...it was weird.] Her name is Kuroko. And she's not dangerous, just----

[She sighs. She doesn't know what she'd do without her at times, though. Kuroko always had her back---

HE MUST BE PUT TO JUSTICE!!!! I'M COMING TO SAVE YOU, ONEE-SAMA!!!!

Mikoto blanches and quickly holds the phone at her side.

oh

dear

god.]

---Baroona, we have to go. Now.

Edited 2013-10-20 02:46 (UTC)

I thought you said she wasn't dangerous.

[Then again, Mikoto always reacted strangely to things. Baroona sighs, patting his thigh while he glances around, lost in thought. The parade's started up again, although it's far more disheveled than before. Some people are still watching them, including the one giggling girl on the float. Baroona throws a sharp look at her before taking Mikoto's wrist and leading her away.]

Come on.

[Yeah, he doesn't know where he's going, but maybe that'll be an advantage. If Mikoto's worried about someone she knows, there's a chance they'd be able to guess Mikoto's movements. Where she would go. Better to go for the unexpected.

Baroona leads them through and around the crowd, skirting it until branching off into the side streets. They turn corners frequently and end up in a quiet alley where the sounds of the parade are dimmed and muffled. There's a small coffee shop in the alley with them, but besides that it's empty. It's as good a place as any.]

Do you think we'll be good here?

[Mikoto reacts strangely because she's surrounded by weirdoes. Who act weird. And do weird shit. When she spots Baroona glaring, she frowns, and is about to look in the direction of his gaze, but then he's leading her away.

She hears the clicks of some people snapping shots with their cell phone cameras. Feels the shocked staring digging at her back. Immediately facepalms, running her hand slowly down her face, grumbling. So this shit was going to go viral.

Her life. Why did this happen to no one else but her? Seriously.]

She'll be dangerous to you. She's got powers like me. Everyone at my school does. That goes for most other kids in this city who go to the other schools. That's why they call it Academy City. Everyone comes here to develop as Espers.

[She tries to think as she follows him. Quite a number of people, besides her peers, saw Baroona. They'd recognize him instantly were she ever to be seen with him in public again. Sure, she'd lied about him being related to an equally made-up friend of hers, but...that ruse wouldn't last long, either---unless...she could get either Saten or Uiharu to---

Mikoto sighs as they reach the alley, taking a few steps forward once he lets her go, crossing her arms. No, too awkward.]

We should be, for now. But we still need to---

[Mikoto realizes she has the wig in her hand. Looks at it. Looks at Baroona.

A disguise!

....Except she goes and sticks it on his head.]

---Oh my god. I've got it!

[Mikoto grins, slapping the bottom of her fist onto her palm as she looks him over.

He-llllloooo, Homuroona.]

A new identity!

[From the way she describes the city it doesn't sound much different than the one he just left. It makes it less intimidating–gives him an enemy he knows, so to speak.

Still. It would nice to go somewhere normal, for once. Some place he could feel remotely connected to. Wanderer though he was, there was a comfort in having a place in the world. Having a title other than "useless", "powerless" to be recognized by.

His hand hovers idly over his knives while he opens his mouth to respond before...

Baroona slides the wig off and gives it a quizzical look that he then turns to Mikoto.

Disguises were fine, but–]

This is a woman's wig.

[Mikoto wasn't stupid enough to think a plan like that would work. Surely, there was something else.]

[She'd argue that he is neither of those things (and then smack him upside the head for good measure); she'd also argue that having powers...wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

In fact, they made you a walking bullseye more than anything. They were, at times, a burden. Mikoto was proud to be an Esper, for the most part---but sometimes, she wondered: is it really worth it?

At the same time, however...she'd be lost without her powers.

Mikoto linefaces at Baroona, and puts the wig back on.]

That's the point, dummy. If I'm gonna hide you out at my school, you're going to have to get in there as a gir---

[It's the only way he'll survive the Mean Halls of Tokiwadai.

Mikoto's cut off when she hears whistling from further down the alleyway; a group of thugs are out on the prowl. She facefaults. Grrrreat...

"Hey, check out the pieces."
"The tall one's kinda hot."
"That's a pretty kimono you got on there, cutie."

Mikoto's eye twitches at the commentary and the leering that follows. She raises her arm to get Baroona to stay put.]

I'll handle this.

It won't work. I don't–

[The point he was going to prove gets disproven immediately.

The tall one's kind of hot.

A glare fires up at the guy who grins back. He nudges one of his pals and gestures and it's all Baroona can do not to push past Mikoto's arm.

But he stays put and obeys, though his hand hovers over his knives and his mind already protests against the thought of being protected so early and so soon. He casts a wary frown at Mikoto, a silent question of are you sure.

Because, really. He'd gladly beat them up after that one comment.]

[Mikoto briefly tosses him a flat look, and motions for him to hold on a sec.

(w o w, they seriously thought he was female? d a n g...)

Thereafter, she walks up to the thugs, with her arms crossed. Arches an eyebrow, raising her head to maintain level eye contact. Her expression is disinterested.] Yeah. You need something?

[The ringleader--the guy who leans forward a bit to look down at her---grins toothily. "How 'bout you and that leggy babe with you join us for a good time?"

The other three guys snicker, nodding and murmuring. Mikoto stares, huffing.]

She's shy and doesn't speak Japanese. We'll pass, thanks----

[Before he knows it, Mikoto has grabbed his arm and shocked him. The other three gape as he falls to the ground, twitching. One pulls out a knife, but it's zapped out of his hand and he's shocked into submission as well. She smirks as the remaining two visibly recoil, faces agape in abject horror.]

You see, she's shy, but she's really skilled in self-defense. [She steps aside, motioning for Baroona to take the stage. She shrugs nonchalantly.] She's my other partner.

['Friend' is still too embarrassing to say in front of others tbh. Still, she tosses a mischievous grin Baroona's way.]

[Mikoto's grin is a bit too late–Baroona's already on the move once she steps aside. The two she left behind were the two "admirers", and it's hard not to gain satisfaction as he knees the first one in the gut. He doubles over; Baroona joins his hands together and slams them down over his head, knocking him out in record time. Keeping his hands locked, he swings them both towards the remaining thug's face. The thug stumbles back, Baroona takes the opening and kicks out. Trash cans clatter as the thug slams against the alley wall and slumps down, unconscious. Baroona kneels down to check before looking back at Mikoto.]

Can I take this thing off now?

[Jabbing a finger at his wig while he talks.]

[Sorry, Baroona, you lost her at the part where you kicked the one cad in the gut. Because now, she's...making plans. Thinking about whether to present him as a shy transfer student or a mysterious transfer student. Considering buying non-prescription glasses to maybe make him a meganekko to top off thetransfer student ploy. Pigtails, a ponytail, or just a cute headband to accentuate that wig? Sporty motif? Ko-gal motif? Gothic Lolita----

Oh.

He is speaking to her. Mikoto sharply looks up from where she's been standing, crossing her arms and thinking.

She may or may not have had this really doofy look on her face the entire time. She nods, willing herself to look more nonchalant.]

Oh, yeah. For now, anyway.

[She grins.]

I think I've got it now...how I'm gonna get you into my school.

[There was an unnerving sense of dread that swelled up once she said that but Baroona swallows it down. The fact that he can slide the wig off is more important right now anyway. Itchy thing–he holds it loosely and scratches his head, watching Mikoto with a furrowed brow.]

Why do I need to get into your school?

[The thought of dorms is completely foreign to him. School in general is an alien entity, even with his time at the Institute. Did it really count as school if he was removed from all the other students because of his age?

He could see the merit in it but with how old he was, it just felt uncomfortable. Made him apprehensive to go back.

Just as apprehensive as he felt now, watching that grin on Mikoto's face. Baroona squints, pulling back slightly.]

What is it...?

Because you're not gonna find a place to stay otherwise. Unless you've got money on you?

[Mikoto gives him a meaningful look. Come on, man, what's a little (understatement) loss of dignity in exchange for free housing? And food? And, uh...other stuff?

Also, if she paid for a hotel room, it'd look really suspicious on the bank account. Mom wouldn't care; in fact, she'd just find it amusing and come up with all sorts of insane scenarios as to why Mikoto would do such a thing. And then those scenarios, or at least one of them, would make their way back to Dad, who would proceed to interrogate her.

Nope, not happening. And besides...

...She's already envisioning Baroona as the Mysterious Meganekko Transfer Student™. He'd...just have to not talk.

Mikoto has to stifle a laugh, but he knows her too well, so she has no other choice but to come clean. And he's not that old (physically speaking? Ye Olde Fantasyland was strange.)! She blurts out:]

Baroona, how do you feel about pretending to be a girl?

[Snerk.]

[In an alternate universe where their roles are inversed and Baroona has Mikoto's powers, she would have gotten electrocuted for that question. Shocked by a giant bolt of thunder that cracks the sky in half with its fury.

Instead, in this world, she gets a glare. One of the angriest, no-nonsense ones Baroona can muster, near bristling at the suggestion. His mouth thins into a frown which he first aims at Mikoto, then the wig in his hand.

He should have left it behind. Chances were that if it weren't present right now, Mikoto never would have suggested her ridiculous plan in the first place.

And that's when Baroona pauses, eyes lighting up with the spark of an idea. Anger washes over and off of him and his neutral expression comes back in full force. He pulls his lighter out and pulls the wig above it, lighting the tips and watching the fire crawl up the strands. When it creeps too far he lets it go, dropping it in the street while he turns and walks away, tucking the lighter back into his pocket.]

No.

[OH WELL GOSH lucky for her there'll be no powerswitching to be had here huh...

Mikoto just linefaces. First at the glaring (been there, done that), and then at the burning of the---

Oh

She groans, storming right after him. Y e p. Life in Academy City just got a lot more difficult. The City was one thing---law enforcement was far more lax when it came to minor incidents, but...]

Seriously, Baroona?! Don't you know that's a fire---

[She cut herself off as she hears the familiarwhirr of the security robots making their way to the scene. Smoke detected in non-smoking area.

Face. Palm. Sonnuvabitch. Mikoto breaks into a run, grabbing Baroona's arm and tossing him an irritated look.] ---idiot! Come on! Those stupid robots are going to start searching for cigarettes, which I'm sure you've got on you!

[But, dammit, where could they go now---Mikoto huffs, trying to think. Pretty much everyone, their mother, their grandparents, and their aunts and uncles saw her with Baroona during the parade...

And just when things couldn't get worse, Mikoto's phone goes off again. Yanking it out, she growls---]

ONEE-SAMA!!!!! WHO IS THIS SHADY-LOOKING GUY WITH YOU?!?!?!?! IT'S ALL OVER THE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND BLOGS!!!!!

[Mikoto's face twists into abject horror at the number of links attached to the above frantic message from Kuroko. Her lips curl into a snarl, and electricity shoots past her head as she gives Baroona her worst look.]

Will you just trust me on this one and go with my plan?! What happened during the parade is frickin' breaking news, and everyone knows who you are! I won't be able to be seen with you now without people making a stupid scene!

Edited (sob typos) 2013-11-07 05:53 (UTC)

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.]

[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.

[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.

[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.]

[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?

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.

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like half a century later sobbing

i'm pretty sure this is my only non-angsty log

agreed....

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

it's fate greer

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