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]

[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]

[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...

[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?

[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]

[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.

[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.]

[broroona]

What's that supposed to mean?

[Said with one raised brow as he closes the gap between them, trying to peek over her shoulder at what she's writing. Curiosity killed the cat.]

Who are you talking to?

[railgunning]

Uh...exactly what I said.

[COME ON, NOW. Mikoto, upon sensing his approach, smoothly puts her phone down. Tosses him a feigned nonchalant look.]

It's just Kuroko worrying again. Nothing important.

[Though, she makes sure to also covertly put her cell phone on vibrate, with the press of a button.

Have fun uncovering the mysteries of modern technology, Sherlock.]

[broroona]

I thought you said she was trouble.

[With suspicion, he watches Mikoto put it away though his interest evaporates once its out of site. He lights another cigarette because I forget if he was already smoking one, yolo.]

Should we get going?

[railgunning]

She is, but she's also my friend. She's being dumb about it, but she's just worried.

[Mikoto looks fairly sheepish when she says that last bit, scratching her chin. Kuroko was a monumental pain in the tuchus at times (well, 98.76% of the time, for accuracy's sake), but she was always there for Mikoto, no matter what. She went through pains to have her back and support her---and in all honesty? Mikoto couldn't ask for a better friend.

Even if that friend sexually harrassed her, but it wasn't as if Mikoto couldn't defend herself.

When she catches a whiff of the cig as they exit the alleyway back into the sidewalk, Mikoto shoots Baroona a pointed look.

And that's when her cell phone goes off. Perfect timing...!] Oh, and Baroona---while I don't care if you smoke, the authorities here do, especially since we're out here in the open again and they'll get on you stat if they detect the smoke. Put that out.

[broroona]

[There's almost an audible record scratch that shakes through the air when she says that. Baroona stops short, staring at her with a mixture of horror and anger.]

What?

[railgunning]

[Mikoto sighs loudly and grunts.

Yet another hurdle she's going to have to make her way past. As if getting him to go along with her (hare-brained) plan wasn't difficult enough...

ALSO, SHE HAS A TEXT TO READ. IT IS VERY URGENT.]

Well, obviously, it's bad for you, and most people here are underage. So...they don't allow smoking, except in certain designated spots, but... [She huffs. The very last thing she needed was him getting into brawls with more undesirables, so she really can't believe she's telling him all of this---

---But then again, she doesn't want him to feel anymore caged in than he probably felt already.] ...You're gonna have to deal with thugs.

[A beat.]

And some of them have powers, too.

[broroona]

[He grunts in amusement, making no signs to put out his cigarette.]

I can deal with them.

[Powers or no. That was how the City had been, wasn't it? There wasn't much difference. More importantly:]

I'm going to smoke.

[No arguments.]

[railgunning]

[Mikoto simply groans and slaps her forehead, but...well, in his case, she knows better than to get between a man and his smokes. And since ne'er-do-wells around here had a surprisingly large population...

...She supposed she could compromise, but...considering they're reaching the mall, and people are looking at Baroona funny, she still has to put her foot down.] Just save some idiots for me, okay? But, I'm serious! We're headed indoors! You can smoke lat---

["Smoke detected"----

Mikoto lets out a growl.

God

dammit. She tosses Baroona her worst look. Honestly, she wasn't prepared to live the Thug Life™ this early!] Go in! Now!

[broroona]

[Baroona gives her a look but throws her a dime–stomping out his cigarette before darting inside. The automatic doors still freak him out, though not as much as the scope of the mall they walk into. Gigantic and sprawling, he stands in the lobby dumbfounded and with people staring. Ignoring the people, he looks towards the lights, fluorescent and mind-numbing, glittering off the sleek metallic surfaces everywhere. He looks to his most despised–the escalators that have single-handedly taken the place of stairs and a twin shaft of elevators, dinging and opening incessantly. With an almost worried expression, he glances back towards Mikoto.

Help.]

[railgunning]

[Just as she's about to dart right in after him, Mikoto takes a peek at her phone (finally), and scans the following message from Saten:]

sweet lolita if you wanna be daring but i'd just stick with stuff that's preppy and simple!! :> what's up? giving someone a makeover?

[Mikoto has to stifle a laugh as she quickly puts her phone away, but that quickly dies down the moment she sees Baroona standing rather rigidly a few steps away, looking fairly panicked. Her snort morphs into a small groan.

Soooo...first public transportation, and now modern establishments.

What luck. You know, if he wasn't an important person in her life...]

......We're going to have to stick to the ground floor, aren't we?

[broroona]

[He can hear the exasperation in her voice and he throws a stubborn glance back.]

I'm fine.

[Said maybe a bit too stiffly. He turns back towards the escalators, reluctantly walking towards them. Occasionally glancing back just to make sure Mikoto is following him–especially when he freezes at the base. Then it's just a back and forth between her and the steps sliding out and up, their teeth jutting out like fangs. Baroona clutches the railing for support, noticing that it moved a moment to late. It drags him forward and he stumbles onto the escalator, freezing once he's regained his balance and death-gripping the stupid moving railing as he looks down at Mikoto, terrified.]

[railgunning]

[Oh, she's following him, if only to prevent today's installment of When Doing It Wrong Goes.....Wrong from going any further south, undertaking the directorial duties of one, trying not to facepalm and two, ignoring the bewildered stares of shoppers, including a little boy's exclamation of, "wow, that looks fun!" (it doesn't) as he stares in awe at Baroona gripping onto that railing Bond-style as she practically bounds her way up the escalator to catch up to him.

She sighs.]

You could've waited for me to get on it with you, you know. And you can do that with one hand. You're not going to fall.

[broroona]

It's shaking.

[With a glare, he wobbles a bit on his step as demonstration. He has every reason to remain clutching for dear life on this death trap, excuse you.

Still, the torture ends soon enough as the steps rise and flatten out. Baroona gingerly steps off, visibly relaxing at the solidity of the ground.]

You never told me your world hated stairs.

[And cigarettes. And everything else he enjoys. Can you tell he's cranky?]

[railgunning]

Going up stairs takes too long for most people. [Just be glad she's not, say, a speedster like Bart. Then Baroona would really be in for a hell of a joyride before he'd even realize it.

Oh, and nevermind Kuroko's teleporting...that was sometimes terrifying even for Mikoto. Meanwhile, she casts him an exasperated look. Keep your fanny pack on, mister.] Besides, this is no different from the City! Everything there was automatic, too---

[As they pass by a bookstore, however, Mikoto's eyes suddenly widen, and she sharply turns her head.]

[broroona]

[Baroona stops short, almost thankful for the interruption. At least now, he won't have to explain to her the glaringly obvious ways in which it's different from the city. He half-turns towards her.]

What is it?

[railgunning]

---Uh, what?

[Mikoto turns around distractedly, her eyes alight with something that appears to be glee and her face slightly flushed pink.

Oh. He...wasn't aware of that, was he...Mikoto's eyes briefly flick back toward the sign on the bookstore's front window advertising Gekota stationery, her equally odd smile turning crooked.

Yeah...no. Too embarrassing. He'd never let her live that down. It was bad enough Bart had found out about her infatuation with froggy merchandise (while he hadn't made fun of her, he certainly wouldn't stop asking questions. Baroona? He'd make fun of her. And probably ask questions.). So, she rather hastily walks onward, shrugging as nonchalantly as she can muster (but that pen...!).]

Ah, it's nothing. Let's...let's go get that new wig first!

[Sure, Mikoto.

Suuuuure.]

[broroona]

It's not nothing.

[He shoots her an odd look before looking over her shoulder.]

You were looking at something over there.

[What is it. Baroona can see it but not exactly what it is. Curiosity (and a small desire for revenge) takes over. He pushes past Mikoto to go look.]