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damned_institute2012-03-20 08:56 pm
ninelivesonce) wrote in damned_institute2012-03-20 08:56 pm
Nightshift 62: Main Hallway, 1-West
[from here]
Taura took up station midway between the two halls leading back into the dormitories. Alone with her thoughts; the hall was quiet. Too quiet. Dead quiet, a little voice hissed in the back of her mind.
This was no time to be getting superstitious. It was unavoidable, really, in a profession with so much risk involved in daily operations, that those who survived found things to credit. Beyond their own skill, because they'd all seen better men/women/herms when their luck ran out, and skill only improved your odds.
Her luck was holding, tonight. Was Rita and Goku's?
[Rita and Goku]
Taura took up station midway between the two halls leading back into the dormitories. Alone with her thoughts; the hall was quiet. Too quiet. Dead quiet, a little voice hissed in the back of her mind.
This was no time to be getting superstitious. It was unavoidable, really, in a profession with so much risk involved in daily operations, that those who survived found things to credit. Beyond their own skill, because they'd all seen better men/women/herms when their luck ran out, and skill only improved your odds.
Her luck was holding, tonight. Was Rita and Goku's?
[Rita and Goku]
no subject
"Pleasure," he said, still wearing the forced smile. She was young. Kay-young. No business being around a little psychotic like Niikura, not with a sweet face like that. Badd firmly reminded himself of the Dahlia Hawthorne case, and that pretty faces meant nothing in terms of sociopathy, but he still found himself slightly concerned. What was Niikura planning for Nagasawa-san? And did they need an older male escort to prevent it?
no subject
She wasn't going to be impolite, though. Ignoring whatever connotations came with just being considered 'a friend of a friend,' Shiina plucked up her energy to give Badd a smile and nodded in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Badd-san."
At least he didn't seem eager to talk his way into her heart, like so many two-faced fat cats would in order to win her favor. He was quiet, a little scary, but he looked like he hadn't had the easiest life. Perhaps he was an honest working man just like anyone else? She would have to do some probing before she could be sure, though.
Niikura's change in tone wasn't surprising, given the gravity of the situation, but Shiina forced her smile to lock in place. She refused to let him worry, even though the fever seemed to hike up a degree or two even as she returned his gaze. "No, we should go. Distracting us... that's just what Landel wants."
orz sorry for lateness ;A;
Either way, this was a precarious situation. He had been trying to keep Shiina's existence secret from Badd because he saw her as his weak spot. It didn't seem like the detective's M.O. to exploit those kinds of things, and it was true that the exact nature of their relationship was not exactly clear (although it seemed that way to him), but Niikura was paranoid, particularly about the girl whose life he had promised to protect with his own. Conversely, he didn't exactly want Shiina to know just how much trouble he had been stirring up prior to her arrival. It would be like her to give him a good scolding, even if he was, by her own admission, "incorrigible". He probably deserved it, actually...
Was there a way to turn the situation to his advantage? Niikura thought fast. Probably the idea of any person allying himself or herself with him was suspicious enough. How likely would Badd decide to intervene out of concern? The man had an "interest in his hobbies"...he could use that, maybe. They could always use more allies, even if the thing that tied them together would be his vices. Could he get this to work?
"But I mean, if ya really want to, then..." Niikura turned toward Badd. "...got anything else to do tonight? Since you're so keen and all to see what I'm up to these days, might as well check it out first-hand, right?"
He'd give it a shot.
Re: orz sorry for lateness ;A;
Unless he/they planned to murder Badd himself, that was also a possibility. But Badd had his little insurance in his pocket and very much doubted the teen could do much to him.
Badd gave a seemingly apathetic shrug. "Why not. You followed me around, might as well return the favor." He twisted his lollipop stick and looked at Niikura expectantly. Lead on, brave leader.
Re: orz sorry for lateness ;A;
"I'm sure we'll think of something," she said, hoping to reassure him. Her smile was beginning to feel painful, but she stuck it out. Shiina had never had need to force smiles before this place, but she had always hung back after Shou had saved her that night in Roppongi. Now she was always going to be in the fray. She would have his back, whether Niikura wanted it that way or not.
Shiina was a little surprised Niikura offered to allow Badd to come with them. He must either trust Badd to not do something sketchy with her around, or he wanted to prove something to the older man. Shiina wasn't sure which, but she found herself growing curiouser over their relationship.
Her hand went to her mouth in surprise at hearing that Niikura had followed Badd before. Her gaze moved between the two males. "Did he really?" She gave Niikura a slight shove, pretending to look appalled at his behavior. Her smile became apologetic towards the other man. "I hope Shou-kun didn't make you nervous. He likes to put people on the spot..."
Yeah, she was definitely going to need to be clued in sometime in the future. There was something that had happened between these two, but Shiina couldn't put her finger on it.
AND THE LATEST ARRIVAL EVER IS HERE.
There was something else on Mike's mind. He really didn't like the sound of those announcements. He was pretty sure they didn't refer to him, 'cause he wasn't exactly the mass-murdering sort of turtle that went around, well, murdering people. And, over the years, he had gotten much better at using his head.
Sounds like things were going to go from bad to worse. This Institute really was trying to immitate home. Okay--so people generally didn't go all were-monster back home, but this place was becoming less and less civilian friendly. Once again, he wished Donatello were here. Maybe there would've been something they could do for them if he had been around. Right now? There was nothing.
... Huh. Seems like they had a third person for the moment. Mike hadn't been told about a third person joining them. Maybe they were just talking? The body language among the three spoke of them not really being friendly towards each other. Interesting. Whoever that guy was better not end up being a problem.
Either way, there was only one way to find out what was up.
"Yo!" Mike called, raising his hand; his bats were shoved in the back of his shirt, as usual; he jogged up to them before speaking again. "Sorry to keep you waitin'.
"So, who are you two--" he glanced pointedly at Niikura with a bit of a smirk. "--Talking to?"
HUZZAH
"H-hey, hey!" Niikura played as if he'd been caught in the act, stumbling back a step as Shiina mock-shoved him and waving his hands at her as if asking her to stop. "It wasn't like that! Geez, you're makin' me look bad here, Nagasawa." She did have him pegged, though, although, it was as if he liked making people nervous...okay, maybe a little.
And then, in the nick of time, Mike showed up. Niikura nearly sighed aloud in relief; he wasn't sure how much more he could've stood waiting. "Ya better be sorry," he told Mike with a grin and then punched him solidly in the arm. (Two...sheesh...he was still on that?) "We've been waitin' here for half the night already, y'know.
"Anyway, okay, quick introductions: Badd-san, Mike-san; Mike-san, Badd-san--he's volunteered to help us out tonight, by the way. Evens out the age disparity pretty nicely, huh? Thank me later." Yup, he was ready and pumped now. "Let's get goin'!"
no subject