damned_institute | Dayshift 42: Morning

Senna stepped off the bus to wind blowing through the clothes she was given. A sad face at one of the nurses allowed her a long red scarf as well, and once she had draped it around her neck and let it hang down her back, she had trotted off.

The park she had saw last time seemed a good place to be on the look-out for the chicks from last night. It was close to the buses, and a big enough place that if they remembered that they had a race date, it would suit its purpose. The girl ran to a place in the middle of the field and waited there, shifting her weight from side to side. After a while, this wasn't enough, and Senna traded back and forth between jogging in place and acrobatics--the easy flips and cartwheels keeping her warm.

Her mind had changed in the night before. She had gotten a taste of what leadership entailed, and she wasn't sure she had rose to the occasion or not. She knew she had tried her best, and had been willing to give as much as she had, but it hadn't been enough. She knew this. Hokuto, at least, had gotten hurt, and in the end, they still hadn't explored more than the schoolhouse. They really needed a different approach with that place.

She went back and forth internally, body going through the motions and reflexes of her movements.

[for... Falis, Hokuto, Meche, and Soma?--and down to here]

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The early chill was quite nice in Kristoph's humble opinion. A bit of bite, nothing too overwhelming-- A weather fit for man of his temperament. He stepped off the bus, genuinely pleased with his environment for what was a very first since his admittance to Landel's.

Then again, much of that mood was thanks to a few slips of paper in his pocket. Specifically, an invitation (coupon was such a vulgar term) to the local nail salon. He did not much like the name, but a chance to remedy the effects of his last unfortunate encounter was a better fate than he could have ever hoped for. The man would have to thank the original tipster, should they have the pleasure of conversation again.

It wasn't until a hand touched his sleeve that Kristoph noticed his attention was being required by an equally taken young woman. Sheena, was it? The coarse little ninja.

"Good morning, Sheena," he returned, smiling pleasantly. "I have been quite well, as fortune would have it. And yourself?"

"Morning!" Sheena's smile brightened a little. "Oh, that's good to hear," she replied, genuinely pleased to see that kristoph had not suffered any injuries. Well, none that she could see, but the man was moving like he was relatively injury-free.

"Two night ago was really bad, but other than that, I'm good." The ninja still sported a partially healed cut above her eyebrow and, should Kristoph look, a mark on the side of her neck that could have been from several things.

She tilted her head. "Have you been to Doyleton before?"

His face instantly crumbled into his usual "I'm-concerned-for-your-welfare" motif as the man weaved a hand into Sheena's. The act was getting despairingly old, plus the urgent need for well-manicured nails thrummed nosily in his ears. Why must he always make time for a hopeless little girl?

"What happened?" he questioned. Likely a matter of being taken for nightly experimentation/brainwashing. Too bad she survived.

The question made him pause, as though Doyleton should at least wait until Sheena's welfare had been established. "I have. Once."

Sheena's heart sped up when Kristoph took her hand. She hadn't been expecting it and her cheeks colored slightly. Oh, his hand was so soft, not a callous on it. Not even Meltokio nobles had hands that soft. The ninja was a little embarrassed at how rough her own hand must feel to the older man. Hopefully, she didn't have any snaggly edges to her own chipped nails that would catch on those golden hands of Kristoph's,

Sheena averted her gaze as she replied, "They dragged me upstairs, did some stuff I only sorta remember and turned me evil. I hurt a lot of people." She was silent for a moment before looking back up, trying to push the memories away (and trying not to shudder in the process), and smiled again.

"It's okay, though; there weren't any lasting effects." That she could tell. "And I've only been here once before. I kinda conned the guy that runs the toy shop out of a decent chunk of fudge, but I'd like to do something different this time."

Her current line of sight did not escape Kristoph's notice. It was hard not to, what with the beginning signs of fluster settling in. Not to mention, the man had run across this very same incident in the past. His hands attracted a fair amount of admirers over the years; one could not ignore the awe-struck glance.

And thus, his idea began to form. "Oh, I am so sorry," he replied, concern seeped into his tone. Kristoph gingerly patted her hand. "Such unspeakable horror..." Hence, the bulletin poll the day before. These things were better marginalized in the safety of anonymity.

"I am glad, however, you are all right." He smiled. "And perhaps I can provide this 'different' experience. I have a date with the local salon; would you do me the honor of accompanying me?"

Did Kristoph just do what she thought he did? Did he just ask her on a date? Or was this more of a double date - him, her and the salon? Wait a minute... that didn't make sense. How did someone have a date with a building? Was this something she-- No, that was silly. People didn't have dates with buildings. At least she was pretty sure of that, though the ninja was fairly certain if a building had the right kind of tapestries and a hole put in the right spot, Zelos might find a way to have one of his 'dates' with it.

But this wasn't Zelos; this was Kristoph - six feet of gorgeous. He would never, ever even think about something as perverted and disgusting as the things that idiot Chosen did when he was drunk. Kristoph was a gentleman.

So dashing. So perfect. So dreamy...

And he wanted to take Sheena with him to the salon. No, he'd be honored to have her presence. No one had ever been honored to have Sheena with them before. Oh wow. Her cheeks flushing a bit more, she looked down shyly, a bit stunned by the request. A date. With Kristoph. He'd be honored. Wow...

Oh, right. Answering. That would be a good thing. Okay, compose your thoughts, don't sound like an idiot, she told herself. And please, please, please don't have a poppy seed stuck between your teeth. Just to make sure she didn't, Sheena quickly ran her tongue over her teeth. Good, nothing.

"I would love to," she softly replied. "It's me who is honored."

That was the right thing to say. Right?

Aw. They were cute when they tried. He would be flattered if the man had a heart. "Well, then," Kristoph said, before offering the curl of his arm. "Shall we?" The pair had quite a bit to travel before they reached Pearl’s Beauty Salon Hair and Nails.

It took Sheena a moment to figure out what the gesture was for. It dawned on her that she'd seen Zelos do the same thing before and those Meltokio painted floozies just latched onto him. Well, Sheena was no floozie; she was ninja.

She latched onto Kristoph's arm in a smoother motion than any of those Meltokio bitches could manage.

"Yes," Sheena replied, beaming up at the man. "Is it just down the street?" She had no idea where the salon was, much less what one would look like here. They'd never let her into the one in Meltokio if she wanted to go inside it, which she didn't.

Dayshift 42: Morning - Magus Park

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