3/4/2003

12:19 AM

Logfile from Tomite.

 

Central Park Zoo

The 'animal conservatory' is ostensibly split into two areas. First, is the Children's petting zoo, which has recently undergone a major rennovation. The entire upper area is now netted, so that free flying birds within the zoo can spread their wings while remaining in the small area. A huge, fabricated tree is the centerpiece, around which small, dirt paths lead the wanderer to view and pet the animals available, including goats and sheep and a surprisingly gentle ram.

The other area is much larger and contains the main viewing spots for the larger animals. An oval pool complete with a center island and large rock hideaway is the first sight you see, with about six sea lions diving up and down within the clear glassed-in tank. Around this point, there are several buildings representing the different temperate zones where animals live - polar, temperate, and tropical.

Amefuri and Hikitsu are here.

Obvious exits:

Central Park (EA)

You are no longer on 'Public'.

 

Tomite

The slightly tousled brush of sloe-black hair tickles at the nape of his neck as the dark and straight fringe cascades over his forehead to oft overshadow perceptive gaze. Irises of a stormy sea green lashed with fog and foam are set in almond-shaped eyes, framed with lashes as dark as his hair. Youthful features are harshly angled, the strict lines drawn with the descendant of the same native blood that grants his skin its dusky cast. With his pronounced features and despite the gaunt appearance, a lithe grace characterizes his slightly less than average height as the low swell of toned muscles leave his wiry form svelte.

Loose cargo pants in typical khaki drop down to fold over the top of his slightly-scuffed mountain boots, pockets littering the fabric down the length of his legs. A short-sleeved shirt of midnight blue, marked with the logo of Abercrombie, tops a long-sleeved one of Oxford grey. Faded blue baseball cap that seems to have been through quite a few years of wear often is pulled around so that the bill is to the back, if he is even wearing it.

Tomite appears to be 18 years, 1 months, and 19 days old.

He is awake and looks alert.

 

Amefuri

Seafoam tresses fall in undulating waves around shy, pixie features before trickling to an end in the smooth caress of her lower back.  Fey aquamarine irises peer out at the world from beneath a dark fringe of lashes, managing to look lost and knowing at the same time.  Petite and lithe, there doesn't seem to be much substance to her small frame, but as in many cases, appearances can be deceiving.  There is an indication of stubbornness in the tilt of her angled jaw and the firm set of her generous lips.

Well-worn jeans swath limber limbs in denim so tight that it could be considered a second skin while a snug sweater skims over her upper torso in a vain attempt at warmth.  Cowboy boots peek out from the flared legs of the pants, their dusky leather setting her apart from the cosmopolitan feel of the city that she now calls her home.  You can take the girl out of the country, but it seems you can't take the country out of the girl.

Amefuri appears to be 18 years, 3 months, and 25 days old.

She is awake, but has been staring off into space for 5 minutes.

 

Brice nods, hesitating before awkwardly patting her hand then gently prying his fingers loose. "For us, everything's fine. Ash and I live together. I have my powers, and I can protect her. I see Chase pretty often, and the rest besides. In fact," a slightly annoyed look and tone develop, "I'm gonna force the little idiot to move into the same building as the rest of us. He nearly gets killed because he doesn't have anyone around, and he doesn't bother to call me. Idiot." Despite the words, it's said with mucho worried affection (especially the worry/aggrivation). Hey, they're brothers, it's to be expected. And time for a change in tactics. He does move his voice back to sympathetic, though "Well... You can protect yourself." Coward. Going the route of least resistance. "But you can't stop it. I thought I could, and it took awhile, but a few people proved I couldn't. And you're much more emotional than I was to start with." Blank fact. It's true. "It'll happen again - hopefully with someone without his head up-" Stop RIGHT THERE!

Chase was just out for a jog through the park, enjoying the weather, the air, and everything that goes with it. But then he got that feeling. You know the one... or not. The kind of feeling that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy as only Genbu can, and then you further realize that the aniki is in the area, and it is about now you consider turning right on back around. Nope, Chase doesn't do that. Instead, he seeks out that tweak in his senses, entering into the zoo area and from there tracking in on that sense. Look at that. Brice... with someone else? Hat is settled to rights, long pack over his shoulder is adjusted, and then he is trotting up behind big brother with his ever-silent pace. Throat clears as he gets within a couple of steps of them. "Brice?"

 

Mina is sitting on a bench facing the sea lions, Brice by her side.  "I'm glad," she nods her head, sniffling just a little.  "I'm glad that things are finally worked out for you and... Ash, did you say?"  Turning back towards the sea lions, she bites her lower lip to keep it from trembling.  Who are you calling emotional?  "Why?  Why can't I stop it, Brice?  For you, it's different, you and Takiko were obviously meant to be together... "  Mina trails off and stares at the capering sea mammels before her.  "What's it like," she asks softly.  "To be in love when it doesn't hurt, when you don't cry yourself to sleep each night?"

 

"Because it's one of those things you just can't stop. Sort of like gravity. Everything goes 'splat' eventually." Hopefully the more light-hearted analogy with cheer her up a bit. "And it's like... shit, what /is/ it like?" Brice really has no idea how to describe it. "It's like... You're secure. You know you always have something to go to when things are bad. Amd you're... you're warm. Jesus, I don't know how to explain it, it just /is/." But then... His name! BUSH MONSTERS! "YAAAAARGH!" Or not. Brice yells and jumps and spins, landing in an instinctly defensive gesture, hand raised to cast snakes - then realizes exactly who it is. "/Chase/?!"  Good god holy Jesus don't do that to him! "You /bastard/!" And, in complete contrast to his words, he immediately reaches out and yanks the smaller seishi to him proectively in a brotherly smothering hug. "Shit! You have /any/ fucking idea how worried I was about you?!" Note: his vocabulary degenerates with the suddenness and seriousness of the situation. End note.

 

Okay. Now if Chase knew that Brice was having some sort of heart to heart with a woman, he would have turned right on back around and head back the way he came with nobody the wiser. So, as soon as he hears the young woman's words, and his own prompt to brother is muttered, he is wincing at the poor timing. "Damn," he mutters. "Look, I can call you later if you are busy?" A rather uncomfortable moment here, but then Brice is leaping and attacking and... *oif* Chase winces just the slightest. Its been about a week since his fight, and some people didn't have the luxury of seeing a healer. There are still a few welts here and there. But the teenager does respond with a wry grin and does hug him back, "Its... uh... Its fine. Brice? I need to breathe."

 

At Brice's yell, Mina startles and screams herself.  Only instead of a really brave, attack-type yell, her's is a more frightened "Aiiiiiieee!"  Jumping back, she puts a hand over her heart and bends over.  "Don't.  Do.  That."  Pant pant.  Well, at least she's been thrust out of her self-pity.  Watching the brothers embrace, Mina suffers another wave of homesickness.  Standing a bit to the side, she'll just wait for an introduction and let her pulse rate return to normal.

 

"I don't /care/ if you're fine, you /don't do that to me/!!!!" Happy, Mina? That popcorn should be disappearing very fast. But, proving he's actually listening and not just ranting all over the place, Brice does indeed loosen his grasp, ending up with his hands on Tomite's upper arms. "You /don't/ just not call me during a fight, or even /after/ it! I was so angry I fought Reese to get revenge for your sorry ass!" True. Once he figured out it was her, of course. "Namame nearly got killed!" And then, surprisingly, the fierce tone drops almost completely. "Just don't do that again, okay? I'll get a cell or something, you can reach me any time." Tap tap. Brice. Remember your manners. "Oh, yeah. Chase," he begins, releasing one of Chase's arms and stepping back so the eighteen-year-olds can see each other, "this is Mina. Mina, this is Chase. Or," he continues, in the rituals of seishi-introduction, "Tomite, this Amefuri, Amefuri, this is Tomite. I think you guys come from the same region of the country."

 

Chase blinks over Brice's shoulder at the young woman, and her screaming and... and he really should learn to walk a bit more loudly from time to time to stop these sorts of reactions. "I... I'm sorry. Damn, it wasn't like I wanted anyone to know. I mean, I did it all on my own and /yes/ I heard what happened. Damn, I was gonna go see her again and offer Reese flowers by way of apology, but... Genbu." He slowly shakes his head from side to side, still a touch of worry to his eyes as he looks back to big brother, "Yeah. Yeah, I'll call." More than one lesson learned. That pack on his back? Carries the bow. His gaze slips back over to Mina, and then he startles as he hears the way Brice does the introduction, "Senshi?" A crooked smile appears, "/Chase/. It is Chase. Nice to meet you."

 

"Reese?"  Mina repeats the oni's name shocked as her eyes widen.  "Reese Winterbourne?"  Shaking her head, it's finally dawning on the Byakko that perhaps the oni isn't all that she appears to be.  Blinking and flushing at the introductions, she dips her head in greeting and adds her own shy grin, "And I'm Mina, Mina Mitsukawa.  It's nice to meet you too, Chase."  A teasing smile appears and her sea-green gaze twinkles as she quips, "Ah, so you must be the idiot?"  Now the question is which way she should duck, left or right?

 

Brice sighs at Chase's words and shakes his head, pulling his other arm back to cross them both over his chest. "I know, I don't like fighting Reese either, but when I heard her talking about you..." A flash of pure rage crosses his eye; he hasn't forgotten the words. "We fought the oni. The Reese who dressed up in leather and paraded in front of you isn't the same person. Hell, we were speaking /nicely/ to each other after we nearly killed each other! We were concerned! Shit." He groans. Confusions. This life's made up of nothing but confusions. "We gotta work this out somehow..." But Mina's repetition of Reese's full name draws his attention. "You know her too? Oh, she's Byakko," he adds as an afterthought to Chase. "With Dylan and Cat and Lee." His eye widens a bit at the smile and the quip, but he says nothing - he's rather amused by it (of course) and glad that Mina's not staying in a depressive state.

 

Chase reaches a hand up to readjust the ballcap on his head, and then shoot a questioning glance to Brice at Mina's words. "Idiot?" He sighs, rolling his eyes, "I suppose I must be." Yeah, its the truth, and especially this last time. He shrugs his shoulders and offers Mina yet another crooked grin. Brice is given another concerned glance though, "Suna was pissed at all of this. You should have seen him." And it just made Chase want to curl up under a rock with guilt all the more. He sighs though before nodding, then looking to Mina, "No, she would have to be the first Byakko I've gotten a chance to meet. Haven't had a chance to catch Suna's boyfriend yet."

 

"I've met her before, with Toroki," Mina explains.  "She... she seemed nice enough.  I've got her card, in fact."  Although Mina's never had the nerve to call the oni up.  "But she.. err.. paraded around in front of you with leather?"  Mina gives Chase a rather shocked look as she blushes at the mental image.  Great, thanks Brice.  That's something Mina didn't really want to be envisioning.  "Well then, you shouldn't judge all Byakko based on me, Chase-san.  Most of them are normal."  Most as in everyone but Tokaki.  "You know," she adds with a slight smile, hiding once again behind pleasantries.  Life is so much easier that way.  "I've never met Setsuna, either.  They should throw a dinner party, invite us all along."

 

"See, I've been avoiding being at home much over the past few days. Knew everything would be exploding, didn't want to have to defend myself or my actions. I'd be much too tempted to freeze someone before the night was over." To someone who knows him well, such as Chase, Brice's tone should betray another, deeper meaning - not everything is happy in Eye Patch-Land. But back to Mina and the problem of Reese. He nods in sympathy. "Reese is my classmate. We met before I had my powers back, barely remembered anything - hadn't even met Chase - and she seemed to be great. A little too stuck on my looks, but a fun person. And she is. It's when she gets into oni mode that she... starts getting us angry." He shakes his head, thoughts once against tumbling against his other so he can't really catch them. "Chase, Cat and Lee came the day Anana got hurt - Cat fixed her, remember?" She seems to spend a lot of time patching up Genbu. "Maybe they should, even before the fight I hadn't seen either in forever."

 

Chase's gaze draws back over to Mina, "Uhm... yeah. Well, hey now Brice, she did show me that place where we got those tattoos. And we really must do that again." Just without giving Inami access to permanent markers. "Oh... Mina, I like that idea." Chase is always all for everyone getting together. Big happy family -never mind last time everyone was arguing. He nods his head slowly in agreement with Brice, "Uh... Yeah. She sorta said some things that set me off." Some things very close to what Brice said to Chase once. Spooky that. "And the game was on from there." Blood whips suck. "Yeah. Sure. Them and half of the seishi world that came romping through my place." It got awfully crowded awfully quick.

Mina feels like a rather retarded parrot, but she just blinks and repeats Brice's words back to him.  "Oni mode?"  Narrowing her eyes somewhat, she wonders, "Is that anything like a multiple personality?"  That would explain a lot.  Sitting back down on the bench, she looks from one brother to the other trying to follow the flow of conversation.  Okay, so she's lost.  Mina has a rather good memory for faces and facts, so everything that they're talking about now is sure to come up later.  "Anana was hurt?  What this when Nainokami tried to kill her?"

 

Brice doesn't mind playing translator for Mina - she's probably never heard most of this, after all. But first... "NO, Chase. No more tattoos." He still doesn't show his much. Only Ash has really seen it. No, that is NOT intended to mean anything, get your minds out of the gutter! Anyway, back to Mina. "I guess you could describe it like that. She acts very, very different when her powers are surfacing - I do it myself, I revert completely back to Hikitsu." Forget the fact that Ame doesn't know what he was like back then. "I'd say she does something similar, at least not acting the way she normally does when just herself. And yes, that was when Nainokami tried to kill her - the first time. Through Dylan, who'd been brainwashed." Doubtless she knows about that. She's a Byakko, after all. Okay, back to the brother. "Chase, you're moving." No arguments boy, Brice's got the height and weight advantage.

 

Chase is plucking off his ball cap once more, dragging his fingers roughshod through is hair to pull back the majority from his eyes for a moment, and then it is all cascading right back into place. "Yeah..." And then there are some people who are exactly like they were back then no matter what, and even wish that everyone else was the same as well. "Yeah, that was awhile ago. Anana is good now... trying to.. uhm... She's good." And spending quite a bit of time with insane-seishi Namame. But then Brice's last statement seeps in. Uhm. The teenager moves to sit down on the bench, right beside Mina after settling his pack on the ground. He leans towards her and stagewhispers, "He didn't just say what I thought he said... right?"

 

Mina hasn't really used Amefuri's powers fully yet, there's still a seperation between the seishi and her reincarnation that Mina unconciously keeps up, a defense mechanism that keeps her sane.  "Dylan tried to kill Anana?"  Ye gods, Mina hadn't heard that story yet.  What has the older Byakko *not* done - he kidnaps Kai, tries to kill a chibi, oy, he's a one man soap.  No wonder he's burdened with guilt.  Eyes widening as the other seishi sits down next to her, Mina erks and scoots over a bit.  "I think he did indeed," she stagewhispers back.  "But I think the important question is moving where?"  Chase might be lucky, he could be moving right above a stripshow or XXX shop.

 

Brice gives Mina a surprised look - he honestly thought she knew. "You didn't know?" Yeah, state the obvious Kent. "It was awhile ago..." [on the old server!] "Apparently Nainokami took control of both Karasuki and Toroki when they were kids, just born or something, in an effort to sabotage the Byakko. Anana broke them both out of it, thank Genbu, but before they really believed they were oni, and even acted as such. But they weren't, and no one blames them now." And leave it at that. But yes, no wonder Dylan has guilt-overload. And he gives Chase another 'no arguments' look. "Yes, I said that. Look, there's already four of us in the Berkley - it'd be safer for you if you lived there too. Hell, /I'd/ feel safer with you around. That way if anyone tries anything funny, we know where to go for help." He's actually thought about this. "John has a two-bedroom place if they don't have any spots open. I haven't talked to him yet, but I can't really think he'd mind you there." Okay, so his tone got more concerned-older-brother as it went on. He's just worried about Chase, that's all, and really would feel better with him nearby. "I'm not going to force you, but won't you think it over?"

 

Chase nods his head sagely at Mina, "That's what I thought he said." He leans back on the bench and extends arms to either side of him along the back, more than likely having one go behind Mina if she is still there. The teenager blinks up at Brice, "No." As if he really wants to end up living near where his brother and Ash are and watch them rub their relationship in his face all the time while he keeps his mouth good and shut. But then Brice launches into his explanation, and he is left to fidget in response, generally looking rather uncomfortable. "Dammit, just bring up the whole keeping an eye on each other thing, why don't you..." *smirk*

 

Mina had heard part of the story, but not the entirety.  As she struggles to understand Brice's words she leans back, only to sit bolt upright.  There's an arm back there!  Trying to ignore Chase's invasion of space, after all, he probably doesn't mean anything by it, she remarks softly.  "Kai still blames Karasuki for what happened.  And by extension, so does Matt."  Turning her gaze downwards again, she clasps her hands together on her lap.  She won't cry again, she won't.  She'll get to the point where she can say his name without breaking down.

 

Brice sighs, raking a hand through his hair in an attempt to hide the fact that he's pulling words together. Which is more important, reassuring Amefuri or not falling victim to his brother's teasing? Let's see if he can walk a fine middle line. "Amiboshi nearly died, too, and Suboshi's just... himself." He deliberately uses the seishi names, as they'll be less likely to set her off. "I saw him - he was torn to ribbons. I can understand his point. A glance at his watch and he sighs again. "I gotta get home. Been out too long avoiding the crowd." Crowd=fellow Genbu (except for Chase). Brice digs in his bag, pulling out a piece of scrap paper and a pen, and writing his phone number on it. "If you wanna talk, call me there. I might not be in, but there's an answering machine." The good thing about Ash - she doesn't mind him having female friends. "In the mornings is probably better."

 

Chase smirks just the slightest, "Well, I managed to hunt down Dylan and full well intended to kill him. But it was only a matter of time though before Anana unbroke the guy. If Anana was cool with your seishi, Mina... then I would be as well. And seeing as Suna and he are all mushy, I'm still cool with that." As long as Suna is happy. He flickers a glance to Mina though as she speaks, and then leans over just the slightest to give her a bit of a squeeze with that arm behind her after feeling her tense. But in the next breath he is pushing up to stand, shouldering that damn pack. "And I've got to drop this off at home and grab the..." Not going to say gun in the presence of the aniki. Nope. "Got another job and a long night ahead of me." He glances back down to Mina, "Nice to meet you. Give your companions my best. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around." Brice is given a good all-american chuck on the shoulder, "And you too. Stay out of trouble." Isn't that suppose to be the other way around? But, anywho, the boy is trotting off down the path at an easy lope.