4/11/2003

02:36 AM

Logfile from Chase.

New York University

The actual twenty-eight acre campus of New York University isn't a single area. Rather, the thirteen schools and colleges that comprise the largest private university in the United States occupies five major centers in Manahattan alone. The schools include the College of Arts and Sciences, The School of Law, The School of Medicine, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, to name a few.

Some of the buildings are quite old, having been built in the mid-1800s. Others are more modern, and reflect the architecture of the times. In between small stores and art galleries and Thai restaurants, the various buildings of NYU host a myraid of classes and courses. And intersparsed between it all is the undeniable flavor that only the Big Apple can bring.

Amefuri is here.

Obvious exits:

Exit Arts and Sciences University Hall Tisch School Library

Ugh. Organic chemistry. Is it any wonder that Mina's feeling rather loopy and braindead now. Killer exam. Head down, she slogs forward in the midst of her fellow students who have that same dumbstruck look on their faces. "What did you get for question fifteen?" "Isopropenyl, really? Not isopropenol?" "Oh god, if I fail this exam, I'm flunking out." Sounds and voices mingle about the poor seishi who's looking quite tired. What she needs is a diversion.

Chase is sitting just outside of the building, back pressed against the foundation. With knees drawn up and forelegs resting upon them, the teenager perks as soon as the door opens and a group of students exit. He climbs to his feet, shrugging his pack onto his shoulder and then waiting to spot someone. "Hey, Mina. How'd it go?"

Ask and you shall receive. Mina spies Chase and where she'd normally bounce over to greet the Genbu she instead sort of plods in that direction. "Fine, I think," she offers a weary smile. "But please, remind me again why I'm a biology major?" Why couldn't she have chosen something easy, like say history or english? Readjusting her bag with a sigh, she advises, "Take my advice, Chase, stay away from the sciences." Hey wait. "Anou, were you waiting for me to finish?" Awww, isn't he a sweet seishi!

Chase is wrinkling his nose at her, "Hey, I don't even want to be here. My parents are paying for it, Brice and Anana will kill me if I stop, so tah-dah, here I am. But I'm sure you have an excellent reason to be a biology major like.... self torture." He offers her a soft grin, "Yeah, I was waiting for you, but don't let it all go to your head." Hair tweaking from earlier in the day continues.

Mina just resigns herself to a life full of hair tweaking. Durn it. Lucky for Chase he's so darn cute and she's so darn tired, or he would have something tweaking him back. Groan. "Have you even thought of a major yet, or are you going to be one of those perpetual students?" The idea doesn't sound that bad to the Byakko except that being a long-term student means even more exams to look forward to in the future. Trying to slough off the braindead mentally that surrounds her like a shadowy cloak, she grins over at the other seishi. "So, if I promise not to show up in a negligee, will you show me where Lexie and Rath live?" Pwease? Watch those dark lashes of her bat in supplication.

"Not that I really wouldn't mind if you did show up in a negligee when I was around. I mean, come /on/. Admittedly, I'd love to see that." Chase takes a long step to the side to avoid being smacked by her. "Of course, I'd be mighty jealous, but that's besides the point... Sure, I suppose that I could mention where they live, the general area 'n such." He shoots her a grin, "Major? I dunno. I'm leaning to criminal justice." Best major for the hoodlum?

Chase is so lucky that he stepped away, because he had one heck of a smack coming. "I'm not talking general area. Sheesh, you already told me The Mandarin, Chase-kun. I could go online and look for that address. I'm talking specifics." Cuz hrm, if Mina's not showing up in a negligee, then perhaps she'll be showing up with a trenchcoat and heels. And nothing else. "Bah, mighty jealous my foot," she counters with a teasing grin. "I know where your heart lies." Yeah, she's still under the assumption that the Genbu has it bad for his miko. "But you know, if you keep up with comments like that, people'll start confusing you with Lee-san. Just a warning." Hitching her pack again, she starts walking towards the entrance of the campus. "Criminal justice... Chase, you're not heading into the police force too, are you?"

Chase flickers a glance back at her and chuckles, "Up on the fifteenth, fifteen-oh-two. But /please/ don't say where you found it out. All I need is Lex on my case, but you know you could have just as easily asked Cat." He is snickering once more at her though, "Hey, how can you blame me? And I think I rather love teasing you. As for the major... I don't know. This is just my first year, getting the unnecessary classes out of the way. I'll figure the rest out later."

"Fifteen-oh-two," Mina repeats happily. Oh yeah, her day's looking up. "Arigato Chase." She's got plans, indeed she does. But, ahem. Cough. Trying to act normal, she rolls her eyes. "Love teasing me? You're too young to be teasing me, cowboy. Still, I guess it's okay, since I know you're all talk and no action." Dancing ahead of him slightly, just in case he decides to swat her for that comment, she laughingly calls over her shoulders. "So what sort of games do you and Lexie play?"

Chase quirks a glance at her and then smirks, "I'm the same damn age as you, and you know it. I just look a little younger. You know, there are women that would kill to loose two years off of their faces." He sighs, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trous, "Saaaa, I'm always action, woman. Clearly you don't know my reputation. And I'll aim to fix that some day. As for what Lexie and I do, you're too young yourself to know."

Turning around to look at Chase, Mina starts walking backwards. "What do you mean I'm too young to know? You just said I'm the same age as you are and..." Hey wait. It's starting to sound more serious than just video games. Eyes widening, she stumbles slightly. "Oooh, wait a minute, you're not talking about /those/ kinds of games, are you Chase?" Grinning, she just admires the Genbu's guts. "The Yin no miko. Yer boinking the Yin no miko. Guess you were right about being a man of action." Nibbling her lip, she wonders if she should tell him about Kai. Or heck, about Lee. Nah, she won't ruin the other teenager's fun. After all, she doesn't want to know what Rathan's done in his past, so the least she can do is protect the other Yin-phile from knowing about Lexie's past.

Chase's eyes suddenly flash wide, and he is bounding up to Mina as if to cover her mouth with his hand. "Shut up, you! You don't have to blather it to half of the campus, Mina. I haven't been sneaking around the past two weeks just have you yell it about." And he is actually looking rather alarmed at this. "I'd get skinned alive if anyone found out about it. So just hush, you."

"Mrrmph..." Yes, Chase succeeds in covering up Mina's mouth and she just blinks up at the Genbu. Right. Hand over mouth equals licking. And her tongue snakes out to do just that. Ewww... Byakko slobber.

Chase actually bursts into laugher at the licking, and he does /not/ remove his hand. "I pull that very same thing with Brice all the time. It won't work. And if you keep that up, I might think you're trying to be fresh with me, Byakko." But, he does slowly peel his hand away from her, "Just... don't say anything, okay? I like her, a lot. She's fun, and I really don't think that the others would understand. She's a hell of a lot different then what her reputation makes her out to be, alright?"

"I would never say anything, Chase," Mina returns, rather hurt. "You know, I know what it's like when your friends don't understand your choice in lovers. They won't hear it from me. Just.. be careful, okay? It's one thing to boink a seishi, and I think it's something else entirely to do a miko." She wraps her arms around the Genbu and offers him a quick squeeze before letting her arms drop to her sides again. "I like her as well. She's rather fun, isn't she. Kinda scary with the whole gun/fighting with Suboshi sort of thing, but well, when she's not doing that, she's nice. And a great big softie. It's rather weird when the Byakko are trying to get me to give up Rathan and his miko's trying to keep us together."

Chase seems almost to heave a sigh of relief, the tension slowly leaving his form. "Thank you. Yeah, I know you'd be discrete, but I've still got to be sure, you know? I like what's going on with her right now, and I don't want to see something happen to make it end already." Every so slowly, a smile shows, "That woman is an adrenaline rush if ever there was one." But then he is blinking back to Mina, "Yeah, about that. Considering the last time we talked, I sort of said some things about you rethinking anything you did with the Yin 'n such, and I was kind of... well... an ass. I suppose that's just the whole pot calling the kettle black now, and I've got no room to argue."

Shrugging slightly, Mina gives Chase a rather bemused grin. "No worries, Chase. I understand why you said what you did. Just like I understand why the others are so worried about me. For a long time there, I was really torn, really confused. But now I've made my choice, and I'm sticking with it. Knowing that, it gives me a sense of balance, you know?" She laughs and links arms with the Genbu. "What a pair we make, ne? Falling for the enemy. It must be the forbidden fruit element." Although she's making light of their situation, she knows that it's a thin line that both of them are walking. "Anou, Chase-kun. Do you.. do you love her?" Because if he does, she may just have to mention Kai.

Chase is latched onto, and simply goes along with it, adding in a short smile as well. "Yeah, I can still be worried for you too. Sure, I don't know this oni you're with, but it is still an /oni/. But I won't go into all of that. Just... watch what you say, and do, and... and I should just shut up now." And that last causes the boy to blink, "Saaaa, no. It's not like that, Mina. She's great to hang out with, sexy as anything, and... amazing. She... She says that she can be herself around me, and if I can at least give her someone to be around that she doesn't have to act like a bitch, then I'm happy with that. Love? No. But I really like being with her. A lot."

Flushing slightly, Mina mutters something about slipping once and no one ever letting her forget it. "We have a deal, Chase. We don't discuss seishi/oni matters with each other. We're just a man and a woman with each other when we're together, well, a man and a woman who understand each others' previous obligations, that is. I'm under no illusions of where I stand with him. But I love him, and I can't change that, so I'm just enjoying what time we have together." Cocking her head to the side, she ponders. "Perhaps a double date would work for us as well. Then you can meet Rathan and see that he's not as bad as his reputation makes him out to be." Yes, she's consciously echoing the Genbu's words from before. "But thank you for worrying. I know that it's a form of caring." And she offers up a soft smile. She's really glad that she's met him. And that he's finding himself in the same situation. "Just trust me, like I trust you." And if she's relieved that he's not in love with the miko, it certainly doesn't show on her face. Instead she turns her gaze towards the entrance. "You know, perhaps you should move in with me like Rath's living with Lexie. Then you can stay over there with no one the wiser and Rath can stay with me. He usually does. That's why Lexie suggested the arrangement in the first place. Leaves her free to do what... or who.. she wants, and it gives him the same freedom."

Chase smiles faintly, giving her something of a bump with his hip, "We... try not to talk about that stuff, but it really is no big deal. It's not like I ask her things about the oni or get all grumpy about... well, what happens when certain Byakko go and invite trouble by seeking out artists." Yes, still getting a snicker over that one. "Hell, she doesn't even hold it against me that time Reese and I got into it, that I might have sort of started, even if she provoked me." yeah, got to add in that last part. "Move in with... you..." Now this is something that is going to cause him to blink a few times. "I'm... I'm with John right now, after I got chased by Social Services. I mean, I don't think he'd mind if I stayed somewhere else but... what would everyone else think if I said that I was moving in with you? That's raise a few eyebrows and I'm not really sure I could lie to everyone like that. I might omit things, but I refuse to lie."

Darn it, Chase had to bring up that whole artist thing. Sigh. Reaching over with her free hand, Mina pinches the tender part of his waist in a ticklish punishment. "Stop bringing that up. I had a good reason for being there." And that's all she'll say. "I have to watch what I say because the Byakko don't trust me as it is, Chase. If I accidentally let something slip, it'd prove that they were correct in their lack of faith. So I'll just have to keep on showing them that I can keep my seishi side seperate from my personal life." Not to mention the one time she did let something slip, Rathan went straight to Lexie and the other oni and blabbed. "It was just a suggestion, Chase. Then you wouldn't have John or Brice or any of the other Genbu watching over you all the time." Course she doesn't have any furniture, which is definitely a problem as she sees it. Still have to save up enough to hit the local Salvation Army to restock. "You got.. chased by Social Services?" She won't ask, she won't ask. "Why lie? We're friends. We've decided to move in together. Why not just leave it at that? After all, I don't expect to see you around much. And if things end with Lexie, you could always move out afterwards."

And Chase is a very ticklish person, as has been exploited time after time before. He is immediately hitching to the side with a gasp, and shooting her a smirk. "Watch the fingers! And I know why you were there, after your shinzaho. He doesn't have it anyway, of so I've been told." He shrugs his shoulders slightly, and continues, "I just don't know. I think I've got John trained enough so that he doesn't go calling everyone if I don't show up some evenings. And... Lex and I don't have to spend every waking moment with each other. It's just loose, you know? And we're comfortable with it... and damn, but it's good to actually talk about this with someone else. Thank you for listening, Mina. I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, he told me," is Mina's disgruntled response. Sigh. As if it wasn't bad enough to be shoved into a painting, but to find out that the thing that you were there for wasn't even there. But she's giggling at Chase's ticklishness. She forgot. She can't help but chase after him a little, tickle fingers at the ready. After all, the boy doesn't know when to shut up about artists and bad decisions. "Like I said Chase, it was just a suggestion," she feigns disinterest, trying to distract him. "Actually, all I have is a small studio, so it'd prolly be cramped with all your junk in there." Actually it wouldn't, since there's no junk in there of hers anymore, but she's trying to ease his conscience. "I hope that you can keep it from the rest of the Genbu a bit longer." She worries her lower lip slightly. "The rest of the Byakko found out in the worst way possible." Gracing the other teenager with a small smile, she just shrugs her shoulders again. "What are friends for, Chase? I'm glad that I could offer you an ear. Sometimes it's nice just to talk about these things, ne?"

"Mina!" Chase simpers, trying to dislodge his arm from about her's to gain some, distance from those devilish fingers of her's. Evil woman. But he inevitably bursts into a grin, hand batting at her's. "Stop now! Down, girl! Down." Retaliation by way of hair tousling! He will stoop to any level! But he is breathing a sigh, bouncing a step away, "I hardly have anything. Lex stole most of my stuff. But... how about I think about it while I'm gone, okay? And you talk to Rath when next you see him. How about that?"

Grumbling at the hair tousling, she tries vainly to straighten out her blue curls. If she's got a weird hair-do now, she's going after the Genbu with more than just playful fingers. "Mrowr," she teases. "Don't you know we kitties are terrible with obeiscance?" Great, Chase has no stuff. Darn it, what's the point of asking him to move in if Lexie has all his toys. Sigh. He tells Mina this /now/? "H-hai, I'll talk to Rath and see what he thinks. But really, Chase, if you don't feel comfortable, I understand." She gives the boy a playful grin to show that she wouldn't take his declining as a personal affront. In truth, she owes Lexie a favor. And it seems somehow apt if she could perform the same favor for the miko. A balancing Yin/Yang sort of thing.

Chase blinks at her, and then is laughing once again, "Remind me to bring you back a collar and leash from home. It's clearly long past time since you had one, pussy cat. Maybe with a little bell so that we always know where you are at. I'm thinking... pink." And how he'll quickly dodge out of the way from her now, because he does, indeed, savor his life and all of his limbs still attached to him. "Mom would be mad if I came home with a black eye, Mina."

"So I'll just have to make sure I don't hurt that pretty face of yours," Mina growls in return. Ready. Aim. Tickle! Pivoting on the ball of her foot, she launches herself at Chase. He was fine until he mentioned pink. "C'mere turtle boy, I'll show you who needs a collar."

Although, a black eye would distract from that age thing. Might possibly make him look a little older. Hrm. Might have to take one anyway. But, instead she tickles? Low blow. "Mina!" he gasps, outraged at the tactic. Just exploit his weaknesses, why don't you? Hands reach out to try to grab her elbows to keep her back, but he is failing miserably, only left to drop back a few paces at the force of the launch. "Hissing, spitting kitten! That all you've got?" Unable to remember if she was ticklish as well, he reaches for her waist just incase.

Ack! No fair, tickling in return's not allowed. Mina hunches over, trying to protect herself by reducing her surface area. Or something like that. Only her heavy pack unbalances her more and she takes a faceplant, holding out her hands to break her fall. Darn it. Mental note, don't get into a tickle fight with a bookbag filled with science textboods slung on your back. It reduces dexterity. Rising with a frown, she studies her palms. Ooh, that smarts. All right, she's reduced to using supernatural means to get at the other seishi. Weasel anyone? "Enjoy," she giggles, standing a bit off to the left as she watches Chase do the weasel-dance. Teehee.

Chase snickers as soon as Mina hits the ground. Okay, the heck with snickering, because he is actually laughing at her position. "That'll teach you, you silly Bya-Woooooo!" He gets the funky little tickle of another kind at the feel of someone very close working chi, and then all hell breaks loose. Yeah, that'll be about the time he feels the scritchy little claws of something under his clothes, and the whisper of fur as well. Wow, amazing how big his eyes can get. "Eeeee-aaaaaaahhhhh!" he gasps, dancing back a step and standing there spread eagle for a moment while he figures out where the thing is. Scampering up his back now. Shirt is yanked up, giving Mina a flash of flesh and then he is twisting around to try to grab at the thing.

Mina isn't helping this time, nope. She's enjoying the show too much. "That'll learn ya, Chase," she gloats happily. Never mess with someone who can stick unpleasant things down your clothing. She would've taken pity on him, but well, he laughed when she fell, darn it. Didn't his momma ever teach him not to kick someone when they're down? "Give up, yet? Cuz you know, if you just say 'uncle' I can make it all go away." Merciless, isn't she?

Chase has never given in once in his life, and he isn't about to be defeated by some fuzzy rodent, or a blue-haired woman. "Hah." And that is all that he has to say about it. Okay, so it's cold out, but this is a Genbu we're talking about here, and so off goes the shirt so that he can actually having a fighting chance to try to grab the weasel and toss it away. Squirmy devil. "Miiiiiina."

Now Mina's really enjoying the show. She'll even wolf-whistle and search in her pockets for a dollar. "Take if off, baby! Take it all off!" Yeah, c'mon, you had to know that was coming. And she's still not helping. "You know, you can just cave any time Chase. It'll go easier on you if you just accept it and cry uncle." Because she's a lot stronger power wise after coming back from Sairou's desert. In fact, she could summon more than one creature at a time now. And guess what's being targetted next?

Alrighty. Enough with the playing -as if that was what he was doing anyway. "I'm so tattling on you to Rathan," he mutters, twisting around once more to try to grab that critter, and he is deliberately not using his powers, even if freezing them wouldn't take anything more than a thought. The boy staggers over a few steps closer to Mina, before twisting one final time to finally enclose fingers about the weasel and pluck it from him. "Hah!"

"He won't care," Mina returns with a laugh. "Cuz I'm sure that he looks at pretty girls all the time, too." As long as things don't go beyond looking. Finding her crumpled up dollar, she hands it towards the Genbu. "You know, you should work for Tori at Fate or Fantasy. I heard that they're looking for dancers." Giggle. As for the poor weasel, it squeaks and goes *poof* before Chase can take out his frustration on the poor innocent thing. Sniffing haughtily, she adds, "And I won't apologize, so don't ask. You had it coming."

Chase is left to stand there and... well, grump. Shirtless. And he does actually take the dollar bill and stuff it in his pants. Okay, now that there isn't a weasel to wrestle with, he can find amusement in the situation, and there is quite a bit to be found. "What's that, pretty lady? You ogling me?" And so he takes that moment to give his booty a teasing shake, before sauntering over to her with all of the dramatics of a Chippendale dancer, and offering the woman a hand up, "Get on up now."

Mina accepts Chase's hand up and rises slightly with a wince. Concrete and flesh don't mix. Concrete always wins. "Not ogling," she returns with a wink. "Admiring. Sounds so much more classy when put like that." Well, she said she wanted a distraction, and she sure got one. "Anou, Chase, what time is your flight tomorrow? Not early, I hope." Because she's got a feeling that time's slipped away from them. "And when did you say you're coming back? I've forgotten."

Chase lifts a finger, pointing it at her, and the tapping the young woman once upon the nose, "I promise that you will get yours soon though." In the next though, he is slipping away to try to find his discarded shirt. "In the afternoon. Round trip to Great Falls. And I'll be back at the start of the week, just in time for classes. My parents made sure of that."

Inami comes into the area from elsewhere.

Mina screws up her face and sticks out her tongue. "Yeah, well if I do get my comeuppance, it won't be by you Chase." It'll probably be by another oni shoving her into a painting or void or all sorts of other unpleasant things. Sigh. "Aren't parents lovely that way?" Her own tried to get her to return home for Spring Break. Still, might be nice to get away from the madness of the city for a while. She hasn't decided yet. "Great Falls? Not Helena?" Even if Chase's state borders hers, she's not that sure about the placement of the big cities. It's cuz, well, Montana's really not that important in the whole scheme of things.

Chase turns back around, and finally locates his crumpled up tee-shirt on the ground. About time too, getting a wee bit nipply out here. He is pulling it over his head, and turning to Mina with a smirk, "Great Falls is closer, but it is still a good drive. But it'll be good, to tell them and all." Possibly even be a relief to him. He flickers her a wary glance, "I'll still get you back. You won't know when, and you won't know how. But it'll happen. And vengeance will be mine." He'd cackle now, but instead settles for a loud "Hah!"

"You're going to tell your parents?" Mina's shocked. She's definitely not mentioning this to hers. They'd lasso her and drag her all the way back to Wyoming if they new. Of course Chase is a guy and Mina's a girl, might make a difference. Then there's the fact that her father's Japanese and only the slightest bit traditional. As for vengeance, "Bring it on, turtle boy. You don't scare me." Brave words, but hey, she can always summon Toroki if things get too sticky.

Damn, Tomite put his shirt on again before aniki could see/yell. And of course it's nippy, they just had a blizzard in April. This year's weather is really screwed up. But it's the "Hah!" that draws Brice's attention - that's one familiar voice. "Chase?" Brice calls, turning in the duo's direction from farther down the street, John beside him - what a coincidence, finding the object of their conversation in plain sight. "And Mina?" he continues, recognizing the girl, trotting up to them. "What's this about vengence?" Whenever Mina /or/ Chase says that, it's a damn good idea to find out what they've been doing.

John was in the middle of saying something, but he seems to have forgotten. Mainly because he turns a be-whiskered scarlet at the sight of Mina, rubbing at the back of his head. "Well, that explains alot." He murmurs quietly to Brice, leisurely lumbering a half pace behind and to the side of the other Genbu. As an almost embarrased afterthought, he waves quietly. "Hi." He rumbles in his basso baritone, affecting an unconcerned look as best he can manage.

Chase has yet to do one frigid thing to her! In case Mina hasn't noticed, that is. "Well, yeah. If they notice things." He gives a pinch to his own cheek as an example. "But grandpa knows everything, and that'll make it much easier." He is bending down to pick up her back pack and offer it to her, only to wince at the feeling of two familiar presences -not to mention kicking himself for not paying attention to that warm and fuzzy feeling earlier. "Uh oh," he mutters under his breath, but is already sidling up closer to Mina. "Hrm? Ahhhh, we were just teasing each other. Hey, Brice. Hey, John." Innocent smile is already making an appearance. Practiced often.

"Brice, John! What brings you by the campus this time of night?" She's trying for that sweet innocent look and failing miserably. The sight of the burly Genbu has her wincing slightly though as her hand flies up to her hatless head. Turning rather large and watery sea-green eyes towards him, she apologizes, "Anou, John.. I lost your hat. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave it behind, but things happened so fast and now... I'll buy you another," she promises, contrite. Blinking over at Chase, she reaches out and gives his hand a brief squeeze before turning her attention back towards the new arrivals.

Brice looks back and forth between the two adopted siblings, mouth set in a line with no real readable expression. Tomite should know that's dangerous."All right..." he starts after a few seconds. "I don't trust the innocent act from either of you." Gee, why not? "Especially you, Chase. What've you been doing and how much damage did you cause?" You adopt Brice as a big brother, you get everything that comes with him, including the 'You're grounded' attitude. "And we happened to be looking for this one, Mina." He indicates which 'one' he means by gesturing at Chase. "He hasn't been around lately."

John arches both eyebrows, reaches up to remove his other hat, and places it nonchalantly on Mina's head. "It's okay." He murmurs, folding his arms across his chest and looking sternly at Chase. "Do the right thing by her. She's a good lady." Gosh, assume much?

Chase is wincing at Brice, because that would also be the natural instinct after getting The Look. Must resist. A smile is immediately produced, "Ohhhh, we were just messing around. You know how feisty those Byakko can get." Or not. "Awwww, Brice. Come on. I've been here at school all day long. You can even ask Mina, I was waiting for her last class to get out, then I was going to walk with her home. We just got a little distracted." John is flickered a glance, "What...?"

"Chase," Mina asks the youngest Genbu out of the side of her mouth. "Why does Brice assume you've done something wrong?" Yeah, she's the innocent party here. "Hai, hai, Chase met me after my chemistry class. And he was studying before with a group of us in the library. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep him away from important Genbu business." Flushing as John places his other hat on her head, she taps it down a little and sends a smile up towards the man. "Arigato." She has a new hat, she has a new hat! "Eh? Do the right thing by.. anou, John, you don't think.. Chase and I?" Yeah, there's no feigning the shock that widens her eyes.

"You know Chase, I don't believe you more now than I did before you starting talking. Why not just save your energy and confess?" The innocent act has been tried one too many times - or several thousand - for Brice to fall for it anymore. "And I don't trust that smile, either - and what are you doing standing out here in only a t-shirt?" They may be Genbu, but hell, it's cold! "And it's not really business, but John has some questions for him, and I do as well, and neither of us could find him and so we came looking. Uh, John, I don't think they're together." Muh as he plotted it in the past. Just wouldn't work.The last bit is said lowly and just so the big man can hear.

John scratches his chin and whispers over to Hikitsu, "Are you sure? He's disrobing for her. And they're holding hands." Still, his expression softens and he reaches up to rub at his disheveled brown hair where his hat was. "Keep it." He answers, more audibly. "Good that you're okay, Chase. We worried."

Chase would cower behind Mina if the was that kind of person. I mean... just /look/ at Brice. That whole one-eyed glare. Wouldn't you buckle under the pressure of that too? And then John had to say that they were worried, and already the teenager looks about ready to start scuffing the toe of his shoe in the dirt in guilt. Instead, he watches the pair with a glimmer of consternation, before muttering, "It's not like I'm totally inaccessible. I've got a cell phone. You could have just called." A glance to John, "You really don't need to be worried. I've told you guys that before. I'm fine. Really."

Oh Byakko's balls, Mina's somehow caught in the middle of Genbu business. What did Karasuki say. Oh yeah. Too keep her mouth shut. Because she has this nasty habit of making things worse every time she tries to help. She gives Chase's hand another supportive squeeze before she releases it again. "Thank you, cowboy," she directs in John's direction, grinning sheepishly. "Does this mean you have to order another one?" The Genbu's becoming her clothing supplier. Though it looks a little odd set against her current outfit. Yes, her boots have been left in Sairou as well. She'll send home for another pair. Not her favorites, but hey, what sort of cowgirl would she be if she only had one pair of boots?

"I'm sure, it would just be- He's /WHAT/?!" Now /that/ brings a reaction! Good John! Brice stares at him for less than a second in utter shock, then turns on Tomite with the patented Hikitsu Look of Absolute Doom on his face. "Chase, you are GROUNDED!" Not that the boy's a kid. But it's public. And that's just wrong! "You're in /public/!" Fortunately for Chase, Brice lowers his voice to a violent hiss. "You're insane!" Well, duh. "And we need an actual /talk/, not an over-the-phone chat. You're comin' with us." And he grabs Chase's arm so's he can drag the otouto back to the Berk.

John tries to comb his shaggy, unruly hair into some semblance of shape with his fingers, averting his eyes sheepishly. "...I'll find something." He rumbles, before glancing at Tomite with a hesitant expression. "I am sorry if I scared you off with my antisocial behavior." He admits, apologetic. "Last week was.. A hard time for me. That's all." He tips an invisible hat to Mina, with a sheepish, blushing grin. "..Been well?" Yes, he's the calm one.

Chase is shooting Mina another soft smile, only to squeak as he is suddenly being drug off. Drug off! "What?! Hikitsu, I... I wasn't... We were just..." Damn. How does he get into these situations. As he is being pulled away, he is frowning back at John and managing, "No, it wasn't you, John. Not at all. I was just hanging out with Lexie was all. She's got some fun games." But he is still being dragged off by Brice, and digging in his heels isn't going to work, "Awww, Brice. Come on. I've got a flight out of town tomorrow. You're being unreasonable."

All right, it's Genbu matters, but Mina has to defend Chase for the disrobing bit. "I.. err.. Brice, that was my fault. I stuck a weasel down his shirt. It was all in fun, really it was." See, she's even laughing about it. "It's not his fault at all," she adds mid-chuckle. "He had to take his tee-shirt off to even get at the fuzzy thing." All innocent fun. Looking worriedly at Chase, she wavers. Should she try to tag along or would she make matters worse. Concern is turned onto John and she walks up to the burly seishi and pats his arm - because she'd strain something reaching for his shoulder - in a comforting fashion. "Anou, are you okay cowboy?" Her? Her sea-green eyes dance with wry humor. "Oh, I've had my ups and downs. Things are calming down now." Because she's finally returned to the real world. And geez, did he just mention the Yin no miko? "Baka seishi."

Apparently people are /trying/ to give Brice a heart attack. "You're stripping in public and you think /I'm/ being unreasonable? Forget having a talk, you're having your head examined." At least he's calming down? maybe. At least he's not yelling. At least this explains why Uruki always turned Tomite over to Hikitsu for discipline. But then Ame-chan gets a look, and a groan. "You put a weasel in his shirt?" Another groan. "Why am I not surprised? Was this just a retaliation war you two had going before we got here or something? And /what/?" Yes, baka seishi. "Lexie?" Is it clear enough that Brice and Lexie are never gonna be the best of friends? "What were you doing with /Lexie/?" And Brice /still/ hasn't dropped his grip on Chase's arm. He's stopped dragging him away, though.

John looks utterly baffled. "Wha? Oh, I'm okay.." He's reduced to a laughing, sheepish puddle by Amefuri. Although his nervous laugh sounds like rocks grating together. "I-I'm okay!" Gosh. She touched him. He's forgotten about his fellow Genbu--Alas, yes, that's what being a preist for most of your last life will do to you. Women aren't exactly in high commodity in mountain shrines. This is why he got so mad at Hatsui for trying to hook him up, too. Because his brain turns into goo.

Chase is completely innocent in this. He is fairly sure he is being maligned here. Somehow. "I wasn't- She had this weasel, and the only way I could get it out was to... Damn." He tries to yank back on his arm, scowling at Brice, "Hanging out. Didn't I just say that? I could have swore I did." But then comes the sigh, "If you're dragging me back, then would you just hurry up and be done with it. I've still got some packing to do." He waves a hand to Mina, managing a smile, "We'll talk when I get back. John... I'll see you later."

"Yeah, something like that," Mina admits abashedly. Hey, she's only eighteen and a girl's gotta have some fun. And if it involves teasing Chase, well then, that's all the better. "He wanted to bring me back a pink collar. Pink!" Shudder. Looking towards John concerned, because she's not sure why he's gone all weird and stuff. But his laugh has her grinning again, "Good, I'm glad to hear it cowboy. You have my number, right? Give me a call if you ever need to talk."

What are brothers for except to misconstrue? "Yeah, but why with her?" Hear the scowl in his voice? It's there, all right. "She hates us." At least, that's Brice's take on things, just as hers on him is probably that he hates all Yin unconditionally (that's just Seb at the moment). Brice finally drops Chase's arm, though. "I won't drag you. But let's go home - I do have stuff I want to ask you." Several nights not at either John's or his place, where has the boy been spending his time recently? Good thing Brice doesn't know at /what/. "Ame-chan, please don't encourage him in the future. Or... you know, do stuff that makes him act even weirder." Now, if she'd told birds to build a nest in Chase's hair, he'd have no problem with that. Most likely. "Come on, Chase." And Brice turns and begins heading back in the direction of Turtle Tower.

John rubs at the back of his head again, looking away. He's just terrible with women. "Uh, yeah.. Sure, we'll go dancing." Which, he can't dance, and nobody ever seems to remember that he doesn't even have a telephone, so it's am empty promise. Besides, he's too scared to take her up on the whole thing anyways, so it's just as well. Hiki can drag Chase off-- John is standing there like a dumb lump, and good luck trying to drag him off. "So, um.. Be well, and, uh, stuff.."