4/16/2003

01:29 AM

Logfile from Chase.

 

"I've seen a lot of things, Chase, about her," Anana replies. "From having her try to warn me to stay away from the current troubles when we first met, to her holding a gun on me when I grew up, to her asking me to not allow Kai to cut the ties that bind them, even if she doesn't seem to honour them." Her voice is calm, as is her expression as she studies the teen across from her. "She thinks she's in love with Kai, and there is something there, but it's something that she knows she can't have. For the same reasons she shouldn't... aah, this wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about." She was going to let Namame and Hikitsu do the talking while she remained more or less blissfully oblivious. "She's fun to be around. But would she keep the onisenshi from taking, for example, Takiko if the opportunity presented itself? No, she wouldn't, because it would further her cause."

 

Chase sets the pop to the side and then is slumping back in the couch ever more. "You guys are all reading much more into this then you really should be. It's like you think this is the end of the world or something. I'm not Mina. I'm not in love with her, and I /know/ about Kai, even if everyone seems to interested in bringing the guy up. We discussed this. Lex and I. She mentioned him. And also that she couldn't be with him and..." He sighs again, "It's just different, and it is almost like trying to explain things to a brick wall. You guys wouldn't understand, or don't want to. Oni and seishi business is one thing, something we tend to avoid. We have /fun/ together, Anana. I'm... she's like this amazing adreneline rush that I can't get elsewhere, and I know I'm good for her, because she is /different/, and..." He trails off at the ringing of his cell. "Of all times," he mutters, and then picks it up. His face immediately pales, "Mina? Is that you... where? What's going on?!"

 

Amefuri calls Chase.  As soon as he picks up the phone, he can hear the sound of a struggle, and then her panicked voice on the line.  "Chase, Chase," she gasps into the line.  "Help, I'm at Illuminations."

 

"Depends on what you mean by reading too much into it, and I'm being a lot gentler than-" Anana immediately stiffens at the paleness, and she spares a quick glance towards the darkened hallway to her bedroom and where Travis is asleep before turning back to the conversation, arching her eyebrows. "Mina's in trouble, where?" she asks in an undertone. Of all the times, really.

 

Chase hears Malachai's voice saying, "Now, now. That's not playing nice. But since you insist, I'll have to reciprocate."   And then there's the loud sound of flesh smacking flesh.  Then the line goes dead.

 

Chase waves a hand absently at Anana, as if trying to hush her. And then he is startling at something on the other end. His eyes grow absolutely huge. The phone is tucked into a pocket and he is already standing, reaching over to shoulder his long pack, "Where's Illuminations?"

 

Anana blinks, getting to her feet as well and darting into her bedroom, returning with a first aid kit, which she tucks into a backpack. "DeCourtenay Building. It's an oni's art gallery. Dylan's been there. It's warded, and warded strongly. How did she wind up there?" she asks, clearly making ready to go -- though she quickly scribbles a note and leaves it on the countertop. "Dylan couldn't portal in, which makes me think that we won't be able to use powers inside... which makes me useless in this case." She looks frustrated at this. "I can't convince you to wait until we can get ahold of those whose abilities aren't power-using?"

 

Chase snorts, already moving for the door. "I've got a bow and a gun. You tell me that my abilities don't just extend to flashing ice around and getting buzzed by all the chi in this city..." He glances back at her, "You can stay here if you want, or outside wherever it is, but I'll deal with it then."

 

"Point. And you /so/ did not just hint that I'm afraid of going into a magically-warded room with a sorceror there and you know how much I just /love/ sorcerors, without any hand-to-hand skills whatsoever... because I'm not, even though I should be by rights," Anana replies dryly, glaring at him as she replaces the simple hair tie in her hair with one with carefully-tuned bells and giving her head a shake. "There. Now I can shield, at least, and that can't be stopped. I'll replace it with the other one when we get there, but I /am/ calling people on the way. Understand?"

 

Chase is finally going to have a chance to put his new skills in hotwiring a car into use. If it wasn't for Mina getting into a bit of trouble here, the teenager would be positively beaming. "I never said you weren't afraid. But Travis will be pissed if you disappear on him, and I know you're tired, and... Oh, whatever. Come with if you want."

 

 

4/16/2003

03:19 PM

Logfile from Chase.

 

The task that Anana's set for herself is to stall or stop Chase, really -- that's why she's taking time to do things like packing up a backpack with various other things, such as first aid supplies, some water, her cellphone and such. Stall, stall, yep. "Hang on just a minute. I forgot something." Is this akin to Namame saying 'stay, pup!'? No, not exactly. She's just going to go into the kitchen for the moment now.

[Cowboy] Amefuri snugs... so it works out well then ;>  *nodnods*  Today's my early class day, so I have the afternoon free, but I hate logging in late because of the time difference for a lot of the others.  If I'm scene-locked, I feel really guilty about keeping their chars tied up that way.

 

Chase growls, quite literally. "Come /on/, Hatsui," he sing-songs, one hand tightening upon the doornob. He moves to start to turn it, only to watch as she goes into the kitchen? "What are you doing now? You don't need snack crackers or anything. I heard a /hit/ on that phone. That oni is probably beating her silly about now. Lets go." He is turning back to the door, beginning to pull it open.

 

Weaponry, weaponry... kitchen knives are good, but would do more damage than Anana'd like to inflict on Chase at this point. There's a clatter of pans and a yelp, and then she tucks a frying pan in her backpack within easy reach. "I'm coming, I'm coming, and I'm /not/ getting food, Tomite." No, she's getting a weapon that Subaru would approve of, really. Sneaking is nearly impossible, really, but she's going to try anyway. Knowing Chase's speed, she waits until he's almost outside the door before letting the cast-iron frying pan head towards his head. Maybe it'll jar a few braincells loose.

 

*CLANG* That would be metal striking Chase's skull. Too bad he wasn't wearing his lost cap, or it would have cushioned some of the blow. The seishi rocks forward with the force of the blow, and then promptly slumps forward and halfway through the doorward, falling flat on his face.

 

Anana looks at the frying pan, then at Chase, then at the frying pan again. "I'm sorry." Now, was that to the frying pan or to the prone seishi? "Oh, great, he's stuck through the door. Why me? Why do I have to do this?" That's all the whining she's going to do at the moment. Now, whether to get Brice to come over and take charge of Chase, or wake Namame... the former's a better idea at this point.

 

Chase will just lay here now, be a doorstop. Hey, he has a use for once. And something not all that many people will bitch about.

 

<Phone> "Brice?" Anana sounds a little bit resigned at this point. "Could you come over? Chase got into a bit of trouble." There's a clank as she tosses the frying pan back into its drawer. "He's too heavy for me to move, really."

 

Actually, maybe people trying to get in and out of the place might have something to gripe about. I mean really, a Genbu lying across the threshold? You'd have to step over him and everything. Give Chase a moment and he'll start drooling. Then the griping can really begin.

 

 

 

Anana has managed to drag Chase inside the apartment, at least, and she's sitting upon the step into the living room proper with her chin in her hands, keeping a wary eye on Chase for any motion. The door's left open a crack, though, as invitation for Brice to come in when he wishes.

 

Brice takes the invitation for what it is and pushes open the door, glancing around to take in the situation. "All right chibi, what happened?" he asks as he steps inside and closes the door. "And I fully expect the explanation to be long and complicated, as it involves both you /and/ Chase." And that's a combination that just boggles the mind in some ways.

 

Anana looks up at Brice with an utterly innocent expression upon her face. "It's not that complicated. We just went back to Hokkan in spirit form to deal with the Kutou army again, and when that was done, we came back. I called Chase to come over here so that I could make sure he was all right, and Mina called saying she was in trouble and that someone had to rescue her at Illuminations. But that place is warded six ways from Sunday, according to Dylan, so I was trying to stall until I could get ahold of someone, but Chase wanted to go now, so I hit him with a frying pan." She gives Chase a rather dubious look. "I don't think he has a concussion, because I didn't hit him that hard, but I hope he's not /too/ mad at me."

 

Unfortunately, Chase won't be doing any talking any time soon. Draped out upon the floor and not moving a muscle. That's pretty much well it.

 

Brice looks from her, to him, to her, to him again - and just shakes his head. "That's not the worst I've heard from you, but it's bad enough for you two. And I'm not surprised Mina's involved." Nope, not at all. That girl's worse than Anana in some ways. "You hit him with a frying pan? I think you've been hanging around Cat too much. Fortunately he's got a hard head." Brice drops to his knees beside Chase, reaching out and gingerly feeling around his skull for any abnormalities. After a minute he sits up again, gives a heavy sigh, shaking his head again. "Chase, you're one lucky bastard, you know. I'm gonna put him on the loveseat, it's gotta be more comfortable than the floor." It takes a bit of straining (Brice isn't the strongest guy in the world, although he's gotten a little better since past-life regression time), but Brice drags Chase up by his arm and his shirt and carries/pulls him to the loveseat, pretty much toppling him on it in a more-or-less lying down position.

 

Chase really isn't in any state to comment upon his currently sleeping arrangements. And having a crick in his back is going to be nothing compared to the headache he'll more than likely wake up to in a few hours. And it is really doubtful that he'll give anyone their thanks for being put on a couch, when he'll be too busy bitching about being clunked on the head. So, he flops on the loveseat, one arm flopping off to the floor.

 

"Hey, at least I wasn't actually going to go with him?" Anana says, blinking. "And at least he's not staying in John's apartment anymore. Oh... um, he's dead. He... the bugs that drain chi? Those were being used to give him a false Genbu power signature. He had enough of our chi to be drawn back to the past as well. Do you have a clear memory of the real Inami, though? I don't anymore, so things are bad." She brushes Chase's hair out of his eyes and kisses his forehead apologetically. "I couldn't think of any other way to keep Chase from going anywhere."

 

Brice blinks, looking at the chibi. It's the first time he's heard the news, but... "...So that's what happened. The big guy showed up at my place often enough so I was starting to worry when he didn't come in the past couple days. I tried going to his, but he didn't answer. I thought he was just at work, but... I guess not." Brice sighs again, picking up Chase's arm and laying it across the boy's chest. "We're dropping like flies, now... First Rainey, then John... who's next? Who else are the Yin using to get to us?" He hasn't heard anything about Lexie or Aun yet. Brice puts his arm around Anana's shoulders in big-brother fashion, as much for his comfort as for hers (though he won't say so). "At least he can be with Emily now." Yes, Brice is going to believe John's story - it's the one good thing that could possibly come with this. "But no, now... I don't remember the real Inami." He bends and kisses the top of her head. "Things are getting more complicated than I could have thought. But somehow that doesn't surprise me either."

 

Never mind that John's place probably has quite a bit of smoke damage to it at the moment. Chase really can't seem to find a steady place to live at, it seems. Although this loveseat will apparently do for the time being. Unfortunately, he also doesn't get the chance to rag at Brice for grunting over carrying around a sixteen year old kid. You miss quite a lot when unconscious, he is coming to find out.

 

Anana leans against Brice for the comfort he provides, a quiet sigh escaping her. "I hope Chase doesn't... no, never mind, he'll be mad at me. We need to figure out how to get Mina back, though. I need to call Dylan about it, too. There's too much to do to focus on this for now. Another oni is dead, too; Namame came back with bad burns as a result of that. In the meantime... do you think you could take care of Chase for a while, and maybe call the Byakko that you know about Mina?"

 

"Yes, he'll be mad at you. But he can't stay mad at you, just like I can't, or like any of us. You've got us all wrapped around your finger, you know." Brice is deliberately taking the conversation away from the area of the not-Inami, not because he doesn't want to break down but because he's not sure how he feels yet. It's all one mass of confusion. He nods. "You call the penthouse, I'll call Cat and Lee, let them know about Mina. Oh, speaking of Lee, I'll be working with him now." Let's just get all the news out now.

 

Chase will be mad. Sure. He'll rant and yell and complain about the injustice of it all. That's what he does. He'll whine about never getting to do anything fun, like rescue people or beat up on oni. He has yet to shoot an oni, be it bullet or arrow, and it rankles.

 

Anana's lips twitch in amusement at mention of having everyone wrapped around her little finger. "Not likely," she replies, then gives him a kiss on the cheek. "You're right that he can be with his Emily now, and that means that whatever hold the Yin gods had on him is gone. Don't let it bother you so." She's still going to feel bad about Chase, of course. "Thanks. Working with Lee? That'll be interesting; you'll be able to rein him in, I hope. Anyway... do you need my help getting him outside? Or should we wait until he wakes up?"

 

Ahhhh, Chase can rankle when he's awake. No time - nor brain - for it now. "Very likely. It's just a fact. Even Darren can't stay mad at you, no matter how much cause you give each other." Brice gives a half-smile at her kiss, hugging her a little tighter. "I'm just glad that he can be with her. He was so sad without her, it was almost painful to see him live. And it doesn't really bother me... Not like you're thinking. But he was a good person, at least the way I knew him, and I don't know now whether I knew the real John or not. I guess that's what bothers me." Yes, Brice is a philosopher and psychologist. He analyzes himself. "Hopefully I will, although... I suspect he won't be quite as outgoing now. But it'll be interesting, although Lee doesn't think they'll issue me a weapon." Brice has a li'l secret - he knows they have to. Officers and detectives have to protect themselves, after all; it just screams lawsuit if they don't have one. "I can stay here another couple minutes. Now that he's off the floor he'll be easier to pick up. I can grab us a tax back to the Berk."

 

Chase can't really say anything at the moment, but does get a flicker, reminding him to ask about this thing with Lee, that he /wasn't/ told about and had to hear through Mina. Bad aniki. Although, he really shouldn't be complaining, considering what he has managed to omit lately. Ah well. Blissful unconsciousness.

 

"Hmmf. Darren is Darren, and /him/, I've had loads of practice dealing with. In the meantime, though, Brice, think of it this way: to separate us and make us doubt makes us weaker," Anana says quietly, reaching up to tug teasingly on a strand of Brice's hair. "Not quite as outgoing? Why's that?" /She/ doesn't know about the fire in Namame's old apartment, nope.

 

"I know chibi, I know." Brice rolls his eyes at the hair-tug, but is still half-smiling. "But that doesn't mean we have to lose all human feeling in the process." He taps her nose. "I'm not doubting; I'm just sorry that it had to happen to a nice guy who was probably just grieving for his wife and daughter's death. The Yin gods take human emotions and twist them in the way they choose to make their servants, and I'm willing to wager that more than one Yin became a Yin because of that." But anyway, enough of the philosopher-izing. "I don't think I'm at liberty to discuss Lee's problems, kid. It'll be okay though." At least he's hoping so. "But now I do need to go." Brice kisses Anana's head one more time, then pulls away and picks up Chase by the arm, half-slinging him over his back. "I'll take him home and put him in my room until he wakes up. I'll make the calls to Lee and Cat, and when he's awake I'll call you and let you know. You take care of yourself, all right?"

 

Chase is slung over Brice's back. Again, he can't exactly grump about the situation. What a bummer. But boy won't he be surprised when he wakes up on Brice's couch later, and with one hell of a headache.

 

"I know, I know. Take care of him, and yourself, Brice." She's not getting into much trouble these days, really, at least, not the sort that can be avoided. "Bye. I'll keep in touch with whatever info we can find."