6/23/2003

02:20 PM

Logfile from Chase.

 

 

The East River Docks

The farther east you go in this part of New York City, the darker it seems to get. Shadows cast by the Brooklyn Bridge and the raised parkway, the F.D.R. Drive, seem to keep this area in constant shade and perpetual semi-darkness. The air is somewhat cooler here as well, nearer to the waterfront. Apart from the South Street Seaport, which is located slightly north of this location, the area is mostly deserted by the tourist trade. Only hardened New Yorkers come here - the ones that can fend for themselves.

Dirt and grime are the keywords as they blanket every dark corner. The smell of fish permeates the air as a number of old werehouses, each probably garnering at least ten different building code violations, line the shores of the river. With so many places to hide and lurk, the dredges of New York consider this a haven.

Sayuri is here.

Obvious exits:

Bowery St. (WE)   The Mended Drum   Abandoned Warehouse

 

Chase tries not to flicker a none-to-obvious glance around before beckoning to Sayuri with a finger. He reaches over to lift up a bit of wire fencing away from the ground to help her crawl through. They are down some alley or another that eventually leads to yet more abandoned and dilapidated buildings. Yes, he holds that ever-present smug grin, "Just a little bit further. Got to be sure we're away from the street some."

 

Sayuri just cocks an eyebrow as she scrambles under the fence and across the dirt on the alley's floor.  "Anou, remind me why we're doing this again, Tomi-chan?"  She's not a prissy girl, but who knows what mixture of nastiness she's crawling through right now.  It's enough to make her skin crawl.  See, she's trusting him again.  Sorta.

 

Chase crawls after and then releases the chain link fence with the jingle if metal-on metal. He dusts off his hands on his thighs and leads her around the corner and through an area where the weeds are taking over through the cracks of the cement, abandoned sections of cars abound, and who knows what other junk. "Because I don't want anyone surprising us, or getting in the way." How is that for cryptic. He leads her towards the shell of what could have been a factory or warehouse or who knows, made of brick and cinder block, with plenty of broken windows and some that aren't broken yet. He slips through a door that rests askance with a broken hinge, calling for her to follow. "Just inside here."

 

"Is this some sort of kinky fetish of yours, Tomi-chan," Sayuri teases as she makes her way down the alley, trying to brush the muck off of her knees and palms of her hands.  The littered junk is given a curious perusal before she follows him towards the emptied out warehouse.  "Because sometimes girls like at least an idea of what they're getting into."  But although she seems reticent, senses primed for any indication that they're being followed, she steps gracefully through the broken door, peering around the gloomy inside as she waits for her eyes to adjust.

 

Chase rolls his eyes at the mention of a fetish, quirking her an odd look, "Not exactly. But I'm told that some guys do get off on this sort of thing." Making sure she is following him, he crosses through a hallway of sort and then through what was once a set of double doors and into a huge open area, lit up because half of the ceiling is missing and through the grimy windows. Whatever is scattered here and there, but mostly it is wide open. He quiets for a moment, listening. "Hello?!" he abruptly yells at the top of his lungs, voice not really echoing but it does manage to cause a scattering of birds to take wing through the ceiling. "Nice... Okay, ready?" And so he'll turn to look at her, smiling.

 

"Some guys get..."  Sayuri'd balk with any other guy leading her towards who knows where.  Well, okay, obviously where is an abandoned warehouse.  For what is really the question.  But since it is Chase who's guiding her further into the warehouse, she follows with a light step, anticipation and curiousity dancing in her eyes.  As she yells out into the empty building, she crosses her arms and waits with him for a response.  As he gets none, she quirks up an eyebrow in askance to the seishi.  "I'm always ready, Tomi-chan.  Demo, what am I ready for?"

 

Chase drags in a deep breath, glances to the ceiling and then reaches around to his back to pull out the handgun. Not all that flashy looking or exotic, just a handgun with a clip. Well, it is empty right now, no clip is in it, but there promises to be a couple in the pockets of his pants. He twirls it about by the index finger of his hand, watching her. "Ever fired a gun before?"

Sayuri's eyes alight with mischief as the gun makes its appearance. 

"Didn't your oniisan take your gun the other night, Tomi-chan," she asks as she saunters over towards the seishi, admiring the guns sleek lines.  It's not pretty, but it's functional.  Looking up into the seishi's startling green eyes, she just beams and shakes her head.  "Iie, my weapon of choice is my dagger.  Demo, I'm always willing to learn new things.  New, interesting things," she adds, looking over towards the gun again as he twirls it on his index finger.

 

Chase smirks. "Have you ever tried carrying around a bow and quiver in the city? Doesn't work all that well. So, I improvise, and Brice knows well that Murphy's rule tends to apply to most circumstances, so it's better to be prepared." An out-dated seishi needs to upgrade every now and again, and Genbu's strategy rearing it's ugly head once more. He does smile back across to her though. "You want to try it? Just as long as you promise that no errant bullets go my way. Some of us don't bounce back as easily from a hit as others do."

 

Sayuri laughs, now, and tsks at the Genbu.  "Lover, it's my policy never to carry a weapon around in the city.  They set off all sorts of nasty detectors and cause all sorts of attention that I'd rather avoid."  And really, there's no need for her to carry around evidence of her afterschool activities.  She's discrete that way.  "And exactly what are you prepared for, hrm?  Another mugging of a drug dealer?"  At his question, she just quirks up her lips, eyes dancing.  "What do you think, lover?"  And then she makes the crossing her heart motion.  "I promise not to shoot at you unless you deserve it."

 

Chase chuckles darkly, "Again, some of us aren't quite a gifted as others." He flashes her a wink before delving a hand into a pocket to pull out a clip. Removing the safety from the gun, he points it towards the floor. "In my line of work, it always helps to be prepared for anything that might happen, because anything will." You know, like mean-tempred oni or tentacle monsters, and the occasional telemarketer. Before handing the gun to her though, he asks, "Have you ever held a gun before, Sayuri? Besides in the arcade?"

 

"In your line of work... what is it that you do again, Tomi-chan?"  Sayuri's never really found out.  As for the gun question, she glances up at Chase and lies easily.  "Hai, of course I have.  You spend enough time on the streets, you not only see guns, but get to hold them, ne?"  Forget that she usually turns her nose up at those that use guns, all the power very little art in that.  Just point and shoot.  But she's starting to get curious about them, after all, the Genbu uses one.  So perhaps there is *some* talent involved in using one.  She makes a face, thinking back to the little blow-up she got the last time she commented about guns versus melee weapons.  "I've held all sorts of them, just never fired one."

 

 

6/25/2003

12:20 PM

Logfile from Chase.

 

Chase chuckles once again, "Whatever they pay me to do. You could say that I'm a... professional hunter." He isn't being mysterious, just trying to find the best way to describe it. A shrug of his shoulders, he does smirk at her though. "Disbeliever." He turns around and points, aiming at the cinder block wall and proceeds to fire off a volley of shots that aren't quite as loud as they could be. And, when he is done, but what should be adorning the wall? A smiley face. Now he'll hand it over to her. "Well, now I'll give you a chance to do that."

 

"A professional hunter, hrm?"  Sayuri draws her own conclusions about the profession.  No one's ever accused her of being thick.  "Interesting."  Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she accepts the gun, aiming carefully.  She doesn't fire off a quick volley at the wall, like Chase does, but she purposefully aims before she shoots, creating a passable copy of the Genbu's smiley face.  "Like that," she quips blandly, handing the gun back.  She doesn't just use her daggers as melee weapons, but also throws them, depending on her need.  Her aim is true, just the kickback of the gun has her targetted results a little off.  She's never had to compensate for that before.

 

"Its generally tax-free too... that is when I get work. You realize that was what I was doing when you tried to kosh me that first time. Cost me a thousand for that distraction," Chase murmurs, glancing askance at her with a hitch to his lips. His smile grows though at her responds. Okay, fine then. He rolls his eyes, peering back at her. A sigh, a moment of concentration, and then erupting from the floor about twenty five yards from them are thick spikes of ice in a long and jagged line. "Maybe shattering things will interest you more then the walls."

 

"Was it?"  Sayuri considers for a moment and then grins broadly, "Awww... poor baby.  So you lost a thousand dollars, Tomi-chan.  Look what you get in return."  And she's all but beaming up at the seishi, winking and giving the victory sign.  Rather a kawaii move for her.  Rather out of character, in fact.  "Shattering things?  Why Tomi-chan, you really know how to show a girl a good time."  Her eyes dance, but she holds back, gesturing for Chase to go first.

 

Chase sighs pitifully. "Yes, imagine all of the... food that I could have actually stocked the fridge with. Ah well, I suppose that I'll have to make do." At that last, he flashes her a wink to mirror her's, only to break out into a bright grin at the sign. "Still more fun to shoot at moving things." Lift, aim, shoot, and then one of the spikes erupts with a shatter, sending ice shards into the air and to rain down upon the concrete floor. Oooooh, sparkles.

 

"Who are you kidding, Tomi-chan.  You would've spent the money on games and anime," Sayuri counters with a snort.  "You forget, I ran into you at Penguin Village, I know your spending habits."  And then she's frowning.  "Make do?"  Can't you just hear the growl in her voice as she repeats that.  She sniffs, lifting up her nose and rolling her eyes.  "Demo, if you'd prefer the money, I can easily leave, little boy."  But then she's putting her huffiness on hold as she widens her grin.  "Then let's shoot at moving things, ne?"  Even if the ice is rather pretty as it shatters.

 

Chase doesn't exactly look all that guilty, but he does offer her a broad grin. "Yeah... well, maybe." Okay, definitely. And then his grin broadens at her growling reaction, for the teasing barb has hit its mark. "No point in that now, is there. And I think I made out just fine." He gives her a bit of a nudge, chuckling. "Do you see anything moving around here? You are the only thing moving, and I'm not going to shoot at you. Restorative powers or not."

 

"You'd better think that you made out just fine, Tomi-chan, or I'd have to hurt you."  Sayuri gives the seishi a narrowed, sidelong gaze, looking a little bit more appeased.  "Iie, I didn't mean you or me," she shakes her head.  "Demo, what about... what is it that they show on television all the time.  Clay pigeons.  Why don't we shoot at those?"  She doesn't reach for the gun, though, just conjures up a dagger, not the same one that she uses for hand-to-hand combat, this one's a bit smaller, the balance more delicate.  Pinching at the tip of the blade, she  aims and releases the blade in one delicate motion.  It crashes into another iced peak, lodging into it, before it disappears with a puff of smoke.

 

"Promises. Promises," Chase chides, looking all the more smug though. But in the next breath that look is gone and he is giving her a genuinely warm smile. "Sure, we could shoot at those. Have someone launch those off the top of a building or by the river -otherwise we'd have to go out of the city for that."  Thus the reason they are here to save from people coming in on them. "Maybe next time, okay? That'd take a bit of planning."

 

Sayuri doesn't like to be considered all bark and no bite, thus she'll attempt to sneak up on him and leg-swipe him, knocking him down.  She's violent that way.  "So what you're saying is that I've got you, an empty warehouse, some icy spikes and a gun for entertainment, hrm?"  She taps her finger against her chin, looking thoughtful.  "I suppose I could work with that."  And then her eyes are dancing as she asks, "Anou... what else can you do with this little ice ability of yours, Tomi-chan?"

 

"You make that sound almost paltry," Chase counters, flashing her a broad smile, and nearly paying for it as he is attacked. You know, once upon a time, he'd never have fallen for anything like that. Fallen being the operative word here. This is what soft city living does to a guy -that and assuming that Say is going to play nice. "Dammit." *thump* From is place on his pride upon the floor, he'll peer back up at her. "What do you mean?"

 

And now Sayuri'll just stand over Chase and gloat.  "You're getting soft, Tomi-chan," she teases, smirk well in place.  "I'm disappointed."  She'll tsk now, just shaking her head sadly, but her eyes are glimmering beneath her lashes.  And then she'll attempt to pounce on the seishi, pinning him to the dirty floor.  "What I mean," she drawls slowly, "Is that I've seen you create ice slicks, knives, and now spikes.  What else can you do, hrm?  You know all my nasty little secrets, seems fair that you tell me yours ne?"

 

Chase dusts his hands off on his thighs as he sits there, squinting up at Sayuri for the moment. "Well, this floor is hard enough to make up for it." Ouch. Of course, as she pounces him though, he is more than happy to allow it to happen, flopping back and stopping just shy of having the back of his head bounce off of the concrete. "Just takes imagination is all. If you can think of it, I can probably do something with it."

 

Sayuri sits on top of Chase and ponders, head cocked to the side.  "So, you could create a small Tokyo tower out of ice, ne?  Or The Grand Canyon?  Demo, if you have this ability, why don't you use it to make money, Tomi-chan.  Not that I'm saying you're a bad hunter," she adds just a little too quickly.  "Iie, it's just... well ice sculpting seems to be an easier way to earn that thousand dollars that you missed out on with me."  See, she's being helpful.  "I know that a lot of people like having ice sculptures at their banquets, ne?  And really, it'd be so easy for you.  You could make a name for yourself.  Always wondered what it would be like to sleep with an artiste, Tomi-chan," she adds with a teasing kiss.

 

Chase wrinkles his nose. Oh, now he wrinkles his nose. "Now that requires more imagination than even I have." He tends to pay quite a bit of attention to detail, but not that much detail. "Because it is boring? I like hunting more. Not making swans out of ice or other garbage like that. Nothing beats a rousing game of stalk the guy that just tried to cheat out a loan shark. That and just conjuring ice all over the place is like a beacon to all of the others that can chi sense in the city." Although he doubts anyone has as finely tuned sense as he does. Ah well. Hand closes briefly, he licks his lips in concentration, and then opens his palm to produce the crystaline image of a lotus bloom in ice. "How about that?"

 

"Nothing, Tomi-chan," Sayuri asks with a slightly raised brow.  "I don't know, I rather enjoyed our car stealing escapade."  But she's teasing as she sits back a bit.  "Hai, I suppose it's not as dangerous, ne?  And then you'd probably be labeled a pouf, too.  Most artists are, you know."  Take Malachai and Sebastian the other day.  Definite poufs.  "Don't suppose you'd let me come along on one of your hunting jaunts, will you?"  And now she'll look all big-eyed and pleading, even going so far as to bat her lashes.  Looking down at the lotus flower, she smirks slightly.  "Doesn't seem like you mind using your powers all that much, Tomi-chan.  Demo," and she takes the bloom carefully, shivering slightly as the cold water melts down her forearms.  "It's beautiful."

 

Chase reaches his hands over to rest on her hips, peering up at her. "Well, that wasn't work. That was fun." And as brazen an attempt to impress her as they come. Worked though. "I'm an artist in my own right, but not like that." Thank you very much. Oh great, not the Look. Look away! Look away now before it is too late! "Maybe...depends on what it is." She'd probably distract the hell out of him, which could be both a good and bad thing. "That was just a little bit... that other stuff took more effort. And... it was for you, so it doesn't matter."

 

"Funny, hunting doesn't seem to be too much like work to me, Tomi-chan.  Seems like it could be awfully fun, too."  Gotta love those life-threatening situations.  "An artist in your own right?  Anou... what other secrets have you been hiding from me?"  Still, Chase knows just the things to say to her to make Sayuri melt.  And thus she's easily diverted from hunting with Chase - but don't think she's forgotten! - to getting all mushy on him.  Which means that he's probably getting wet from the melting ice flower as well.  She doesn't get all gushy, but there's a pleased flush that alights on her delicate features and she leans down to kiss the seishi again.  "Wo ai ni, Tomi-chan," she whispers against his lips, almost too soft to really hear.

 

"You'd be surprised by how much work it takes. Although I'm not sure you have the patience for it," Chase admits to her, rubbing his hand over her back. His smile softens slightly though, "No secrets that would need to concern you." As she kisses him though, his arms briefly tighten around her, only to tense a little. No, clearly he didn't hear what he thought he did, and a bit of a puzzled frown shows before he is quickly erasing it.

 

"I'm patient," Sayuri grumps, transferring the ice flower into one hand so she can thump Chase on the chest.  "In fact, I'm incredibly patient when I need to be."  She melts into him with the kiss, but because she's so attuned to him, she notices when he tenses, drawing back to glance down at him worriedly.  Because she's just realized what's slipped out.  At his puzzled frown, she's blanching and quickly trying to disentangle herself from him, trying to rise up and away from him.  "Gomen, Tomi-chan, I... I need to go."

 

"No, wait," Chase is quickly saying, trying to reach for her to make sure she remains. "Say, please?" He looks briefly uncomfortable, definitely troubled, and annoyed. Although that would most definitely be mostly at himself. "Don't leave yet. Please? I just..." Apparently she did say what he thought she said. "Sorry, I wasn't sure."

 

"Iie," Sayuri shakes her head, though his hand makes contact with her wrist, keeping her from fleeing as she'd like to do.  "There's nothing to say, Tomi-chan.  Gomen nasai, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."  She twists her wrist out of his grasp and rises, her head hanging low so that the dark fringe of her bangs hides her eyes.  "Iie, there's nothing that you need to say, to apologize for.  I... I know how you feel."

 

Chase is working to scramble to his feet, not wasting any time to dust off his hands or anything. "Sayuri, please..." he requests, slipping back up to her. "How can you possibly know how I feel when I have no idea?" He tries to move around to stand before her, reaching in an attempt to tip her chin back up. "There are things you don't know... that I don't know. Please?"

 

"I know how you don't feel," Sayuri temporizes then, chin tipping up at his hand's encouragement.  There's hurt that's swimming in her eyes as well as shock.  She never expected to say those words to him.  To anyone.  And vulnerability, something that he's rarely seen in her display.  Something that she doesn't like to admit to at all.  "I thought you said that you had no more secrets that concerned me, Tomi-chan?  I... what do you want me to do," she asks, shaking her head out of his grasp furiously.  "I can't change how I feel.  I can't take the words back.  And I can't make you feel what you don't.  Iie, I need to go."  She needs to cling to her last tattered shreds of pride.  She doesn't want to see him feeling sorry for her.

 

"No, I..." Chase winces, looking over her with a studying gaze. "Oh, gods. Wait, please." That was about the last thing he ever expected to hear come out of her mouth. Ever. First she wanted someone to care for her, and now this. Oh boy. "I don't want you to do anything other then just stay here for a moment and listen to me. Please, just give me a moment here, okay?"

 

Sayuri stills in her retreat, head still hanging low.  She represses the urge to shake her head, to continually push him away.  To cry because her heart seems to be twisting up painfully.  "Hai, Tomi-chan.  I'll stay and listen.  Because you're asking me to."  But she doesn't turn around to look at him, doesn't leave herself open for any more hurt.

 

Chase hesitantly drags his fingers back through his hair, briefly pulling it away from his eyes only to have it fall over once more. "I reacted bad to that. It was my fault. I just didn't expect you to say that to me. It shocked me, I suppose. You aren't exactly the most forthcoming with what is going on in your head, you know..." He twists his hands together a little nervously. "And I don't think you expected to say that either, right? It just happened, I'm guessing." Another hesitant glance about. "Say, I don't want to hurt you. I really don't. That's the last thing I've ever wanted to do. And I don't like to see you like this, because I'm being an ass."

 

"Iie, you reacted to it honestly," Sayuri notes sadly, her voice trembling with emotion.  "That's why I have to go, because I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, or like you owe me anything, Tomi-chan.  We both agreed that there would be no strings and I had hoped..."  She shakes her head again.  "Iie, it doesn't matter.  I couldn't keep things the way they were."  She laughs softly, a little broken sound.  "Hai, it... it was as much as a surprise to me as it was to you.  Demo, you're not to blame.  Onegai, believe me, I don't blame you.  I blame myself."

 

Chase features tense at her words, remembering all to well him thinking those exact same things when a certain Byakko figured into the picture. A certain Byakko that he is still having problems resolving over, which is making this all that much more difficult. And seeing Sayuri like this is even worse. He sighs softly, "I didn't think any girl would ever say something like that to me, but coming from you, Say..." He tries to draw a couple of steps closer to her, "Hoping what?"

 

"I didn't think I'd be saying those words ever, Tomi-chan," Sayuri notes softly.  "Demo I'm glad I said them to you."  She turns towards him, her heartbreak evident in her gaze.  "If I had to say them to someone, I'm glad it was you."  At his question, she shakes her head.  "Iie, it's not important.  I-"  She pauses, and then changes her mind, confessing.  "I'd hope that it would have been just what we said it would be, just another adrenaline rush, ne?  Just another adventure.  Demo, you're addictive, and before I knew it I was..."  She shakes her head, not wanting to say those words again.  They make her far too vulnerable.  "I'm sorry, I said that I'd stay and listen, but this is far too painful for me.  Please let me go," she almost begs, looking up at the seishi with unshed tears shining in her eyes.

 

Chase has absolutely, positively, no idea what to do now. He is simply at a loss of how to react or act or anything. And then she had to go and look at him with those eyes. Ugh. Just... ugh. He crumbles right then and there. Weakling. "I don't want to let you go though." He continues, "You're the first girl who has ever even allowed me to care about her like I do for you, Say.... and to say that you... dammit, that just goes straight to the heart, you know?" He looks troubled for a moment, indecisive, but keeps going, "Say, you've got to know that I love you too." He isn't going to quite say 'in love', at least not yet.

 

"Honto ne, Tomi-chan?"  Sayuri blinks up at Chase for a moment, almost as if she can't believe his words.  And then she's running to him, encircling his waist with her arms, and placing her cheek against his chest, eyes closing at the contact.  "You love me, too?"  Warmth flows through her whole body and she finally understands what this elusive thing called love is.  "Demo, I... I don't understand, Tomi-chan.  If you love me too, then why-"  She leans back to look up at him, curiosity evident in her happy gaze, "Why did you react the way that you did?"  Even if she's never been in love, she's rather certain that's not the normal reaction to confessions of that sort.

 

Chase looks almost tentative for a moment there, even a little embarrassed. Curiously he watches her, still unsure of what to say or do. As she grabs onto him, he curls his arms around her, hugging her tight and close. Eyes squeeze shut, a touch of guilt there before he murmurs, "Yeah. Yeah, I suppose that I do." He opens his eyes to look down at her, his smile faint, "I already told you, I was being an ass. I don't know why I did. Maybe I was a little stunned. You can't fault me that, can you?"

 

Sayuri had caught the tentative look, puzzling over it slightly, only then he's hugging her back and she can't seem to dwell on that anymore.  She shakes her head against him, "Iie, you're never an ass, Tomi-chan.  Demo, we were both stunned, ne?  So perhaps we both reacted poorly."  She knows that she didn't react well herself.  She doesn't like knowing that she's got that sort of vulnerability within her.  It's rather disconcerting, even.

 

Chase tightens his arms about Sayuri, hugging her as close to him as ever. "I'll try to do better," he murmurs. "A lot better." And oh, how he means that. He looks down at her for a moment, fingers playing with the ends of her hair as he simply watches her and murmurs, "I do love you." He does, although not quite the way she was hoping, more than likely. He leans down to take her lips with a kiss before murmuring, "We probably should get out of here."