7/25/2003

01:12 AM

Logfile from Chase.

 

The Berkley Apartments - 202

Really nothing more than a college dorm come to life in an apartment building, 202 has a distinct hand done feel about nearly everything in the room - from the blue-and-white walls to the reupholstery on the couch and armchair. The perfect example of working on a budget. Electronics are limited to the computer propped on the desk, a small radio, and a tiny televison, while the kitchen is little more than a niche in the wall. A second doorway leads to the bedroom, even smaller than a dorm room because it has to share space with the bathroom as well. Posters and photgraphs decorate the walls, and books are scattered on every surface imaginable, often three or four deep, and all on sujects that do not typically involve numbers: history, philosophy, psychology, world religions, literature, politics and various languages - even some /in/ a couple of those languages.

Hikitsu is here.

Obvious exits:

Exit

 

There's just something about these night shifts that take the joy out of work. Maybe it's the idea that Ash might be asleep before he gets home, or that he'll have to dig in the fridge for leftovers, and there's not likely to be much. But whichever the case, Brice is approaching the Berkley, trying to dig out his keys and not drop his bag - 'twould be very bad if everything fell out.

 

One of the windows at the third floor is open, for once the unit AC not working away to cool the inside confines of the apartment up there. A tweak of the senses and a dark-haired head peeps out the window. Stifled snicker and it disappears. A moment later and it is showing up once more, two bright blue balls held in hand. Well, they look like balls, but are actually balloons. Wind is consulted, angle theorized, and then they both drop. Look out below... or not.

 

Ker-*SPLASH*SPLASH!* A wordless sort of roar/yell can be heard from the now drenched - and /green/ - figure on the sidewalk, bag dropping to the cement and papers half-spilling out everywhere, hands help up in front of him, also green-spotted. Brice just /looks/ at them for a second, before his head snaps up (sending green droplets everywhere) to /that/ /window/. "////CHASE!////" oh listen to him roar. He knows who it was. "YOU ARE SO DEAD MISTER! THERE IS NO TELLING YOU HOW DEAD YOU ARE!"

 

Chase should probably have stuck his head back in the apartment, but you know what? He would so much rather actually see the splashes happen and the look on Brice's face. To hell with his own health. The kid actually breaks out into a huge smile, waving a hand down at Brice. "Wow. Aniki. You really need to work on your alertness. Consider this a lesson learned, grasshopper."

 

Chase's health is kinda a misnomer at this point. He'd be lucky to get away with only being stuck to the floor a la Namame. As a matter of fact, Brice GLARES up at the window, a dull green light starting to shine around his patch - but he stops it before there's more than a thin layer of ice connecting Chase to the floor. Easy to get out of. Just a little reminder of what could happen if he does something funny. He stoops, grumbling mightily, and carefully gathers his things together, trying not to get the dripping green stuff all over it. When he's got it all, he tips back his head again and glares once more. "Chase, meet me in my apartment RIGHT NOW. If you're not there, you're head's MINE." And in he goes, trying to decide if this is a lawful murder or not.

 

*snap-snap* Yes, pictures. Very necessary to have. But, Oh, puh-lease. Chase rolls his eyes at the ice showing up on the floor. Really now. Sure, it would be so much easier if he was the one to conjure the stuff up, to just as easily shatter it, but seeing as this is Brice's creation, that mental effort to crack it takes a touch more effort. Another wave to Brice from on high, and then he moves away, snickering. He'll just wait 'til he feels Brice down below, and then maybe he'll mosey down there.

 

It wasn't hard ice to crack - just a film. But it gets the point across, or so he hopes. Brice storms upstairs, dripping in the elevator, and over to 202 - and there's no otouto outside. Fuming, Brice opens the door - and no otouto inside either. So over to thewindow it is, and Brice throws it open and yells up again. "CHAAAAAAASE! DOWN HERE, NOW!"

 

"Coooommmmmmmming," is Chase's sing-song reply. He is currently rather busy putting the bag of balloons into a drawer and shoving the other packs of kool aid away as well. When all incriminating evidence is gone, he moves to climb out the window and onto the fire escape, and from there swing down to the fire escape platform directly below. *Clunk!* Why take the stairs when this is so much more fun. "Hrm?"

 

Brice is still leaning out the window and glaring, so he's basically glaring right at Chase now. And boy does he look funny - you can't control how water balloons break, so Brice's entire head is mostly green with gray stripes. He looks like some sort of art neuveau zebra or something, and his skin's also turning somewhat tinted. "What did you do and what is this stuff and HOW do I get it off?"

 

Chase remains crouched on the fire escape platform after the drop, peering through the window at Brice, and just barely managing to keep from laughing outright. Snicker-snicker. "Uhm... shampoo? Maybe..." Good luck with that. "Just kool-aid."

 

Brice pulls himself back in to glance at his reflection in the window glass, his eye widens, and then he's shooting back out the window to grab the front of Chase's shirt and hold onto him tightly. "I'M STRIPED!" At this point a couple of people passing on the street look up at the roaring, their own eyes widening and quickly hurrying away. Brice glares at the otouto, holding his grip tight. "I don't want to be striped." He's nearly growling. Wow Chase, he's /pissed!/ Yay for you!

 

Chase really can't help it anymore, especially when Brice yells about that striped comment. He really starts snickering and laughing now. He is grabbed though, and he tries his level best not to look too amused at the state the other Genbu is in. "Uhm.... maybe I could get more of the lemon-lime kool-aid and we can do the rest in green. It really is a nice color on you." Wow, maybe if Brice is so caught up with his hair, he won't even notice the new hoop eyebrow ring. This is great! "You'll be more alert now, right?"

 

"Get it." Brice lets go of Chase's shirt, almost tossing the fabric away, and ducking back into the apartment. He'd rather be green then green-striped; lesser of two evils type thing. He hasn't noticed the piercing, luckily - normally he wouldn't mind it, but this ain't exactly normal. He drops his bag onto the couch and begins pulling off his shirt - the dry cleaners is gonna have a field day with this one.

 

Chase is still snickering as he clambers back up the fire escape. Oh, those pictures are going to be so treasured. Although he is probably rethinking the two balloons of the same color. Next time, he'll have to be festive and fill one with black cherry. After a moment, the kid is coming back down the fire escape, a green packet in his hand. As he climbs through the window, he catches sight of Brice again, and starts snickering. He just can't help it. "Got the packet."

 

*FWOMPH* Chase gets hit with Brice's shirt, balled up, because Brice just threw it at him. "Shut up." That's an obvious command - who knows what he'll throw next time if the otouto doesn't. Perhaps that dagger as it is definitely exposed now. He lifts a hank of green-striped hair up for inspection, then turns to glower at Chase. "All right, how do I get rid of the stripes?"

 

Chase peels the shirt off of his face, dropping it to the floor with a snicker. Mouth opens though, only to be told to shut up, and then it promptly closes once more. And now he is asking him a question. Eh? "It's still wet, just color it all in the shower." He rips open the pouch, slips over to Brice, and then tips it over on the top of aniki's head. "Go take a shower." *snicker*

 

"What the hell-" *foof* He is powdered. Brice coughs a bit as some of the juice powder gets sucked into his windpipe, waving the floating particles away from his face. Somehow he manages to whap Tomi upside the head without looking or opening his eyes. Call it Big Brother Instinct. "Color it all in the shower? What the fuck does that mean?" Can you tell he's had no experience with dye?

 

Chase is thunked. Yet again. That still doesn't exactly stop him from the sniggering. He points towards the shower though. "Pretend it is a shampoo... only in powder form. Go get it wet, and then try to rinse it out as much as possible. Damn, Brice. Have i turned into your hair dresser now too? If so, we'll just say the hell with it and chop it all off." Evil grin.

 

If Brice's eye could flare red, it would right now. He spins and grabs for Chase's throat, possitively /growling/. "You /ever/ try to cut my hair you are dead six times over and buried thirty-six feet under instead of six." Grrrr. He lets go of Chase then and goes through the bedroom into the bathroom, turning on the water and pulling off the rest of his clothes, including eyepatch.

 

Chase actually startles as Brice grabs at him, looking rather wide-eyed and for a fraction of a moment there quite frightened on Brice. "Sorry," he murmurs after Brice moves off. He looks after the aniki for a moment, and then returns to pick up the discarded shirt and look about for a hamper or something to put it in. If there is one thing about the boy, he is actually quite neat.

 

He didn't /mean/ to frighten Chase. That look registered and damn, he's feeling guilty now. He'll probably apologize for it. But not now, as he wants that stuff /out/ of his hair. So it's hop in the shower, scrub-scrub-scrub as fast as possible (which of course isn't as fast as most guys, 'cause he's got all the hair), and then he's out and into his bathrobe, his hair now a uniform greeny-color. He comes into the main room again, squeezing the water out of his hair with a towel. "Is it roughly uniform now?" Just please tell him it's not striped...

 

Chase was just getting comfortable upon the sofa, considering rummaging around in the cupboards for something to snack upon, and then Brice comes back out. He pounces back up, moving around to take a peek. "Move the towel." But that green there is eyed with barely contained amusement. A snicker nearly sounds like a snort as he tries to stop it from coming out. "Uh. Yeah. It looks good. Uh... It might take it awhile for it to wash out. So, uhm... you might have to eventually go and get it dyed back to it's natural color at some point, otherwise you'll look weird." Grin returns, "Your cop buddies'll sure like this."

 

He rolls his good eye at Chase's reaction, picking up some hair again and studying it. "I want my natural hair back... when you say 'awhile', how long do you mean?" Kool-Aid can't stay in forever, can it? At least he managed to get it off his skin, but only by judicious scrubbing that left him feeling kinda raw. "How weird?" Nope, he still hasn't noticed the piercing. But it can't be long now.

 

"Awhile," Chase responds. Yep, that explains a lot, doesn't it? "I don't know. Maybe a month, or two, or whenever." Whenever meaning never. "Weird as in when your roots start showing and people figure out that you aren't a natural... moss head." Duck. Run. Scamper. He continues right on for the kitchen. "Ash'll love it. Think you are really into the... Genbu spirit or something."

 

Groan. This is nuts. "Fork over some cash, you got me into this, so you get to pay to get me out." Yep, Chase is paying for the dye job, and dye job is shall be. "I'm not going around with /green/ /hair/." And then the moss-head comment provokes an unusual reaction - Brice glares, whips the towel off his head, and flicks the end of it at Chase's derriere. Quite the *snap* on the rebound. "Ash likes my hair the way it's /supposed/ to be. I wouldn't be surprised if she went after you herself."

 

"Can't. I'm broke," Chase admits with a grin, eyes crinkling in the corners to go with the grin, along with that black eye. "Spent the last of it last night. Got any fruit?" He moves on to the fridge to rummage. Well, that is until he squeak as he is towel-snapped. "Damn!" He turns around, peering back at him, "Tell her I'll be waiting for her then."

"Then you're paying me back." No ifs, ands or buts. Or Brice is making him pay their grocery bills. "Wait a minute- come here." Towel is slung over his shoulder and he marches up to the otouto, grabbing Chase's chin to make him look at the elder brother. And he doesn't have his patch on, so it's a little disconcerting, considering there's literally nothing but skin there. "What's that? And that?" He means both the black eye and the piercing. "How did you get those?" Better tell, Chase.

 

Chase actually could really care less if Brice has the patch on or not. Been there, seen that. "OkayOkayOkay. I won't have anything 'til sometime next week." Although Chase prolly won't be giving Brice any money for a long time to come, just to see that green hair remain. In the midst of reaching for an apple, the boy stops as he is swung around and peered at. "Huh?" Innocent act probably won't work here. "Black eye and one nice looking piercing, eh?"

 

Brice'll just spend his own and make Chase pay him back... or would if he had the money to spare. "Shit," he curses as he realizes that all his money is currently tied up (plane tickets cost a lot!). "Great, Amie's gonna see me like this." Not a happy thought, though this one he can honestly pin on someone else. He doesn't let Chase go, either. "That doesn't answer how, and add to that question where. How and where did you get those?"

 

Chase would really like to eat his apple now. "Hey, you never know, your sister might actually like it on you. Never know." Or something like that. There is also a mental reminder for him to ask Ash to take lots and lots of pictures. He has quickly learned that they are excellent ways to blackmail. "I don't remember everything exactly. But I think it had to do with a bar brawl that I had absolutely  nothing to do with. As for the other... well, it is just cool." And the product of proving himself to a girl.

 

"Bar brawl?" Nope, not letting go yet, sorry Chase. He can deal with the piercing - he even expected something like this, in a way - but... "How in the hell did you even get /into/ a bar?" His reduction in age would make it hard for him to pass as over-21, wouldn't it? "And what were you doing there in the first place? Remember Chase? Two words: lightweight drunk. Brice finally lets him go, reaching in the fridge for what appears to be a takeout Chinese carton.

 

Chase smirks. "Yeah, but I was on the street when it happened. I didn't start it, don't know how it started at all." He shrugs his shoulders negligently, "Kenny and Travis invited me over. It was cool with them. So we hung out and talked and... of course it was in a bar, so there was drinking." Never mind they left him to bumble his way home on his own. But his eyes light  up with excitement, "We got to talking about all of this stuff, about the oni and stuff. And they suggested that maybe we should start getting in on them again, you know. Keeping tabs on 'em and stuff. I'm bounty hunting oni now!" Very excited.

 

Groan. Again. "Kenny and Travis. I'm not surprised at all." And he's not. It's the sort of thing they'd do. "Were they trying to get you in trouble again?" Even if they weren't intentionally, Brice'd lay even odds that the idea came up at some point during the evening. Open the microwave, insert carton, and set to warm. Dinner is served for guys that are now green-haired. And it's while he's closing the door that he hears about that oni-hunting business and he groans, slumping over. "God...  Chase, how many heart attacks do you want to give me in one day?"

 

"Get me in trouble?" That thought never even occurred to the boy. Heck, Chase doesn't mind making his way home alone, even if it was Meiyou that eventually got him there. "Naaaaah. We were just talking." He smirks at that last though. "Oh, hell. Come /on/. Hell, it is easy as nothing finding them. Just flip through the phone book mostly. Or look in the usual places." The Dakota. The Royal Elizabeth. And the Studio. Etc... "Makes me feel like a real seishi again." But he catches that look in the other's eyes. "Keeps me occupied, you know? No car stealing or anything lately."

 

"Yeah, looking is easy, but what if you get hurt?" Brice pauses, realizing he sounds... overprotective. Damn. Well, that is what he wants to prevent; he sighs. "Sorry, it's just..." He looks up, at a bit of a loss for words. "I've already seen you get hurt enough for five lifetimes. I don't want to see it happen again." Witnessing your little brother's death will give anyone a shock. He looks back at the microwave, starting it, then goes to dig out a fork (nooo idea how to use chopsticks). "Sorry for yelling at you earlier." He doesn't sound overly sappy though; he'd hate himself if he did.

 

A protest is already bubbling to his lips, but Chase lets it be for the moment. He smirks, leaning up against the counter, but reaches over to give a good sock to Brice's shoulder. "Then I get hurt and you can bitch and moan about it. Or you can come along and we can heckle the oni about how stupid and idiotic they are. Because... well, they are. Instead of tomb raiders to Kutouese like old times, it'll be oni. It'll be great!"

 

And so Brice is socked, and then he has to laugh - Chase and serious just do /not/ go together. "I don't know when I've got off work..." After all, his job is to /prevent/ things being blown up, not encourage them. "God, you're incorrigable." And then he grins over at the otouto, reaching over to ruffle his hair. Badly. Hah. "Although they might have to stand in line, I might have to kill you myself for your little stunt with the balloons."

 

Serious drives him nuts most of the time. Thus, the need to always lighten the mood. Way, way, way too many serious seishi as it is, especially a certain Genbu in this very room. "Are you going to have to consult your schedule now? That's what you get when you become a blue collar worker." Ack! But the hair is being ruffled and he ducks belatedly to get away, "Alertness lesson." He'll stick to his guns with that one. He eyes the other's hair critically, only to begin snickering at the sight. "Damn that was good." Prideful gleam, and the boy is darting towards the window and the escape beyond. "Give Ash a big old smooch for me, and /don't/ forget to leave out my name when you do it. Jya." He is already clambering up the fire escape, humming some tune or another.