1/24/2006

11:46 PM

Logfile from Chase.

 

The Berkley Apartments - 302

Sparse living at its finest, or worse. The wood flooring actually as something of a luster to it through the careful maintenance of leaser's past. Walls are a rather neutral beige with something of a wood border about a third of the way up to add some character, as sparse as it is though. There is a threadbare couch, simple table and chairs, a tiny kitchen and an even tinier bathroom. A pair of doors seem to oppose one another down the small hall to the bathroom, each one leading to a different bedroom. But it is the additions that seem to give this places its character: like the expensive stereo system just over there flanked by a couple of towers of CDs or the dreamcatcher by the window that overlooks the fire escape and the street below.

Obvious exits:

Exit

 

Tomite

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

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

Would you look at that? Seems Chase has been busy, because there is a small hoop earring in his left eyebrow.

Tomite appears to be 19 years and 11 days old.

He is awake and looks alert.

Carrying:

 Jade Chalice Pendant                  

 

Chase is here. Yep. Here. Freshly ready for the next semester of school, whenever that is supposed to happen. Freshly showered and freshly... here. Alas, it seems to be just him. Here. Yeah, here.

 

And so is Mina.  Well, not /inside/ but she aims to change that situation.  Knocking on the door to announce her presence, she waits impatiently for the Genbu to answer.  And while she waits, she ponders.  Chase can sense chi, ne?  And he's maintained that he can sense hers.  So why does she have to knock?  "Next time I'm not knocking," she yells through the door.  "You're just being rude and making me do it, even though you already know that I'm here."  And she's even come bearing gifts for him.  "Honestly," she grumps to the seishi behind the door.  "What kind of friend are you?"

 

Chase glances towards the door. Huh. Well, you know how sometimes you get that really comfortable and warm spot on the couch that you really don't want to leave? Well, this is one of those times. With a sigh, heave, and groan, he pushes to his feet, "Would it help if I simply gave you a key? Or gave you an education in lock picking." He opens the door, waving a hand to usher her in. "I'm the kind of friend... that is happy to let you in. S'up?"

 

"Look what I got you," Mina grins cheerfully, waving a bookmark in front of the other seishi's face.  Poor Chase probably can't see it clearly, but she eventually holds it still in front of him so that he can clearly see the picture of Legolas and Gimli staring back at him.  "Isn't it great!  I was so happy when I found it in the thrift store.  I haven't seen a lot of Lord of the Rings stuff around lately."  Pushing it into the Genbu's hand, she peeks over her shoulder before ducking inside the apartment.  "Ne, Chase-kun, can I ask a favor?"  Uh-oh, those words are never good.

 

Chase jerks his head back and then squints at whatever she is waving at him. And then he blinks and smirks at the bookmark. He takes it, peers at the bookmark, at Ame, at the bookmark, at Ame, at the bookmark, at Ame... etc... "Yeah." He blinks and then peers at her, closing the door after her. "Uhm, what?"

 

"You don't like it," the Byakko pouts as she looks at her friend.  "But it reminded me so much of you."  Sulking slightly, she plops onto Chase's couch.  "Can I hang out here for a couple of days."  Maybe weeks.  "You see, I... um... well, I did something bad with Byakko-sama and now Dylan's probably heard all about it and he's going to blame me, even though it's not my fault at all.  I mean, when a god insists... what else can you do?"  Nibbling on her lower lip worriedly, she adds, "I mean... so I led him there, but I wanted to stop.  Only Byakko-sama wouldn't listen to me.  He was very intent.  I've never seen him so serious," she confides in a hushed whisper.

 

Chase can look fake cheery just as well as the next guy. He blink for a moment, and then suddenly erupts into a bright, toothy smile. "Oh! It's great! I'll.... Oh, nothing ever can compare to it. So awesome." He gives her a sidling glance, and then sets the mark aside. "Eh?..." Color him confused. "Wait... is this god problems?"

 

"Oh good," Mina claps her hands together happily.  "I'm glad you like it.  I figure you can use it for all those Criminal Justice books that you have to read, ne?"  See what a thoughtful friend she is?  Sinking back into the comfort of the Genbu's couch, she blinks over at Chase.  "You're going to make me say it, aren't you," she asks with a dejected sigh.  Fiddling with a string on the end of her sweater, she sighs and then just rushes out with it.  "I took Byakko-sama to Illuminations.  I was trying to tell him to stay away, but he wouldn't listen to me and then he went in and somehow we... ended up freeing Amatsumika."  Deep breath.  "But it really wasn't my fault.  And I kept him away from the paintings!  And he said that we'd be fine anyway because he's a god.  So he wasn't in any danger really.  And so Dylan's just going to overreact so I need a place to hide out until he forgets."  Turning big, puppy-dog eyes on the seishi, she once again begs, "So I can stay here, right?  Because you're my bestest best friend?"

 

Chase flops onto the couch as all with all kinds of boneless grace, immediately getting comfortable. He opens his mouth to say something, some sort of response, but he is robbed of it all by what she has to say. He blinks a few times, considers, considers again, and then looks moderately alarmed. "Uh... Heheheheehe." You know, the nervous laugh. "Uhm." Licks his lips. "Uhm, this sounds like a lot of trouble.

 

Chase is backing away from trouble?  Mina peers over at the Genbu curiously, going as far as to poke the other seishi to make sure he's not some podperson.  "Since when do you run from trouble, cowboy," the Byakko asks, pouting again.  "All right, all right, fine.  I'll go hide out somewhere else."  Maybe Rathan and Nikki would let her spend the night.  Though... that might not be the best solution since Homasubi's made an appearance.  "I wish I could transform into a cat like Toroki.  It'd definitely be useful in times like this."  Going through her list of seishi and their domiciles, she comes up blank time and time again.  "Hey Chase-kun, how far away was that campsite we went to a couple years back?  Think I could make it there by horseback?"

 

Chase laughs nervously, "I'm not running from anything, you know... but when gods start getting involved..." He gets just a little uneasy. "Hey wait, what the hell?" He grumps. "Dammit, it's not like that. It's just... Why do you even think that he's going to get all grumpy? So what? I mean..." He isn't really sure what he means. In defeat, the young man slumps back, shoulders sagging, "I swear, girl... why do you do these things? I mean, how do you manage it?"

 

"Speaking of gods, has Genbu appeared yet, Chase-kun?"  Mina casts a sidelong look over towards the Genbu and then blinks.  "This is Dylan we're talking about," she reminds the other seishi.  "Dylan who loves to lecture me and who calls me a walking statistic."  And that hurts, even if it's been more true than not, lately.  "Of course 'Suki's going to be grumpy."  Somehow Mina seems to bring out that personality trait in the other Byakko.  Sitting up straighter, she turns to face Chase and pokes again.  "What do you mean, how do I manage it.  Weren't you listening?  Byakko-sama's the one who wanted to go in.  I just followed to protect him because I'm a good seishi."  She pauses to see if lightening strikes her down.  When there's no much as a thunderclap, she sticks her tongue out at the boy.  "See."

 

Chase has this insane desire to grab that tongue of hers, but resists. Barely. He sighs and then rolls his eyes, "Look, the last thing I want to do is get between you guys. I'll..." He braces himself. "I'll let ya stay here IF... you tell him you are here. Okay? And WHY you are here... because I don't want him getting all pissy with me. I really don't think you need to be here, but if you are this worried, then maybe you and he need to talk about it. Hrm?" Oh look, Chase is being all thoughtfull and like some kind of guidance counselor. Isn't that sweet.

 

 

Mina boggles and then frowns at her friend, sulking slightly.  "Chase-kun," she sighs before explaining patiently.  "If I told Dylan where I was and what I did, why would I need to hide out?  I could just stay at home and watch Teen Titans if that was the case."  Leaning back again, she blinks and asks curiously, "You think he'd get all pissy at you?"  See, Mina thought that he saved that just for her.  "Well, I don't want to get you in trouble, Chase-kun," she sighs, before rising.  "I guess I'll go talk to Dylan after all."  See, she can be an adult.  Bah, who's she kidding, she's going home after her failed attempt to hide out here.  Pausing at the door, she blinks and then turns back towards the other seishi.  "Oh yeah, Chase-kun.  Wanna go see Brokeback Mountain with me?  It's still playing at the E-Walk theater on 42nd Street.  I hear it's really good."

 

Chase is suspicious. Oh yes. He frowns while watching her. This is almost scary. He quickly scrambles to his feet, nearly falling over the arm of the couch in his haste to grab her wrist. "Wait. Wait. Wait... Uhm... Okay, how about this? I let you stay here, okay? Just for...a day or so? Maybe? I mean, it'll be really fun or something. We can stay up all night watching scary movies and you can make me food." Yeah. That works. He likes the sound of that.

 

Yay, Mina can stay!  So what if it's just one night, it's one night that Dylan can't find her.  "Wai, thank you Chase-kun," she all but squeals and wraps her arms around the seishi in a happy hug.  "Demo..."  Pause.  "I don't like scary movies," she whimpers.  "They give me nightmares and then I can't sleep.  Remember Poltergeist?  I couldn't sleep for days.  It was terrible."  Especially considering the fact that she's a Byakko and adores her catnaps.  "Can we watch... um... romantic comedies instead?"  Pause.  "And umm... I can order us pizza.  That's like making dinner, ne?"

 

Chase totally ignored that whole Brokeback thing. Did ya notice that? He's going to wince slightly at the romantic comedy thing. "Uhm, we don't have any of those. How about Space Balls?" Because that movie is all kinds of awesome. He gently pulls himself from her, taking a deep breath because he now can take one. "As long as you pay for the pizza, I'm all for it. With everything on it. As a matter of fact, get two." He can eat that, easily. Wonder where it all goes.

 

Actually, Mina kinda forgot all about that in her excitement.  Best not remind her.  "Space Balls?"  Wrinkling her nose, the Byakko decides that beggers can't be choosers.  "Hai, that sounds like fun."  Only if Chase starts reciting lines, he's so gonna be labeled a nerd in her book.  As the Genbu extracts himself, she looks slightly offended.  "Of course I'm paying, baka.  I have all of," she digs into her coat pocket and pulls out a rather crumpled twenty and some assorted coins.  See, she's rich.  "Twenty dollars and eighty-five cents.  So yeah, we can get one no make that two vegetarian supremes!"  Grinning slyly, she sidles over to the other seishi to add, "Oh, and guess what Chase-kun?  I'm legal!"

 

Chase is totally going to recite lines... and even better, it is going to be before they are said! It'll be great! Ame will love it here! But then he cringes. Oh yuck. That's right... vegetarian. He winces and then slowly nods his head. "Uh... yeah, that'll work." Or something. He blinks though, and smirks at her, "Oh really? Well... congratulations!"

 

Mina saw that cringe, indeed she did.  "Okay, one vegetarian, one regular supreme.  Just because I adore you, Chase-kun."  Digging in her other pocket, she pulls out her cellphone and begins dialing the 1-800 number that automatically redirects you to the closest Pizza Hut in the area and as it's ringing, wrinkles her nose at the seishi.  "So I guess you don't want Peach Schnapps after a- hello," she reverts her attention to the phone and quickly places her order.  Closing her phone with a satisfied snap, she considers her friend for a moment.  He's changed, matured.  Who would have thought it?  "Hey cowboy," she teases.  "I bet I can still out-track you with my eyes closed."

 

"Oh, I love you," Chase nearly coos, dropping to his knees, hands clasped before her. Yesssssssss, a real supreme pizza. With meat! What was that about maturity? Huh. "What the hell are you doing wandering around with booze? Turned into some kind of wino now that you've got a shiny new license?" He follows that with a teasing wink before smiling. "Is that the garbage that people have been letting you drink? Pathetic. We can do better." He slowly climbs to his feet, laughing, "I swear... you almost sound like you want to play a game of hide-and-seek like when you were tiny. Wait... you still are short."

 

"I don't have it yet," Mina counters in a huff.  "I was just offering because it tastes nice."  She hasn't really developed a taste for the harder stuff, nor for beer.  "Oh, or wine coolers.  Arbor Mist tastes so... who are you calling a wino."  Poking at the other seishi, she frowns and then blink as his words sink in.  "Better?  What kind of better.  Is it yummy?"  Watching the Genbu rise with a rather skeptical look, her eyes widen and her nostrils flare at the affront.  "Who are you calling short?  Pe/tite/," she enunciates slowly for the boy.  "I'm petite!  It's cute and dainty, damn it."

 

Chase burst into a wide grin. He dances back a step, waggling a finger at her, "Girly. Girly. Girly." Yep, taunting. "But if you are into that sort of thing, then I suppose you are. Kinda wussy, if you ask me."He drops back a step, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'll remember that. Dainty. That usually means like wimpy and /girly/ and weak and crap like that." He arches an eyebrow at her, "Thanks for clearing that up for me."

 

 

What the heck?  Mina glowers at the other seishi, a frown shadowing her brow.  Oh, she sees how it is.  Chase is nice as pie until he gets what he wants, i.e. pizza, and then he turns into a big meanie-head.  "I'll girly you," the Byakko growls, launching forward in hopes of tackling the Genbu to the floor.  "I so am not a wuss.  I'll have you know that I battled a mean spider demon earlier today."  Okay, battle isn't really the right word for being sucked up into a vortex and dropped on top of a Suzaku seishi.  "And I helped return a kid to his mom."  Who happened to be the same demon that sucked her up into the vortex.  "That's not wimpy at all.  Wimpy is not being able to see a movie where two men kiss!"  Ah, so now Mina remembers the boy's lack of a response to her movie invitation.

 

Chase quickly ducks and spins to the side to be able to avoid her launch. He dances back away from her, arms and hand outstretched before Mina as if to ward her off. "All you need is a Hello Kitty wardrobe and sparkles, then it'll all be complete." But then he is stalling, staring at her, "Awh, are you kidding me? Spider demons? Why do you get all the fun? Why can't I ever get to mess with spider demons and oni and things I can shoot stuff at. That'd be fun." He scowls, "Why the hell would I want to see that? Why can't it be two girls?"

 

The bad thing about all-out tackle attacks is that they're hard to recover from.  Stumbling, Mina faceplants in a rather inelegant fashion and just sputters for a moment or two.  "You're not supposed to dodge, cowboy," she growls.  Rising up and gathering her bearings, she narrows her eyes and hisses.  "Thems fightin' words, cowboy.  Hello Kitty and sparkles this..."  Oh, it's not the regular tackle Chase to the ground type attack.  No, it's more of a feint to the left and then an attempt at a quick and merciless tickle to the exposed flesh on the right.  "I didn't shoot her, per se," she admits ruefully.  "Byakko-sama was with me.  He's the god of children and demons, you know.  Kinda keeps me from attacking right away."  Bah, excuses, excuses.  Mina was running out her door like a yellow-bellied, lily-livered rabbit during hunting season.  Not that she'd tell Chase that.  "Because it's supposed to be good and poignant and open our eyes to the gay rights movement, silly."  Pause.  "You know, with 'Suna as a fellow seishi, I'd have thought you'd want to see it."