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 What a day. Was it the full moon or something? I'd been at the top of my delivery game today. Back to back deliveries on the opposite ends of Shibuya? No sweat. The food was hot and as fresh as it could be. No tip, as it happens, but no sweat. After the second car almost ran my bike off the road, I parked it and took to the rooftops for the rest of the day's deliveries. Might not be the most prudent, given my less-than-official status with the big clans, but I can be pretty discrete when I need to be. Not like a lot of people look up in the first place and today everyone seemed too zoned out to bother. Hell, even if someone did see me, it beats having to explain to Takeda-san why the delivery bike is a pancake and I don't have a scratch on me. As the elevator doors shut and carried me up to the last delivery of the night -- at least it better be, if Takeda-san knows what's good for him -- my stomach rumbles in quiet complaint. Did I eat lunch today? No, must not have. We were slammed all afternoon. Strange that I was specifically requested for this delivery. I hadn't been scheduled today -- I was in covering for Arai-san, since he was down with some sort of flu. Couldn't argue with the promise of a decent tip. Might even be enough to justify stopping for some yakiniku on the way back to my apartment tonight. The quiet whisper of the elevator door brought me back to the present and I walked towards room 415. It took two raps at the door before the giant answered the door. He seemed to be more like a small blonde mountain than anything. Not exactly one of my usual patrons. I did my best to smile and dipped my head, "How... How-dee. I brought your order." My eyes danced across the room. It didn't exactly take a trained ninja to tell that this was about more than just the food. Damnit, Takeda, if you sold me out after all I've done for you... well, I'd figure it out after this situation was resolved. Might make a few pointed deliveries of my own. I'd play it cool, but that was no reason to be complacent. My mother's words echoed through my head. First, identify threats. The man's bulk was very impressive. If this were an ambush, I would want to engage him in a small space. It would be difficult for him to generate much power if his movements were constrained. The woman seemed less worrisome, though her garments might hide hidden weapons. Second, identify exits. The windows seemed the clear choice, though retreating back to the stairs might frustrate pursuit. I stepped into the room and set the bags on the table, dipping my head at the woman as well. It may be some sort of ambush, but that was no excuse to be rude. I carefully watched for the man's movements. If he was a fellow practitioner, it would certainly explain at least part of why they required me to make this delivery. I carefully spoke, "What sort of matter, sir?"
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Jan 10, 2017 00:47
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As we sat around the table and discussed the job, I could feel a ball of anxiety working my stomach in a knot. I mean, yeah, sure. I have been known to say that. Loudly. With or without provocation. But poo poo! The Kamikiri? I didn't know much about it. It sounded like a big ticket item. Just the thing to cement a reputation... and put a target on my back from all the big name clans at the same time. If the Hirasaka are involved, then there's no chance that the others are going to let them just walk away with the prize. Of course, that would mean that the Hasuba would be making a move as well. My knuckles whitened as I thought about the damned machine freaks. I hadn't forgotten the stories my mother had told me, what they'd done to us. They killed and killed, for what? Our secrets? What could possibly justify all that death? I looked up at John and Gail in turn, "I'll do it. Under the Meiji Shrine, you said?" To be totally honest, the dagger didn't much matter to me. I was in the black just by meeting the two. It'd be nice not to have to pull extra shifts ever again -- or have my own delivery service -- but the real prize would be a chance to show the big clans that they weren't invincible. They were all so sure of that fact -- that was the root of the conflict, wasn't it? A little shaken confidence may well serve to curb some of the infighting. And, hell, saving a town or ten while I was at it? Not bad for a day's work. Tricky fucked around with this message at 08:21 on Jan 17, 2017 |
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Jan 17, 2017 04:55
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Sounds good! I'll accept. Let's say that Sachiko is eating at one of those roadside oden stands when Inugami approaches her.
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Jan 25, 2017 18:33
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Inugami's Scene It seemed like the tension in the air had finally broken. Someone had made a move. I happily sighed into my oden, taking a quick bite of konnyaku and washing it down with a healthy swig of beer. This was bliss. When was the last time I had been able to sit down and eat a real meal? Hm. Must have been a few weeks at least. No rest for the weary and all that. It was a drat shame that I hadn't gotten the blade first, but there was no rush. I had eyes everywhere. I'd track down the blade and make my move when the time was right. Information was key and it didn't make sense to show my hand too early. As I sat and ate, I could hear pitiful whimpers nearby. A puppy? Out here? ...Alone? I peered down under the counter, noticing the poor, bedraggled little pup. What a cute little guy. The owner of the cart shot me a small smile. Ah. Must be a frequent visitor. I grabbed a skewer of gyu suji and extended it to the puppy, "Hey buddy, you look hungry. Want a little meat?" Tricky fucked around with this message at 00:15 on Jan 26, 2017 |
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Jan 26, 2017 00:01
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Tora's Scene quote:12:11 PM <Tricky> Sachiko is going to try Wandering into the other ninja scene As expected, the forest around the Meiji Shrine was a hotbed of ninja activity. It wasn't exactly easy slipping my way through the gaps in security, but it wasn't exactly hard either. I stopped a respectable distance away from the two, careful not to betray my presence before I could establish the dynamics between the two. I was confident that I could give either one the slip, but things might get dicey if they teamed up. As I sat and watched the two talk, I quickly had a most unwelcome realization. Tch. I couldn't hear them from here. I'd need to get closer to figure out what they were up to. I snuck forward as carefully as I could manage, but, well, you can't always out-ninja a fellow practitioner. I wasn't too surprised when one of them — the blonde woman — quite literally blew away the foliage I was hidden behind. As I drew myself up and met eyes with the two, I allowed a small grin to cross my face, "Nice move, Blondie. Guess I'm not the only one interested in the blade. Moves like that... you must be with one of the big names. Otogi? Kurama?"
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Jan 26, 2017 00:13
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Tora's Scene I inclined my head slightly as the woman introduced herself, "Well, it's nice to meet you Himura-san. You may call me Sachiko." It wasn't as though my last name would compromise much, but, well, I still hadn't figured the man's deal out. He looked official enough. I wasn't about to let slip clues in front of someone who might well be working with the Hirisaka. As Tora brought up the topic of my employer, I shrugged, "Discretion is key. You know how it is. I can say this, though. There are gods that need slaying outside of Japan. Some would pay dearly for a weapon with such a... proven track record. And you? You don't look like you're about to go slay a god." Though we were conversing, I still kept them both at a cautious distance. Even a surprise attack would reveal much about them, but I intended to keep my cards close until the situation demanded otherwise. --- Inugami's Scene I ruffled the pup's head as it ate. Perhaps not the wisest approach in hindsight, given the dirt that soon coated my hand, but it was certainly adorable. Who would leave a puppy alone like this? We were out of the main stretch, sure, but still. It wasn't like he was ugly. Seemed well behaved, too. Just the kind of dog I'd want. If, you know, my apartment didn't have a strict 'no pets' policy. Ah well. I'd just have to give it some attention and, hopefully, someone else would be able to take him in. I scanned the pup for a collar, "Hm, do you have a name, buddy?"
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Jan 26, 2017 00:59
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Tora's Scene I shot Tora a flat look, "Whether I am getting in over my head or not, blood is going to flow — and soon. It always does when the clans move and they are always all too happy to trample over us." Of course she thought that I was some neophyte. Hmph. That would play to my advantage if it came to a conflict. Even given my lack of fame — and that was certainly no disadvantage in our line of work — I was certainly no stranger to the shadows. Underestimating me would surely prove a mistake. Still, she seemed more reasonable than the man. He was a Hirasaka man through and through. Full of patriotic zest and not much room for anything else. Judging by the way he was holding himself, he was carrying quite a prize. Almost certainly the Kamikiri. It would be somewhat inconvenient if the two were to ally, though surely it wouldn't last. Whoever she was with, they would have their own designs on the blade. My attention turned to the retreating figure of the officer, "It's a big world, officer. Far be it for me to understand your agency's endless plots, but it seems short-sighted to breed enemies. Have fun with that and—" I grinned widely. "—I suppose I'll be seeing you soon. Keep it safe until then." --- Inugami's Scene I waved a smudged hand at the newcomer, "Oh! Feel free! He's not mine." My eyes softened a bit as the pup scampered about. What a cutie. "It's a shame seeing such a cute puppy without a home, but my landlady is real strict on the pet policy." I grimaced. Apartment hunting was the worst. Even if it was the cutest pup of all time and even if I really wanted to take it home forever. I nodded as the chef explained the situation, offering another skewer of meat for the pup to chow down on. I looked up at the girl and indicated the seat next to me. Which, to be fair, was the only other seat. "Want to join me? The oden is great—" The chef grinned widely. "—and there's a cute puppy around too."
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Jan 26, 2017 21:15
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Inugami's Scene I grabbed Naomi's hand and shook it firmly. She had a good grip. A certain degree of roughness to her hands as well. A craftsman of some sort, perhaps? Interesting. I smiled back, "Sachiko. Yamamoto Sachiko." I pointed to the faded Aoyama logo on my work gear. Takeda-san really needed to get me a fresh jacket sooner than later, especially with the number of shifts he was having me pull. "I run deliveries for Aoyama. Food in a flash! What do you do?" The puppy was yipping and nipping down below. What an adorable little guy. I ruffled his ears a bit while I waited for Naomi's answer.
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Jan 27, 2017 08:21
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Inugami's Scene "Oh! I think I've heard of Super Drive. Do you fix motorcycles there too? I've been racking up some serious miles on the delivery racket and I think I'm about due for an overhaul." Sure, it was always faster to just run, but there was a certain joy to just zipping around on my bike. Plus the whole ninja thing was supposed to be on the down-low. I didn't exactly need the Kurama or Hirasaka cracking down on me for flaunting my talents. I bit into a kinchaku, the tofu quickly giving way to a delicious mochi core, and swallowed, "Yeah, there's a lot of interesting characters in town. I met up with these westerners the other day—" I mimicked the man's imposing presence and copied his 'HOW-DEE' greeting, "—and man, they had an appetite. Biggest order I've ever delivered by far. Heck, bigger than the time we catered an office party!" This was great! Who knew an oden stand would be so exciting? I'd need to eat out more now that I had made rent for the next few months. I looked back at Naomi, "It's great that you're going to take the little guy in. Have you thought of a name for him yet?"
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Jan 27, 2017 22:30
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Inugami's Scene I poked the puppy in the nose playfully and then gave it some chin scratches, "Hikari? I like it! He's such a cute little guy — probably too cute once he gets washed on up. What do you think, little buddy? Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" I had to admit, I was super jealous. It had to be nice living somewhere where you could just adopt a puppy and not have anyone complain about it. Especially a cute little guy like this. You don't just run into something like that every day. I took a big bite of daikon, then looked back at Naomi, "I'll have to do that! Likewise, if you ever need some delivery, call Aoyama and ask for Sachiko. I'll get you whatever you need whenever you need it." I paused, then grinned. "As long as it's food, right? Though, I am thinking of going solo soon. Branch out a bit and run my own courier service." As she mentioned some of the jerks she ran into, I nodded. "Yeah, I get what you mean. These guys were unusually interesting. Usually, people just stiff me on tips and try and get free food. The joys of customer service." I laughed. It was so much easier to let that slide now that I was feeling much more financially secure.
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Jan 28, 2017 17:49
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Inugami's Scene I smiled and pulled out my phone as well, "That sounds great, Naomi! Here's my number." What a day! I hadn't expected to meet a new friend or such a cute pup at a roadside stand, but life worked in mysterious ways. I finished up my last bites and handed a few bills to the owner. As much as I should be focusing on the Kamikiri, it was tough to focus on it with so many wonderful distractions. I waved at Naomi as she walked off with Hikari. There was just something charming about the little guy. How could you say no to a face like that? Heck, even if Naomi wasn't so much fun to hang out with, I'd call her up in a heartbeat just to see that cute little pup. Speaking of which, karaoke, huh? How long had it been since I'd gone last...? I'd need to catch up on the current hits. Wouldn't do to make a bad impression, right? I waved at the two as they walked off into the evening, "See you later, Naomi! Bye-bye, Hikari" As they faded from view, I put on my game face. This had been fun, but I needed to get back to work. My real work. quote:11:08 AM <Tricky> Okay, Emobond type is...
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Jan 30, 2017 21:57
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Sora's Scene Oh my god, Takeda-san. Was I the only delivery person on staff? I should be out scouting for the Kamikiri, but instead I'm running some errands for one of his friends. I mean, I owe him a lot. I get it! I understand! Sometimes it felt like he just took me for granted. And that, after all, was why I was carrying a cooler full of meat to a rival restaurant. The streets were busy. It seemed like the people milling around had forgotten the tension that had enveloped the city for the last few days. I scanned the store fronts nearby and stopped when my eyes came to rest on the karaoke place across the way. That wasn't unusual, I supposed, but it made me think back to my earlier meeting with Naomi. Was it too soon...? Well, whatever. I'd at least offer! Naomi-chan posted:Hey! I'm finishing up a delivery down-town and I just realized "Karaoke Pasera Shibuya" is right across the street. I know you're probably busy getting Hikari all settled in, but if you're free... Want to meet up? My treat! I sighed deeply. Might as well get it over with. I confidently burst in through the door and said, "Hey, Touya-san! I got the meat you needed. Where should I stow it?" Of course, my eyes quickly picked out at least three people who weren't to be trifled with mixed among the patrons. Two were familiar. Sora and Himura. The third? He didn't look like anyone I knew. It was strange, though, I felt a warm feeling. It was like... Nah, why would I mistake him for that cute puppy? Why were they all here? Some sort of secret alliance? Perhaps it was some sort of negotiation between the clans on how the matter of the Kamikiri was to be settled. Or, perhaps, they were all just hungry. It couldn't be that, though. Could it?
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Feb 1, 2017 22:23
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Sora's Scene My phone buzzed, drawing my attention away from the others. Well, whatever. Himura was probably with the Kurama. She wouldn't do anything to reveal us all to the masses. I had a certain degree of confidence in my ability to be elusive, after all, and Sora seemed content to merely flaunt his prize. The mystery man... well, who knew. I wasn't about to drop my guard completely, but he seemed to have a certain... gentleness? It was hard to put in words. As I read the message, a goofy grin came over my face. Oh, fantastic! I hadn't ruined everything. A slight sigh of relief escaped me as I began to text back, just in time to hear Naomi. Wait, Naomi? She was already here? Huh. That was faster than I thought. I spun around, holding the cooler behind me, and smiled, "Naomi! Wow, what a coincidence! I was just delivering a few things to the owner here. He usually treats me to a meal after one of these emergency deliveries. Would you, ah, care to join me? The food here is quite good." Almost as soon as I mentioned it, Touya-san came out from the back and I handed him the cooler. "Hello, Touya-san! Takeda-san sends his compliments. Would you mind if my friend joins me tonight? I was just telling her how good the food is here." He grinned and pointed at a pair of chairs by the grill. I looked at Naomi and motioned to the chairs. "You hungry?"
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Feb 3, 2017 21:00
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Sora's Scene I clapped my hands together, grinning, "Yes! That sounds perfect. I'm done for the night and I would really enjoy that." I hoped she didn't mind enka. Singing that always reminded me of my grandparents. It was a bit of an acquired taste, but... Well, I could do some more modern songs too. As I took Naomi's hand and led her towards our chairs, I looked over at the man. That feeling... Well, it was probably nothing. I shrugged, still smiling, "Maybe I made a delivery for him? I don't remember seeing him before, but he seems friendly."
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Feb 5, 2017 18:28
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Sora's Scene I didn't immediately respond to Tora. First off, wow, rude. She was getting all buddy-buddy with that guy from the government and then telling her not to associate with a guy I'd never met before? I wasn't even associating with him! Second, obviously he could hear us. I needed to play it cool so that I wasn't forced into picking sides in some conflict I didn't really get. I began to say, mostly to Naomi, but clearly so that Tora could hear as well, "All sorts of interesting people out tonight, huh? Can't always judge them by appearances, you know? So! What do you want to eat first? I'm thinking that some kawa sounds like it'll hit the spot!" Of course, Sora chose that moment to butt in. Argh! That stupid government ninja! I just wanted to have a nice meal with my friend and then sing karaoke and then... well, I'd see how that all went first. Now I was going to have to convince Naomi to turn down a free meal so that we could clear out away from whatever madhouse this was going to turn into. I didn't want her to get hurt. I looked over at Naomi, "So... uh. Hm. That was odd. That guy must have been hitting the bottle. Maybe we should find a stand or something...?"
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Feb 8, 2017 18:45
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Sora's Scene Yep! It was most definitely time to go. The new guy and Sora were butting heads and Tora was all but implying she wanted to get in on the action. If things got too crazy, I wasn't sure that I could protect Naomi from getting caught in the cross-fire. Classic big clan politics. Nobody cared about the little guys. I blushed a bit as well, "Y-yes! That sounds great!" I reached out and took her hand, gently pulling her towards the door. It was softer than I expected. She worked with her hands so much, but they were still so gentle. Wait, what was I thinking? All I knew was that my cheeks were burning pretty hard. Privacy was sounding very nice. A chance to just sit, chat, and sing with my new friend. It was a pity about the meal, but sharing drinks and snacks with Naomi would be fun too! As we headed towards the door, I waved to Touya-san, "We're going to take a rain check! See you next time!"
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Feb 8, 2017 23:45
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quote:10:22 AM <Tricky> Drama scene atmosphere check! I'm establishing a scene earlier in the day (circa lunchtime) at Tora's school where Sachiko is making a delivery to the Teacher's Lounge, but gets caught in the rain while cutting through the school grounds. Tora is naturally invited, unless she just wants Sachiko to end up rifling through her office or something.  Sachiko's Scene Ah, the lunch rush. Nothing quite like making deliveries all over the city to work up an appetite. Tips had been disappointing, to say the least, — nothing like a 50 yen coin to make that 15-minute delivery feel great! — but the teacher crowd tended to be a little more reliable. I looked back at the bags of food loading down the back of my scooter and grinned. This had to be for at least five of the teachers, even though it was a group order. If I played my cards right? The day may not be a loss after all. I pulled into the parking lot and kicked out the stand. As I grabbed the bags, I could see all sorts of students out on the grounds running around the track. It made me smile. Ah, those had been the days. No real worries or responsibilities, since it wasn't like I needed to cram for entrance exams or anything. My talents weren't exactly the kind that needed a degree. Of course, as I spent a moment musing on the past, the heavens decided to open up and just start pouring down all sorts of rain. The one day I hadn't brought an umbrella. Ugh. Sure, yeah, I can move fast. Fast enough to walk between raindrops, even. But that's a bit of a faux pas when it comes to keeping a low profile. I snatched up the bags and started making for the side of the building nearest to me. It seemed like some of the students and their teacher had already picked it as their refuge from the rain, so I bowed slightly as I moved under the overhang with them. I shot a wry grin at their teacher, her back still turned towards me, and said, "Man, just my luck! This rain is unbelievable. Can't even trust the weather channel these days."
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Feb 16, 2017 21:16
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Naomi's Scene After the second or third round of drinks, the night started to become a wonderful blur of sound and lights and Naomi-chan. We were singing all of our favorites. She didn't even mind when I started singing some of the classics! The last few times I had done this with some of the others they had given me a bit of a stink-eye. It wasn't really much of an exaggeration to say that this was the most fun I'd had since I moved out to the city. Naomi-chan was just a lot of fun to be around and she got really goofy with a few drinks. It was kind of the most adorable thing I had ever seen and, given that I knew Hikari, that was saying something. I think we had just finished a duet when it happened. Naomi-chan had been kind of slipping closer to me and then we were hugging and then kissing... and then... Whew. It wasn't anything I had ever felt before, you know? As far back as I could remember it had always been drilled into me that I should always maintain mastery of myself, of my emotions. There was no room in the shadows for these kinds of emotions. But, you know, I didn't want to think about that. I didn't want to think about the battles I'd seen or the things I'd done. I just wanted to lose myself in the moment. I looked at her shyly, blushing wildly, and said, "Mm-hm." I buried my face in her neck, just holding her close and feeling the warmth of her body against mine. --- Sachiko's Scene When Himura-san turned around, I'll admit I just about went into a full retreat. She's got some moves. Serious moves. But she didn't seem angry. Didn't seem like she was looking for a fight. It was like she was a different person from the woman I had seen in the forest. But, I supposed, that was our nature. Wearing disguises upon disguises. I was starting to find Himura-san to be very curious. I wondered what she was really like, underneath it all. I accepted the umbrella and money with a small smile as I handed the bags to the other teacher, "Sure, coffee sounds great. Been a long shift already and I have a feeling I'm going to be working late tonight."
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Feb 17, 2017 00:24
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Sachiko's Scene I took a sip from my coffee, "Yeah, probably. None of you lot ever seem hard up for cash. But, you know, this life has its advantages. It's easy to forget what's it's like being one of them." I motioned vaguely at the other students and teachers milling around. "I've seen enough action to know that most of the clans are obsessed with power. You have the Hasuba mowing through the lesser clans-" A brief look of anger passed over my face as I stopped short. Not the time. "It's not like many of the others are much better. Nobody seems to care who gets trampled when the fighting starts." I took another sip, looking out on the rainy field, "I care. If that means stopping the fighting by getting my own hands dirty...? So be it." A brief pause. "So why do you do it?" --- Naomi's Scene As Naomi asked me to stay over, I felt my heart trying to flutter its way out of my chest. Wow. Wow! This was... really good. Really, really good. I didn't answer for a moment, not trusting my ability to string words together, then said, "Yes! Me too. With you. Tonight." Oh my god I was a mess. A mess! I took a deep breath, inwardly cringing at how ragged it sounded to me, then tried again, "I'd really like that." I looked up at the time. We still had the room for a few more minutes. I smiled and pulled her in for another kiss.
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Feb 17, 2017 23:09
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Sachiko's Scene As she talked, I watched the children running between the buildings. Huddling up together. Chatting excitedly together. I thought on what Himura-san was saying for a moment, "I suppose it depends. If the choice is a risk of destruction against certain destruction, then it would only make sense. If the choice is more between the status quo and some sort of nebulous new world order? I like things how they are. The world's a great place." I swirled the coffee around the bottom of my cup, then downed it. I looked towards Himura-san, "At what point do you sacrifice too much? At what point does the world you're trying to save stop being, you know, worth saving?" I stopped for a moment, then tried a different tact, "Do you like teaching?" quote:10:18 AM <Tricky> Alright, Sachiko is going to make an Emobond to Tora with Manipulation. Tricky fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Feb 19, 2017 |
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Feb 18, 2017 19:00
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 04:22 |
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Naomi's Scene I blinked my eyes sleepily as Naomi shifted in bed, then closed them again with a satisfied smile. I nuzzled in closer. Naomi was fantastic. She really was. She really had everything together. I could learn a lot from her. And that's the scene! quote:9:21 AM <Tricky> Emobond type is... --- Sachiko's Scene It was really interesting listening to her talk about teaching. It was like she had become a completely different person. After a few minutes, my phone buzzed. I looked down at the sender and made a face, "Ugh, it's Takeda-san again. It never stops!" I smiled at Tora-san. She was actually pretty friendly when you got to know her. I still didn't want to get on her bad side, but... Well, I had a feeling it wouldn't come to that. I waved good-bye, stepped out into the rain holding Tora-san's umbrella, and headed back to my bike. End scene!
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Feb 19, 2017 06:07
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