Sarah stayed quiet, listening to Akio mutter in something that almost sounded Chinese, but she didn't quite understand the words. They were very jumbled. She wondered what language it was if it wasn't Chinese. She didn't quite know, she had learned many languages, but she just simply looked through the language selection and randomly chose one. She didn't know what all languages were out there, but there were a lot. She wondered how the people in the past had communicated with each other with all the different languages that were out there. She didn't have much use for the other languages but having been deaf and not much to do, she took on the challenge to learn when she found out about them to learn as many as she could. She impressed her tutor when she showed her that she could write in another language. Spanish, German, French and Chinese, the Chinese being the hardest to learn from the much different lettering they used. She had started to learn Italian before she started training to be a baiter, having dropped the language completely.
She didn't know what to think about Akio's smoking, other than she wanted to stay away from it. It stunk to her and she want the smell on her, no offense to Akio himself who would be smelling like it for a while. She kept herself entertained by wondering what her family was doing. Possibly enjoying dinner with their own families. Sarah's three older brothers had married and had children of their own, her younger older brother was engaged, the wedding coming up soon. Though there was a chance that her brothers were at her parents' home as well. Of course, she wouldn't know unless they went there. Though she wasn't sure he would be okay with that. It was her family and he didn't know her all that well. He would probably wouldn't want to get that personal, like meeting her family. She was just there because she knew the city.
Sarah glanced at Akio when she saw him approached and asked if she was ready to go. She pushed away from the wall she had been resting against as she waited for Akio to fix the shield, glad to see it was done. She frowned a bit when she looked at him though, while it seemed he was looking better, she could tell he was still suffering. She frowned a bit, shaking her head, wondering how she was going to tell him to not teleport. “Umm.. It.... You... you shouldn't.... shouldn't teleport.... it'll.... it'll make your.... your migraine w-worse.” She said, her fingers moving a bit as she spoke. 'Seriously, there's nothing to be angry about when it's the truth.' Sarah grimace knowing the Guard was right but she wasn't sure if he would agree. She cleared her throat as she continued. “Your eyes... eyes are... squinty... that's... that's how.... I can tell you.... you still have one..... I know what... what it's like.... My surgery gave... gave me them.... them at... at first...” She said slowly. Maybe to slowly but she wasn't sure.
Sarah blinked at first when Akio suddenly started to laugh at her. She didn't know what she said that was funny, until he mentioned being part Asian. The Guard started laughing inside her head. 'Oh God, this guy's great!' Sarah's face red with embarrassment and horror when she realized what she had said, not thinking about her wording when she wanted to explain she knew that he still had his migraine. “I... I am so... so sorry. I... didn't mean... mean any-anything racist, I-I swear.” She really didn't, she just thought it was a good way to tell him that she could tell. Though he didn't really seem that bothered by it, almost seeming to waving it off. 'Princess, he's smiling, he was teasing.' Teasing? It seemed a little rude to be teasing, at least to her. Though her friend Jenny would say something like that, but she was blunt. she knew who Akio kind of reminded her of. Though Jenny never sneaked up behind her and scared her every chance she had, like Akio.
She cleared her throat again as she thought of something for them to do. They couldn't teleport, not if they wanted to keep his headache from getting worse again. “There... there are plenty... plenty of hotels if... if you wanted to... to stay there.... I can go.... go to my family ho -home.” She would be willing to pay for the room so he didn't have to worry about that or about meeting her family. It would be fine she was sure. Though she had another shock from Akio when he suddenly suggested that he go to her family home as well. Was that okay? She didn't mind but he didn't have to feel like he had to go. “Are you sure?” She asked politely. She didn't mind but she was sure he wouldn't want to go. 'Not like you're going to show him your room anyways, there's nothing to worry about.' Guard muttered. Sarah was beginning to really hate the Guard, he was blunt as well like Jenny.
Sarah nodded when Akio confirmed that he was sure, slowly making their way through the tunnels and out onto the above ground. Sarah took a nice lung full of fresh air, taking note that it was dark out. How long were they down there? She whistled for another taxi, one pulling up toward them when she waved her arm up. She let Akio get in first so he could sit where he was most comfortable. She slid in soon after, giving the taxi driver her parent's address. She sat back, glancing at Akio after sitting for a few minutes to see that Akio had completely passed out. She wasn't all surprised, she always slept after having them herself, plus with the fight, it no doubt put a lot out of him. She was tired herself, but she couldn't sleep in a taxi. She envied that Akio could do it himself. She was also a little excited to see her family, that was keeping her awake as well.
They reached a large, white two story house, a garage connected to the left of it. There were a few cars parked in the driveway, sure enough to her that her brothers were there. She wondered what they were doing. She looked at Akio, realizing she needed to wake him up. How should she do it though? 'You could kiss him like that one story with the sleeping princess, just gender switch the roles.' Sarah could only glare, not wanting to say anything and freak the taxi driver out by suddenly bursting out for the Guard to shut up. Sarah flexed her fingers, trying to think of how she wanted to do this. She slowly reached out, pointing her forefinger out and gently but firmly pushed it against his shoulder. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it worked. “We're.... we're here.” She mumbled, pointing to the house. She climbed out, paying the driver and thanking him for the ride.
Sarah led the way up the driveway toward the front door. She glanced at the doorbell, which was glowing green, a small note that said 'Do Not Ring When Red.' She frowned, not happy to that it wasn't red. That meant only one of two things. She hoped they were just visiting. She was almost praying for them to be visiting and hoping she was okay. She opened the door, and sure enough, it was what she feared. As soon as she opened the door, shouting was sounding. She sighed, knowing it wasn't a family fight. She walked in, letting Akio decide if he wanted to come in or not. Sarah walked through the off beige colored living room with deep red and gold furniture toward the dining room where the shouts were coming from. “Dammit mother! I swear you have all the skips, you almost never not have three skips!” She heard William shout out. “Suck it up, pansy. It's how I drew it, next time draw at the right time!” Her mother shouted back.
Sarah looked inside the dining room, her family sitting at one end of the table, a stack of cards on it. Each of her family members holding a card or a few. Her father Jameson, rich dark brown hair, glasses perched at the end of his nose watched in silence as his eldest son and his wife fought over his wife's latest reveal of her third skip on William. Her mother, Marisa, had light brown hair that was pinned up in a bun, her eyes a sharp bluish green glaring at her son. William was glaring his rich brown eyes at his mother as he tried to keep from just throwing his cards down and walking away. Two other boys, the spitting image of each other, it was like one of them was a mirror sat and looked between their eldest brother and mother. They weren't too happy about the third skip but they weren't as mad as William. Benjamin and Franklin, the light brown haired twins, had smirks on their faces, knowing how this fight was going to end anyways. Henry, the black haired boy who seemed to be as stoic as his father, had begun to arrange his cards, more focused on getting them in order rather than what was happening between his mother and brother. Sarah waited a few seconds before clearing her throat loudly, giving a small wave when they all looked at her. There was a large silence among them as they stared at Sarah, with what looked to be shock. She shifted a bit, looking down at her clothes, wondering if she should have shopped for new clothes first.
A few seconds ticked by before Marisa and William jumped from their chairs, almost sending them backwards, and charged forward. “Sarah!” William cried out while her mother cried out “Sweetheart!” Soon Sarah was crushed between two pairs of arms as her mother and eldest brother hugged her. It didn't hurt as much as it usually did, which was strange. But she didn't think about it long, feeling tears start to prickle her eyes again. She had only been gone a day and she already missed this. She was pathetic, she knew it. It wasn't long before the twins had jumped up and hugged Sarah, almost pulling her out of her mother and brother's arms. Her father and Henry both stood and walked over, but they kept their distance for now, knowing how Marisa, William and the twins got. Sarah got enough hugging from them to be like she was hugged by the whole family.
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Outfit:Outfit Headphones: Attached: Can Hear Line Count: 7881 OOC: Translation:
Quote:
Sarah
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 89 Health: 350/660 Control Limit: 712
Skill: 68 [78] Strength: 50 Defence: 60 [70]
Quote:
Tactical Advantages
Tank - Level 1 - You gain 10 extra Defense. However, you also receive a -5% to your defensive chances.
Quote:
Royal Guard
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 38 Health: 0/180
Skill: 50 Strength: 15 Defense: 11 [21]
Tactical Advantage: Tank
Ominous Noodles
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 8:12 pm
It was obvious to him that Sarah wasn’t particularly fond of smoking when she walked away from him when he asked to have a cigarette. That was fine to him, mostly because it was his life, and his choice to do that to himself. Not only this, but it was better than the alternatives. Thinking about it, he scratched at the crook of his arm and frowned, walking over to Sarah, ready to leave. When he finally approached her, though, she pushed off the wall and suggested that it wouldn’t be a very good idea to teleport back to Headquarters that night. And she was right, it would very much make his migraine a lot worse. Even if he wasn’t quite happy that she mentioned it. At least until she said his eyes were squinty, and he burst into laughter. He continued to laugh for a moment, not even at her, or that she didn’t realize what it was that she said, but the fact that she innocently said that an Asian man had squinty eyes. “Well, I am Asian, so my eyes naturally do that.”
At that point, she seemed to grow very flustered, turning a bright red, and profusely apologizing for saying what she did. While it was mildly racist what she said, he didn’t actually care, so he simply waved it off, saying that it wasn’t a big deal and that he was just teasing her. ‘This girl is something else. That’s hilarious.’ The E-Trooper said, laughing about the situation as well. At this Akio rolled his eyes, ignoring the pain this cause to shoot though his head once again, unable to help but think that the Trooper . “But no, you’re right I probably shouldn’t be teleporting anywhere.” Damn it, he just wanted to sleep. Was that too much to ask? But then Sarah stammered out a suggestion that he could get a hotel, while she went to her parents place. That was right, she lived in the city. It was something she had mentioned that when they first arrived.
He thought about this for a moment, thinking about going through the hassle of renting out a hotel room for the night. Yes, he could afford it, having an almost endless supply of both income and savings, but there was always one thing he didn’t like about hotels: They never had the bed sheets he liked. They always had polyester, when he usually liked those fabulous cotton ones that he loved so much. And personal preference aside, he was covered in blood. Head to toe, he was drenched in a substance that made almost every living being cringe in fear or disgust. So, as much as he didn’t like the idea of dealing with someone else’s family, he made his own suggestion. “Might be better if I went with you, actually.” He said, shrugging slightly. Going up to the front desk of a hotel in a city like the one they were in might as well get the cops called on him. Then he’d have to go through the explanation, and he wasn’t having that. No way in hell was he okay to do that. “Yes, I’m sure.” He responded when she asked if it was okay.
So they went on their way, and she hailed the taxi just as she did before. By whistling loudly into the ether, and the taxi showing up shortly after the fact. Seriously, though. He had no idea how to whistle, and that fact bothered him more than he liked. Not that he was particularly good at everything he’s ever done his whole life, but still. The taxi pulled up quickly, pulling up to the corner almost as soon as Sarah finished whistling. He couldn’t say he was unimpressed, especially considering he’s never actually hailed a taxi like that before. In Japan, they were normally called before hand, or they took the bus or train. Or they walked, which was the most common form of transportation in the country. Hardly anyone drove anywhere unless they had to, or they were traveling between cities. At least it was that way up in Hokkaido. They usually did things differently in the north, but he wasn’t sure if things were that different. But in America, it seemed to be a huge difference. He would have to explore more later. Perhaps go on a walk to see more of the city than the tunnels. A shower would have to come first, though.
Once in the taxi, barely a minute had passed before Akio fell asleep. It wasn’t like he tried to fall asleep in the cab, or that it was something that he particularly wanted to do right then, but it was simply sitting down and finally relaxing that allowed him to fall. With the combination of his migraine, the two battles he had fought, and the almost panic attack that he had, he was extremely exhausted. So Akio passed out, leaning against the door of his side quickly after buckling up and closing it. He was lucky that it was a smooth ride, and that it was a little over fifteen minute drive. When Sarah finally poked Akio awake, he actually felt much better. He didn’t dream, the nap having only lasted so long, but his migraine had dulled to a low pain that only graced the edges of his consciousness.
Akio woke up rather calmly, realizing exactly what had happened. He followed her pointing finger with his eyes, seeing her rather large house, and ready to welcome them inside. Ah, so she was rich as well. That was rather interesting. He got out of the car, letting her pay the driver and lead him up the walkway to the door. For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, taking a look at the doorbell. Akio raised a pierced brow, wondering what exactly she was worried about.
Unfortunately, he didn’t actually have to wait that long to understand what it was that she was scared of. Shouts came at them as soon as she opened the door, bouncing through the walls like an attack. His eyes went wide as he heard this, wondering why it was that this family was so loud, yelling at each other like they were. Then he heard a boy yell out something about skips and playing cards. Were they playing Uno? It would make sense if they were, so he followed her in, taking his shoes off at the door out of habit, leaving them there as he quietly closed the door.
The inside of her house was rather nice, the walls a beige color, all of the furniture a beautiful gold or red. Then he walked in behind Sarah, hanging back a little bit as he patiently waited for introductions. As he stood there quietly, he saw a family that was so much larger than his own playing cards at a table, seemingly a family game night. Then, almost as if all at once, the whole family stood up and rushed forward to greet Sarah with loud shouts of excitement. The mother and who seemed to be the eldest brother got to her first, the father and quiet brother holding back and letting the rest do what they needed. Sarah was passed around for a moment, all while Akio managed to get a good look at the family dynamic. For a moment, Akio and the son with the black hair and stoic face locked eyes for a moment, before both of them nodding and continuing with their business.
Was this what it was like in an American household? It was quite a bit different than he was expecting, and much louder. Comparatively, his family was quieter than a babbling brook, them being white waters. Not that he quite minded, he enjoyed seeing the pure happiness on everyone’s face as they saw their sibling or child for the first time after her test. At least he assumed it was. It was nice to see, actually. A large family coming together for a family game night, and being so excited to see a member come home. It was a good family dynamic, as far as he could see. Akio loved his family, and he could honestly say he missed them. But he had been on his own before, fully moved out and paying rent in his own place. Then again, Asian families had a tendency to stick together through most anything, and come together for dinners and celebrations. But then, since he was an only child, it was only him with his parents and grandmother. With a such a large family in front of him, he was both mildly intimidated, and happy to see something so refreshing. Even if they were just at each other's throats over a card game.
Eventually, the twins pointed Akio out, to which he gave a wave and a small smile. Suddenly, all the attention was on him as Sarah introduced him to her family as Kawaguchi, then pointed out each and every family member that was there. First, she pointed out her parents, Marisa and Jameson. The two looked like fairly normal parents, the mother being much taller than the father, which was slightly odd, but not quite the weirdest thing he’s seen. Then came the eldest brother, the one who was upset about the skips. His name was William, and he was tall, but not overwhelmingly so. The twins were Benjamin and Franklin, and then finally there was Henry, who was the one he made eye contact with. My, there were so many names and people that he almost didn’t know if he could remember them all. Whatever it was, he was somewhat glad they weren’t his family, and that he would likely not have to remain in contact with them for so long.
Not much longer after introductions, the twins teased Sarah about ditching a man named Vincent. Akio raised a brow to this, looking towards Sarah who seemed to only wanted to brush the idea of said person off. But he couldn’t help be curious if they meant Vincent Everlou, his family’s competition. Though he couldn’t contemplate this for very long, as suddenly Marisa started making a huge deal of the fact that the two of them were still covered in a large amount of blood. Sarah was lucky enough to still have a change of clothing at her place, but that left Akio in sticky clothes. Then again, he didn’t expect to have to sleep in then. Perhaps next mission, he would bring a change of clothing. Just in case. But then Henry was asked to provide a change of clothing for Akio, as they seemed to wear a similar size, then was offered a shower. At this, Akio perked. A shower? Oh he couldn’t pass that up. Accepting, he was then led to Henry’s room, where he was asked what he wanted to wear. “Oh, I don’t really care, so long that it is clean.” he said, waving a hand. He could still hear the rest of the family fussing over Sarah and her wounds, making sure that she was okay, then telling her to take a shower too.
Akio was given a grey baggy shirt and a pair of joggers, both of which fit him just fine, then was directed to a shower. He couldn’t have been more thankful for a bathroom in his life, but gave a simple shallow bow and said “Thank you.” though it came out more like a ‘sank-yuu,’ due to his accent, then walked into the bathroom, closing the door.
Inside, he finally was able to relax. He locked the door, then leaned on the counter, covering his eyes with his hand. The headache was still bearable, but was still an unpleasant and constant throbbing pain, and pressure behind his eyes. Even though the nap seemed to have helped greatly, it still hurt. All he could hope for was that the steam would allow the pain to fade, then when he finally went to sleep, the pain would fade completely.
Of course, that wouldn’t be quite what he got.
Lines: 8002 Ooc:
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 92 Health: 660/660 Control Limit: 736
Acupuncturist - Level 4 - Your blows hit pressure points, causing the foe to move slower and be less proficient with their attacks. When you deal damage, the foe suffers a -8 to their Strength stat for the rest of the fight
Sarah let her family hug and pull her around, not saying anything. No point in telling them about the blood on her when it was too late. “Who's the guy, Sarah?” She heard Benjamin ask her, looking over her shoulder at Akio, her eyes going wide when she realized she was being rude by making Akio just stand there watching them. “Short isn't he?” Her mother snickered. Sarah could only sigh at her mother. “Everyone is short to you mom....” She muttered before pulling from her family. “This is Kawaguchi, he's a baiter. He and I were on a mission in town. Kawaguchi, my family. Marisa and Jameson, the eldest is William, the twins are Benjamin and Franklin, and Henry.” As she introduced her family, she pointed at each one so she was sure Akio knew who exactly she was introducing. “Already ditching Vincent huh sis?” Franklin snickered, Benjamin smirking beside him. Sarah frowned at them, but didn't say anything.
“Oh hush it both of you. That's not the important thing. In case you didn't hear, your sister was on a mission and is covered in blood. Both of them! Henry, shorty looks like he's your size, give him some of the spare clothes you left here. Then show him the upstairs bathroom so he can shower.” Marisa said quickly, pushing Henry toward Akio while she took Sarah. Sarah looked behind her to give Akio an apologenic look before letting her mother show her to her room, even though she didn't forget where it was. She was only gone for a day. Once they were in her room, her mother could only smile at her daughter as she closed the door. “He was cute.”
“It's not like that mom.” Sarah said as she looked at her room. They really didn't change anything. Her bed still had the same white sheets with cream edgings and matching pillows. Her light brown dresser was sitting beside the bathroom door she had, she had the only room with it's own bathroom. Her parents insisted since she was the only sister.
“Obviously not, or else you would be a lot shyer about him” Her mother said. “I want grandchildren from my only daughter too you know.” She crossed her arms and pouted.
“Mooom.” Sarah couldn't believe it, her mother already had five grandkids, how many more did she want? “Please go, I want to get clean and make this day be over okay?”
Her mother raised her hands, standing up. “Alright, alright. I'll set up the living room. Strange house, strange people. I'm sure he would like to stick to you at least.” She said before heading out.
Sarah sighed with relief, hoping Akio was doing alright with Henry. Given Henry wasn't the type to tease. He was pretty calm and distant. Sarah collected her pajamas, an over-sized shirt and pajama bottoms with little dogs on them, and headed into her personal bathroom. Sarah removed her headphones, hearing the hard sound of nothing. She set the headphones on her stand she had for them in the bathroom, taking off her blood soaked clothes soon after. She was glad to get them off, pushing them away from her with her toe. She looked at her under garments, glad to see that they were unstained from the mess. She was glad, they were one of her favorites. She now learned her lesson about wearing good clothes on missions.
Sarah turned on the water to the shower, removing her lingerie as she waited for the water to heat up. She climbed into the bathtub, letting out a sigh of relief as the warm water hit her skin. She took her time, cleaning herself about three times to make sure she had gotten the blood off her. She didn't want to get in again just because she missed a spot, taking more time than she needed.
Sarah looked at herself in the mirror over the sink, smiling a bit when she saw that the blood was completely gone. Good. She glanced down, seeing that her blood soaked clothes were completely missing. Her mother must have gotten them and was getting rid of them. Sarah dried quickly with a towel that her mother must have set out for her. Sarah didn't recall grabbing one but there was one resting on the sink. She dressed into her pajamas, putting her headphones back on, and walked back downstairs, seeing that her mother indeed set up the living room where each of the couches had a blanket and a pillow, the coffee table had a plate of cheese and crackers she was sure Megan, the maid, had set out for them. She hadn't seen Megan at all though, so she must have set up the plate and left quickly. Sarah sat down on one of them, hoping that Akio was doing alright. She didn't know which bathroom he was in, and she certainly wasn't about to try and find out. It was creepy and her brothers wouldn't let her live it down.
Sarah looked around the living room, gently rubbing the pillow beside her. It was nice to be home though. She felt really comfortable here, not like in her apartment. She figured it was because it was because she wasn't use to it. But as she looked around the living room, she saw the big difference between her apartment and her family's living room. The pictures that were hanging on the walls. There were several, ones of her brothers, her parents, of her and of Jenny too. There were mixtures of who was with who in each picture. The one of her and Jenny was more of a poster look. They had their backs to each other, Jenny holding a white rose close to her lips, Sarah doing the same but with a black rose. Jenny was wearing a black dress that complimented her dark brown skin with ribbons wrapping around her arms and her neck, tangling with Sarah's white ribbons that were wrapped around her. Sarah was wearing a white dress that made Sarah's skin actually look like it had color. It was a picture they took not to long ago, about a year ago before they went on their last tour together. Jenny always liked to make pictures mean something, especially with the two of them. They were wearing the same dress, just different colors. To Jenny, it meant that while they were friends and liked many of the same things, their paths were going different directions, like black and white.
Sarah sighed, laying down finally. She didn't last long though, she was already tired, the moment her head rested comfortably on the pillow, her eyes drifted closed and she was out. It wasn't long before her mother walked in, unhooking the headphones herself and pulling the blanket over her daughter.
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Outfit: Pajamas Headphones: Attached -> Unattached: Can Hear -> Can't Hear Line Count: 8064 OOC: Translation:
Quote:
Sarah
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 89 Health: 350/660 Control Limit: 712
Skill: 68 [78] Strength: 50 Defence: 60 [70]
Quote:
Tactical Advantages
Tank - Level 1 - You gain 10 extra Defense. However, you also receive a -5% to your defensive chances.
Quote:
Royal Guard
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 38 Health: 0/180
Skill: 50 Strength: 15 Defense: 11 [21]
Tactical Advantage: Tank
Ominous Noodles
Posted: Mon May 09, 2016 5:10 pm
Akio stood in the shower, the water cold and refreshing as it poured over him like a cold rainy day. The streams of water slid over his body, curving over the muscles that had been building up over the course of the past two years. He was lucky to have the right body type to build up muscle, shoulders wide with a strong back to compliment. It created a rather bulky frame and strong figure, one that he liked and appreciated quite a bit. He could feel the water curve over the soreness that encapsulated him. It hurt to move, to think about moving, to look at something moving. So, Akio leaned against the wall in the shower, watching the water slide off his body and land at his feet. It was oddly peaceful listening to the falling water, closing his eyes to better enjoy the time he had left. The room was otherwise quiet, the only sounds to be heard was the falling water and his slow but steady heartbeats that pulsed in his ears.
After a few moments, he continued with his shower, washing his hair and making sure that every speck of blood was off his body before stepping out. The towel he was given was still folded and left on the toilet seat. With a quick unfolding, Akio pressed the soft cotton onto his face, where and stood for a moment, praying that the soft throbbing at his temples would simply just go away. Of course, that wouldn’t happen, though. Lifting his head, he looked in the mirror, making sure to check himself out.
The first thing which caught his eye was the piercing decal which kept his new AI. Originally, it was a simple black chain which rested against his skin, one black tag that was blank attached to the end of it which rested against his pectoral. Then, with the Crushtacean, it was a brownish color, tints of darker brown running through it creating a rough looking texture. The flat piece of metal had been engraved with a small bit of the code that made the AI up, the lettering a deep black to contrast the browns. Now, it was oddly pretty, a cold steel with a beautiful pulsating blue where the coding was. The steely silver gleamed against his skin beautifully, the blue fading from a dark blue to an ice blue, then back again. Leaning forward, Akio placed a hand on it, lightly placing his fingertips on it to give it a better look. ‘Damn, I look good. Mmmm….’ The E-Trooper said, checking himself out through Akio’s eyes.
Akio couldn’t help but let out a snort of a laugh, then shook his head, finally leaning back to dry off his hair. “Keep telling yourself that, Mary.” He said allowed, a slight smile on his face.
An almost audible groan escaped the E-Trooper, ‘but I’m bored. You’re so boring in your head. Specially when you’re alone. To logical, and emotional. Easy to predict.’
Akio frowned, glancing back to the strange piercing, just to have something to stare daggers at. “Easy to predict, hmm?” Akio said, “Shaking his head, then moving to dry the rest of his body off. “Says the AI who was programed for one purpose, to destroy. I think you’re just bored.”
‘I am!’ Screamed the AI in his head, sounding more like a whiny teen than a fully programed Artificial Intelligence made to destroy the human race. ‘Your brain is boring. You’ve shut everything off, and you don’t care. And all of the interesting stuff is locked away, blocked behind a wall I can’t get to. I wanna know, damn it!’
“Stick around long enough, maybe you will.” Akio pulled on the pair of boxer briefs he had worn earlier, simply not having a decent change of clothing on him for the next day. They were simple and black, fitting him in just the right way to accentuate is rather nice and shapely butt, then pulled on the clothing which Henry thankfully provided. They were very simple clothes, a baggy T-shirt and a pair of joggers. The clothing wasn’t much, but it was good enough to sleep in. The shirt was simple and black, but the material was soft and strong. It had no graphic on it, which Akio appreciated, and fit him rather well, meaning it was baggy on Henry. The joggers were oddly comfortable, and a matching black, made from a thicker softer material and fit him just as well as the shirt did. Over all, he didn’t look bad, and that’s what mattered to him.
With all of this done, Akio walked out of the bathroom with his clothing folded and the towel he used to dry himself hung up to dry in its proper place. The house wasn’t very difficult to navigate in the slightest, easily coming up to where the living room was. Inside, Sarah’s mom was just leaving, obviously having just finished pulling a blanket over Sarah to let her sleep easier. Her mom did little teasing, but told him that she was sound asleep, and her headphones were removed so she couldn’t hear anything. When she left Akio in the room alone with the sleeping Sarah, he sighed in relief. It wasn’t that he disliked Sarah, just the idea that he would have to sit in a room while he waited for her to fall asleep, perhaps even talk to her, was a little daunting. Small talk could only get him so far, and he didn’t really feel like making connections to anyone.
Akio walked to the free couch, flopping down and immediately taking out his tablet to browse around on the net. There wasn’t much going on, but he did finally realize that he had a social media account, so browsed that for about an hour before getting bored. There wasn’t much to see, his friends from college posting about how they were all getting married, or having kids. So, instead, he sat on the couch, bored for a few moments, not really doing much of anything. He wasn’t tired, nor was he going to fall asleep any time soon. He figured there wasn’t anything in the fridge he wanted, though he also didn’t feel like checking, and he didn’t feel like simply sitting on a stranger's couch eating their food. Even if Sarah’s mom said it was okay.
‘Ey, you said I was predictable, yes?’ Akio asked the E-Trooper, who was still incredibly bored inside Akio’s mind.
‘Very. Very predictable.’ The Trooper responded, his voice indignant.
Akio then smiled and closed his eyes, drifting into his mind palace and shutting off the real world, if even for a moment. Inside his mind, he now sat in the livingroom of his home in Hokkaido, sitting across a table from the Trooper. The room was larger than his home in real life, full of random nicknacks and toy to serve as memories and to-do lists. The table was surrounded by a couch, the seats built into the floor so that they sat at the table, forced to sit either on their ankles or criss-cross. Outside, it was raining, droplets splashing on the large windows that looked out to a forest beyond. The sound of rain didn’t meet them, however, the only sounds floating around them being soft music coming from a piano in another room. Akio wore a slight smirk on his face as he watched the E-Trooper look around, then finally face Akio with what appeared to be a confused look. “Care to play a game of chess?” Akio asked, motioning to the chess board on the table between them.
‘Oh, I would love to crush you at this simpletons game.’ Akio continued to smirk, then silently made his first move, moving up his King’s pawn to E4. The Trooper retaliated with his same pawn to E5, then looked to Akio like he had everything figured out.
“Pawn to F4, King’s Gambit.” Akio said, barely having to think about his next move.
‘Accepted, pawn takes pawn.’ The E-Trooper continued to look smug, though this move was only made to further the game.
Akio’s next move was aggressive, but with a special intent. “Bishop to C4.” This made the Trooper tilt his head to the side, thinking about his next move. It was clear that the Trooper wasn’t full programed to play the game, though Akio was sure that this game would be his only shot at winning. If he lost this game, he’s never win against the trooper. ‘Queen to H4. Check.’
“Also aggressive. King to F1.” This was a simple move, only serving to move the king to the side in way of keeping him out of check. ‘Pawn to B5.’ Said the Trooper, moving swiftly forward.
“Interesting move, Bishop takes pawn.” If the Trooper could frown, he would have at that moment. ‘Knight to F6’
The moves went on like this for a good while. Akio moving his pieces quickly and efficiently, the E-Trooper moving rather aggressively. Eventually, he got to a point where the E-Trooper figured he would be the one winning, leaning back in his seat with what Akio could only assume was a smug look on his face. The E-Trooper taking Akio’s bishop, who retaliated by threatening the Queen. The pieces danced around each other, eventually landing in a Check against Akio’s King. The E-Trooper continued looking smug, moving his pieces across the board like it was a battle for the strongest, most aggressive player to win. However, Akio was completely relaxed, simply moving his king out of the way to E2.
This move confused the Trooper, but he continued anyway, thinking through his next few movements. The Trooper managed to take Akio’s Rook, wiping both from the board, now sure of his win. Akio moved his pawn, which only served to annoy the Trooper. ‘I have my whole army bearing down on your King, and you’re moving a pawn? It seems as if you don’t care about winning. Knight to A6.’
“Knight takes pawn at G7.” Akio smiled at the Trooper, “Check.”
The Trooper moved his King out of the way to D8, thinking things were perhaps too easy.
“Queen to F6. Check again, Sparks.”
Clearly, the Trooper had grown irritated, making his move with an aggressive flair. ‘Knight takes queen at F6. What are you doing, pretty boy?’
“Winning, obviously. Bishop to B7. Check mate.” Akio grinned, looking up at the Trooper, who had just come to realize exactly what had happened. “Predictable, hmm?” Akio remained smiling, only doing so to further irritate the Trooper. It was going to be no contest the next time they played, but this singular win was absolutely beautiful, and Akio wanted to relish in the ability to have done it. “Nice playing with you.”
And with that, the room faded away, and Akio was back in Sarah’s living room. The game had only lasted a few moments, but had sated his boredom for the time being. Looking at his tablet, he realized that it was still only about midnight, and he wasn’t even close to being tired. So, with a sigh, he quietly got up from the couch and headed out the door. He planned on doing a small jaunt to the corner store, perhap walk around the city, then come back tired enough to fall asleep. Unfortunately for him, he ended up meeting with Henry, the one who had let him borrow the clothing.
Henry was quiet, but ended up insisting on going with him to show him where the best paths were, even if he was a Baiter and was perfectly safe going by himself. It wasn’t a bad experience, but one that he would have rather avoided all together. Henry ended up showing him a nice coffee shop that was open twenty four hours a day which they stopped at to have a couple drinks and talk. He eventually discovered Sarah’s motives for being a Baiter, who she was engaged to, who her best friend was, and a few other things that he didn’t think he wanted to know, but was surprisingly interested in.
Most of their conversation was about Sarah and Vincent, and how exactly Sarah was getting along. He couldn’t honestly say she was doing bad, but he still also didn’t know her very wall. Still, it was nice to hear that a brother cared so much about his sister so much. It had been a while since he had talked to any kind of sibling about their brother or sister. It had been a while since he had talked to Hideki, and the conversation served as a reminder to call him, perhaps check in on him to make sure he was holding up okay.
Henry must have picked up on something, and the conversation swerved back to Akio, Henry asking if he had any best friends, or siblings. “Only child, but I have a close friend who serves as a younger brother, all things considered.”
The young man simply nodded to this, saying how good it was that he had someone there with him. The conversation stopped at that point, however, their walk falling into silence as they made their way back to Henry’s place. The night was pleasant, and calm, even if it was a city. It seemed as if it were only him and Henry out at that time, everything else still and silent. The cafe had been nearly empty, and the shops were all closed. When they got back, it was well past one in the morning, so Henry walked back inside while Akio remained outside for a short cigarette break before walking back inside. When he was finished with this, he made his way back inside, flopped back on the couch, and fell right to sleep.
Lines: 8202 Ooc: Sorry not sorry for the novel lol
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 92 Health: 660/660 Control Limit: 736
Acupuncturist - Level 4 - Your blows hit pressure points, causing the foe to move slower and be less proficient with their attacks. When you deal damage, the foe suffers a -8 to their Strength stat for the rest of the fight
