| Does anybody have a metal detector?; [Toru, Benkei, Seiji, Hanako - Closed] | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 20 2013, 12:33 AM (375 Views) | |
| The One True Nobody | Dec 20 2013, 12:33 AM Post #1 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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This thread takes place the morning after Like You've Seen a Ghost. --- "Visitors? I thought y'were goin' t' bed." Etsuko's response had been incredulous. Masumi's answer, a harried and fast one as she bundled her clothes up into her arms and rushed to the bathroom to take a quick shower, was sharp and half-panicked: "Well, plans change! Don't worry about the disguise, Etsuko honey, they're all trustworthy! I-I don't know one of them but the others you've met before. Now I really have to clean myself up, I'm sorry--!" Fast forward to some time later. Etsuko was sitting on the couch, hands clamped between her knees. The sound of the shower upstairs had just stopped. She sat there, looking quickly between clock, window, and staircase. Something about this sudden visit made her feel itchy, nervous... guilty. The skin under her shirt, against which her sister's diamond ring hung on a string, seemed to tingle as if it knew that she shouldn't have had the item, shouldn't have met her sister the night before. And Masumi had asked about a diamond ring... but that had to be coincidence. There was no way she could know about the ring, or the meeting, or--or-- Etsuko gulped a bit. Meanwhile, upstairs, Masumi was frantically trying to dry herself off as fast as humanly possible, because she could sense Raphael outside, casually strolling up to the front door. --- Toru Motou was not casually strolling however. His can clacked on the ground with every step and he was only slowed by the fact that he could not run--he had taken a bus to get here, his car was still in the shop, and in spite of his injured leg, he had to willfully repress the urge to jog. Masumi would no doubt know he was there, the man realized when he reached the doorway... and if not Masumi, then-- THEN SADAKO. DO NOT DELAY. ENTER NOW. Toru had attempted to call to confirm that Masumi had genuinely sent the message, but he had received no answer... which meant either she hadn't, or that he had been unlucky enough to catch her while she was in the shower. In other words, it could have meant anything or nothing. The journalist hovered outside the door, leaning on his cane, staring at the doorknob. The door would be locked, not just the knob but the additional locks on the inside as well... he had no time to contemplate breaking and entering, however, as the sound of a car rolling up the street met his ears. He turned to look... |
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| Nonsequitur | Dec 20 2013, 12:49 AM Post #2 |
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Yellow Bubblegum
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"I told you, I checked three times. That's the only reading I get!" He lamented as he sat in the backseat of Hanako's car, on route to Masumi's Behind the driver's seat, Hanako didn't look back to respond. "No one's saying you're wrong, Seiji-san…" Although, unbeknownst to everyone, they should. A minor detail that had eluded everyone for so long was that Seiji couldn't detect the wearer of the ring. He had assumed that was a safety feature to ensure Nishiyo didn't accidentally figure out something was up. In truth? It was just a quirk of his scanning, a limit they had discovered without realizing it. If he just could have said the ring was there but Nishiyo was long gone then maybe the occupants of the car wouldn't have been so tense, irritated or worried for the occupants of Masumi's home? Benkei, in the passenger's side, had nothing further to say. It wasn't until they came to Masumi's home and stopped did he have something to note, He got out of the car and quickly approached Toru. "Motou-san, have you been able to get in touch with Masumi-san?" He might not have known about the college student's romantic aims on Masumi. If he did, the obvious concern in his voice would have been quite understandable. |
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| The One True Nobody | Dec 20 2013, 01:07 AM Post #3 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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Toru waited until the car pulled up, having spotted the distinct features of Benkei through the windshield. He waited there, leaning on his cane with both hands in front of him, until they arrived. When he did, and Benkei stepped out, the journalist sighed, and removed one hand from his cane to pinch the bridge of his nose. "No," he sighed. "But then she did say she needed time to prepare, so she's probably in the shower. Last night--if my memory of her schedule serves me at all--was overnight shift at the grocery store three blocks east of here. So she probably meant to sleep half the day away before work in the afternoon." Toru's eyes flitted to Hanako, and then to Seiji. He considered the boy for a moment, and then said, 'TextLikeAnEgyptian,' is it? You're a scanner-type, so you could tell us who is--" A voice from the upstairs bathroom window called out: "H-Hold on, I'll be down in a minute! Etsuko honey, could you please get the door?" Toru paused, blinking, and turned toward the front door of the house. He seemed nonplussed. "Shower it is, then...?" he murmured. Several seconds later, the door slowly opened, and a short-haired girl with brown eyes and a simple girl's autumn ensemble in earthy browns and grays peeked out, eyes flitting from one face to the next. They hovered for a moment on Benkei's face. Whatever warmth she might have had when looking at the man last time wasn't there anymore. If anything, she looked nervous. "Hiya," she said, and stepped aside. "I hope y'all have a good reason t'be here. Masumi ain't got many sleepin' hours left..." |
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| Nonsequitur | Dec 20 2013, 01:17 PM Post #4 |
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Yellow Bubblegum
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"That's right." Seiji responded, adjusting his glasses as he and Hanako followed soon after. Benkei approached. He managed to get a short introduction off, but then there she was…wow. She really…wow. "Yeah, it kind of is. Everything's okay, right? We think your sister's around here. That's a real cause of worry about you two." Hanako turned to Seiji, who was a bit taken aback by the strong resemblance the girl had for her older sister. "Seiji, you're su-" "GODDAMNIT YES! YES YES YES YES YES! THAT GAUDY-ASS RING NAOYA MADE FOR NISHIYO THAT SHE ALWAYS WEARS IS HERE! I HAVE NO DOUBTS!" The fact that everyone kept asking him if he was sure was beyond frustrating. If he wasn't sure beyond a shadow of a doubt, there would have been nothing worth mentioning, would there? He was grimly aware of the stakes, he hadn't made a mistake. "…okay, we just have to be sure." |
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| The One True Nobody | Dec 20 2013, 01:35 PM Post #5 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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"M-my sister isn't anywhere around here," Etsuko said stiffly. Her eyes flitted quickly to the side, uncomfortable as she was with the scrutiny of her face. She backed away from the door to let the four visitors in. Toru stepped through, watching the young girl carefully. No alarm or uncertainty, just instant denial. Curious... He had no time to consider this, as Seiji snapped at Hanako rather loudly just then, which wiped any potential tells off of Etsuko's face in favor of perfectly justifiable and utterly anonymous alarm. The girl gave a pretty bad start, and then, she was confused--instantly confused. "Um--uh...?" was all she managed to get out, before the bathroom door upstairs opened. "Really, now..." came a huff voice, and then quick, stomping footsteps. Before anyone knew it, Masumi was there, at the foot of the steps, peeking out and glaring at Seiji, the only male in the room whose voice she wouldn't have recognized straight off. "Keep your voice down. There isn't any need to scare Etsuko-chan, you know. She ran away for a reason." She briefly turned that same glare on all of the others, though it softened a fair bit when she looked at Benkei. Etsuko, meanwhile, had gone into a silent, secret panic. How could they know the ring was here? Why did they know the ring was here? What did that have to do with her sister being here? The girl closed the door the moment all four were inside and used the act of locking the internal locks as an excuse to turn away from the others, hiding the guilt on her face until she could push it down, under the surface. Masumi, hair still wet and currently lacking the usual butterfly hairclip, having donned a casual dress and jacket (it was still rather cold inside), put her hands on her hips, stepped away from the stairs, and said, "Well, off with your shoes, then. As you can tell, we're the only ones here and we're fine." She paused, frowning a bit. "And I looked around for a ring. There isn't one anywhere in or around the house, and Etsuko-chan says she hasn't seen any rings. Can you, I don't know, figure out where exactly it is?" "Is that within your capabilities, Seiji-san, or shall I pop down to my friend's shop down the way and borrow his metal detector?" Toru asked mildly, moving further into the house once his shoes were removed, and keeping his eyes on Etsuko. The girl turned away from the door locks, now looking fairly calm about things, if agitated by the sudden crowd crammed into Masumi's small sitting room. |
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| Nonsequitur | Dec 20 2013, 02:15 PM Post #6 |
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Yellow Bubblegum
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Benkei was the first one inside. His hands were at his side, but his posture still suggested he expected a fight to break out at any moment. His eyes darted from one side of their home to another, as if he expected danger from any direction. Hanako came next. Of course she brought knives when she thought she might have to face Nishiyo, She held one hand behind her back where the she kept the easiest to retrieve of the concealed blades. She gave Etsuko a sidelong glance as they walked in. "Etsuko-san, what's wrong?" She was concerned about her sister and her activities of course. But that went beyond just normal apprihension. And …the ring apparently being there and Masumi not noticing Nishiyo's presence, that meant… no…! She kept it to herself, though. There might have been another solution, maybe. Seiji was the last to come in and repeat the process of changing into some indoor slippers. Even after Toru. "Sorry, sorry… I just. I know what it means in general and for me if I fu-mess this up. Now suddenly I'm getting asked every ten minutes 'are you sure, are you sure?' of course I am…" Figure out where it was exactly? "Can I? I should able able to, now that I have all these points of reference…" He muttered. All the other users, and their locations would have been used as landmarks. He closed his eyes and…winced. It was a little painful, doing it so close. It was like he was getting a lot of feedback. Junk information his eyes ached at once. …but he also got a clear reading of where it should be. His eyes snapped open and he stared right at Etsuko. "…would you stop jerking us around and admit you have it, please?" "…Nishiyo isn't here now, but she was at some point, wasn't she?" Hanako added. She didn't sound accusing but rather said it quite calmly. That was the only explanation that made sense. "If she knows you're here, then you certianly can't stay here. I'll be damned if anything happens to either of you. You can stay we me, or with my folks…" "I have a house and a guest room?" Hanako quickly offered. She also looked to Masumi, she was almost hopeful that she'd finally had that talk they discussed with Etsuko by the that day. |
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| The One True Nobody | Dec 20 2013, 03:03 PM Post #7 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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Etsuko stopped, and she tensed a bit at Hanako's question. "Like I said, Masumi was about t' go t' bed. Suddenly there's four people here with barely any notice. So I'm a bit annoyed, is all. What'd ya expect?" The girl had sat herself back down on the couch, prepared to make herself look comfortable, when Seiji rattled off his apology and Masumi sighed, nodding in understanding. Etsuko just watched the boy incredulously. Sure of what, sure of what? Who the hell was this kid and why was it him they were asking about the ring? Then, he opened his eyes and-- Etsuko could only stare blankly, mouth open slightly, as he leveled his accusation. Masumi turned toward her, looking troubled. Etsuko's eyes flitted to her, hopeful, as if seeking backup, but-- "Etsuko-chan, did you lie to me...?" she asked, in a disappointed voice. Etsuko felt herself bristle at once. Before she could answer, Hanako was talking, and then Benkei, and then Hanako again, and Etsuko tried to get a word in edgewise, but then Toru pitched in, "My offer to share an apartment is still open, Masumi. You have been intending to leave these streets, after all..." Worried now, Masumi brushed a hand through her hair, looking quickly to Benkei, and stammered out, "Toru, I'm sure that's not necessary. Etsuko-chan, please, why don't you just tell me--" "I ain't lyin'!" Etsuko snapped, desperation clear in her voice. She had jumped to her feet, fists clenched at her sides. She could barely look any of them in the eye--when she met Benkei's eyes for half a second she visibly paled, remembering his name and Officer Yamada's among those Nishiyo had mentioned as wanting to kill her. "I don't have your stinkin' ring, okay?! Y'can't just point fingers like that, where's your proof, eh? Y'think I stole it from someone on the street or somethin', don'tcha? Well, I don't do that no more! I don't! I don't 'cause I don't hafta! I ain't leavin' Masumi either, so go fuck yourselves if you're gonna try and make me!" Masumi put a hand to her mouth, and her response was only delayed by indecision: should she tell Etsuko she wouldn't have to leave, reassure her... or berate her for that disgusting language? For a few seconds she honestly wasn't sure which was more important. What would a real mother do...? |
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| Nonsequitur | Dec 20 2013, 05:49 PM Post #8 |
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Yellow Bubblegum
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"Etsuko-san, no one's accusing you of stealing anything. We just-" "It's not my ring. I don't want it. The ring belongs to Nishiyo Sadako. In fact? It was used to tract her movements, if you really wanna know." He turned back the way he came. The way which Masumi just securely locked back up. "Excuse me, Suzuki-san? Could you let me back out? I'm just going to wait in the car while you all sort this out." "Etsuko. How you got the ring doesn't matter. It means you've contacted Nishiyo, and that means things could really get dangerous for Masumi soon." And that was that, the two were safe so long as they remained unknown by Nishiyo or the rest of the Sadakos. If that changed they had a very big problem. |
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| The One True Nobody | Dec 20 2013, 06:03 PM Post #9 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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Masumi blinked, and then looked at Seiji as if she hadn't heard him. "Oh--o...okay, then," she said awkwardly, and hurried past Seiji to undo the locks that Etsuko had re-locked. It was something Seiji could have done himself, really--none of the inner locks needed any keys. She opened the door, and, leaned in, looking strained, "You're--n-never mind, of course you're sure, just... why would she lie..." Etsuko folded her arms over her chest in a classic act of defiance, glaring at Seiji. "A likely story, that is. Since I ain't got no rings, you're obviously havin' me on!" And then, to Benkei: "I ain't seen Nishi since I was five. I dunno what shit you're tryin' ta pull--" "Etsuko, watch your mouth!" Masumi chided, turning back toward the girl. "They aren't lying, so please, just--" "Well, I ain't lyin' either!" |
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| Nonsequitur | Dec 20 2013, 06:25 PM Post #10 |
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Yellow Bubblegum
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It was more a matter of politeness for Seiji than anything. It was probably silly considering what he was doing was still tantamount to storming out. "I don't know, maybe it has to do with protecting her murdering, lying, blackmailing witch of a sister?" They all knew how it was, and Seiji was too tired and irritated to try keeping this or that from everyone present. "Masumi-san? I think you should tell her. Everything." It involved her sister and nothing short of sending her away from Nagashima that very day never to return was going to keep her from getting dragged into it, right? Benkei had his own ideas. "…you know, Etsuko, last night your sister arranged to have me kidnapped." That's how she always started it, a kidnapping. Despite what she said her intentions were that night he knew where it normally lead when Nishiyo had someone kidnapped. That alone was infuriating. Beyond infuriating. |
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