| An Unexpected Ally; Sayako Morinaga's Introduction [Closed] | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 20 2016, 08:12 PM (877 Views) | |
| The One True Nobody | Jan 21 2016, 11:31 AM Post #11 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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"Oh, hello!" Sayako began to say, turning to look at the first girl to slide out of the passing throng of shoppers passing hither and thither, raising a hand in greeting. From the girl's greeting and Harada-san's answer, Sayako gathered that her name was Mai Takagawa, and she seemed to be family, of a sort, to Harada. That was nice, and Sayako, since she'd made a beeline for the video import shop after arriving, hadn't spoken to any fellow girls besides Teruko yet. Maybe this girl attended Taiyoutono High School as well? Maybe they could be friends! She'd never had particularly good friends in Inaba. She'd had gossip-buddies, she'd had an acquaintance in book club who'd loaned her books--more out of disapproval of stifling parenting techniques than friendship--who had graduated a year or so before her. Grade school had been a home-school affair, however, and in the two years she'd spent at high school, Sayako had been operating under the constraints of a very strict no clubs, come straight home after school rule. The only store she had ever visited in the market district had been Daidara's, and that only with her mother on her arm, because her family routinely bought swords and other martial arts equipment there. It was safe to say that, apart from a very strange group of repeat buyers a few years back, Daidara's eccentric business was mostly kept afloat by online orders and the Morinaga clan's business. The most exciting thing she'd ever had happen at her school in particular was one of her upperclassmen trying to claim responsibility for a bizarre string of murders that had happened in town--apparently he'd killed one of the teachers at a rival school, but the actual serial killer had been a police detective. When Sayako had asked her parents about this, her parents had bluntly told her to mind her own business and not to bother with village gossip. All of this was to say that Sayako led a very sheltered existence that didn't leave much room for casual acquaintance with anyone: the only times she'd had an at-length conversation with any of the girls in class was when her own turn to sweep up after class had come, the only days on which her parents tolerated a late return home. So Sayako's smile was bright at the approach of Mai! ...Not so bright at the clamor of another girl tripping over the sign she had. "Ah!" Sayako yelped, and immediately--in a reflexive motion quite beyond what one might expect of the average high school girl--she bent to retrieve the phone, only thwarted in doing so by Harada's hand getting to it first. She also didn't miss a beat when she saw he'd picked it up; her hand withdrew and she turned quickly to move beside the fallen girl, placing a hand on her shoulder and quickly speaking soft words of concern. "I'm sorry, are you okay? I should have moved that thing when I tripped over it, I'm sorry," she said. "Can you walk? If you can, let's go sit down in the food court, I'll buy you a drink, or a snack, or something as an apology." Sayako figured she did bear some responsibility for this; she'd gotten so caught up in this prospect of telling someone about The Lord of the Rings that she had completely forgotten to move the tripping hazard. She turned her eyes to the half-open sign, examining it closely for the first time. Such a sign should have been closed by gravity, laying flat on the ground at it was. Looking more closely, however, she saw that it had in fact been propped open by a rock. A rock from outdoors, in an indoor mall? No... wait. The rock looked a little too smoothly-rounded, and a little damp, as if it was mostly-but-not-quite dried by exposure to the air. A rock from a fountain, maybe? Did the mall's fountain have rocks in it? Whatever the case, Sayako knew, the sign had been placed as a deliberate prank. She slowly stood, moving to kneel instead by the Caution sign, and examined it. It had been tripped over twice, and thus jostled twice, and yet the rock that propped it open had not come free. She reached down, and gave the sign a slight upward tug, by appearances to open it wider, but she felt the resistance of the rock's weight for a moment; then, slowly, the rock fell free of the sign's "roof" half, a stretching tendril of pinkish goo attached to it. Chewing gum. Someone had rigged this amateur's trip hazard with a rock from the fountain and a wad of gum. Sayako didn't even know what to think; why would someone waste their time concocting something so foolish? |
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| Supnitle | Jan 21 2016, 03:33 PM Post #12 |
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Monika Apologist
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The girl Mai's... step-brother? Cousin? The girl Yuki (yes, that was much easier, Mai thought to herself) was talking to gave her a polite greeting and a smile, which Mai returned quickly. "Hello!" She replied, bowing. "Sorry to bother, uh..." Yuki then informed her of the situation, and Mai let out an awkward giggle, face flushing from embarrassment. "Oh, my apologies. I didn't mean to jump to conclusions." She turned to Sayako. "It's nice to meet you, Morinaga-san - " The introductions were cut short when someone walked by and tripped on a wet-floor sign. How clumsy, Mai thought to herself, watching as her phone skidded across the floor and the girl broke down into sniffles. Yuki went to retrieve the phone and Sayako went to comfort the girl; Mai mentally reprimanded herself for not going to do either of those things first. How impolite of her! Mai moved over next to the blubbering girl, on the opposite side of Sayako, and knelt down. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" She did seem surprisingly distraught for someone who had only dropped her phone. She looked over - Sayako had moved next to the offending sign. "Oh, Morinaga-san, should we move the... uh...?" Apparently there had been a rock inside the sign attached by a piece of gum. Ew. Mai gave a perturbed look, remaining at Momoko's side. |
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| Ket | Jan 22 2016, 01:51 AM Post #13 |
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No no no! She couldn't lose that phone! She can't afford another one! Nor did she want to bother her parents by asking for a spare. Her eyes glanced up for a moment when she caught Yuki walking over out of the corner of her eye. In a quick motion she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. It hit her very hard how mortifying all this was. She had just tripped on a freaking sign in public. And cried about it. ... Another sniffle. No no no! Keep it together! She was surprised when her phone was suddenly returned to her with the addition of friendly advice. In a flash she checked the phone itself. She pouted slightly as she saw a spider webbed crack spreading from the top. Hopefully it still worked..."I'm f-f-fine. Th-thank you very m-muaah!" Momoko stated after remembering where she was. She would scrutinize the phone later. The girl let out a surprised cry as she was lifted from the ground by Yuki. "Haha, th-thank you!" She couldn't help but giggle despite herself The next moment she felt a hand clasp her shoulder. "Oh, y-you don't have to a-a-apologize! I wa-wasn't paying attention!" While the prospect of free food and drink was ALWAYS appealing, she didn't want to take advantage of this woman's kindness. ""Ah, you d-don't have to do th-that! I-It was my fa-fault for not paying a-attention!" She smiled despite herself as yet another newcomer approached. All this attention was honestly begging to embarrass her. Oh please, you love this. Stop being annoying Kobalos! Not a chance! She wiped her eyes one last time before speaking, hoping that not too many tears had escaped and stained her cheek."Oh, I-I'm fine, th-thank you for asking. I-I just...We-well I should pay more at-attention to my surroundings." She couldn't help but smile brightly despite the embarrassment. Naturally, the smile faded as the woman investigated the sign itself. One would see many emotions flash over Momoko's face as the scene went on. First curiosity at what she was doing. Next came shock at the discovery of a rock and gum! Then came the blind rage. Someone had set this up!? Her eyes narrowed at the passing crowd. Some were naturally looking this way due to the incident, but she didn't quite care about them. If someone set this up, they'd be around right? They'd want to see it for themselves and possibly record i- Oh God no. "Wh-who would think th-this kind of th-thing is funny!" She huffed, crossing her arms as she scrutinized the crowds passing by. Me! Definitely me! |
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| Nonsequitur | Jan 22 2016, 10:59 PM Post #14 |
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Yellow Bubblegum
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Yuki wasn't exactly in a good position to respond, having to try and quickly wolf down the remainder of his meal to actually say anything without being a disgraceful mess. He simply gave a not in acknowledgment to Momoko's thanks and then followed the direction everyone was focused on. Namely, the sign. It wasn't just awkwardly placed in a high traffic area. Apparently it was intentional sabotage for someone's idea of 'fun.' Normally, there was little that got a visible rise out of Yuki. He wore the same neutral, kind of flat expression when he was angry, happy or just growing weary of life. But this revelation had his eyes narrow, he didn't so much frown as snarl. With a final swallow, he hissed. "Scum." There was no other word to describe someone who set up such a thing. But it was mostly handled by Sayako at the moment, his expression 'softened' into it's usual bland look by the time he turned to Mai. He should have said something to her, right? It was only appropriate. "So… what brings you here?" |
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| The One True Nobody | Jan 22 2016, 11:26 PM Post #15 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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Sayako liked to think she was at least a little bit quick on the uptake. At the very least it seemed the other girl who'd tripped might be on the right track; she was looking around at the crowd, but Sayako, keeping her face as neutral as she could, ran the entire scenario back and forth and up and down in her mind, examining it from every angle she could think of. Standing up, she looked over to Momoko, and her eyes fell on the phone. She caught a faint, momentary glimpse of its cracked screen, and she knew that in all likelihood, Momoko wouldn't be able to replace or repair a mobile phone as readily as she herself could. Her lips curled downward, the frown deepening. She looked to Mai when the girl approached, leaving a question half-asked as she noticed what Sayako had discovered there. A person who'd set this up would get no satisfaction from walking away and not seeing the result, or lack thereof. That person would probably be looking for more than just a laugh if they stayed to witness it. With that in mind, it wasn't a stretch to think that someone might be recording them, probably with their phone. Sayako knew that some people liked to post videos of successful pranks on the Internet. Phone or camcorder, but they'd have to be nearby, and they'd want to be somewhere with less likelihood of the passing throng of people obstructing their recording. Sayako turned her eyes away from the crowd, to the nearest shops on this side of the aisle. The hallway that led to the restrooms was deserted, but the shop next to it--one of those "edgy" clothes shops that also sold pop culture novelties--happened to have a few people milling about within view of the entrance. One of them was completely still, and while one hand was leafing through a rack of shirts, Sayako could just barely see, sticking out of his pants pocket, a mobile phone's top end, with the small, black circular lens of the built-in camera exposed, his hip angled just-so, ensuring the camera was pointed directly at the entrance of the shop--straight at the place the sign had been set up. He wasn't looking directly at them, though. He didn't know she was onto his game. Sayako slowly stood, and began to walk toward the shop. She looked back to the others as she moved, quickly motioning with one finger at her lips: Don't say anything. Be silent. She looked back relatively quickly, to make sure that the boy still wasn't looking, and quite aware that if any of the others did or said anything rash--or made a noise because they hadn't realized what she was doing--then this would probably end up turning into a chase. If she could get close enough, though, Sayako knew she could take that phone, the evidence she needed, before it even stopped recording. After that, it was just a matter of getting the attention of someone with authority and showing it to them. Then, perhaps, she could see about compensation for that young woman's phone. |
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| Supnitle | Jan 23 2016, 12:52 AM Post #16 |
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Monika Apologist
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Apparently, the sign had been intentionally sabotaged, presumably by some ne'er do well with too much time on their hands. Mai's lips curled downwards in a frown as she stood up, shaking her head. "Some people..." Of course, she didn't intend to pursue the topic any further than that. Sayako, apparently, did - the other girl went over and started stalking towards some boy standing nearby, who seemed to be recording the entire thing. Mai opened her mouth to say something, but Sayako turned around and shushed the group before she could. Right - probably best to be quiet with this sort of thing. Mai looked over at her step-cousin? step-brother? when he asked what she was doing, offering another smile - hopefully this would break the tense-feeling mood. "Oh, um, just walking around and getting used to the town. Figured I would see the shopping center, first. What are you doing here, Harada-san?" She asked, turning the question back on him. |
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| Ket | Jan 23 2016, 01:14 AM Post #17 |
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It seemed like everyone had the same reaction. Still, Momoko was rather surprised when Sayako suddenly walked off. She began to call after her when she turned and shushed the group. Momoko tilted her head, but remained silent. After a moment, it clicked. Her eyes moved to where Sayako was going. Once there, her eyes narrowed on a certain individual. For the second time that day her face reddened. Anger bubbled to the surface once more, but this time she didn't fly into a frenzy. She managed to calm herself and turn away from the situation. She didn't want to ruin Sayako's plan. Now, if fists started flying she would be the first to lend a hand. She'd just wait until then. You mean a foot right? I know where you'll aim. Just making sure he doesn't have brat kids. Despite turning away, it appeared she would be the third wheel in this conversation. These two apparently knew each other. It was probably as good of a time to check on her phone as any. She raised it once more and tapped the home button. Thankfully, it turned on, but the display was quite distorted. Texting just became ten times harder for her. The rage came back with a vengeance. Her cheeks puffed out slightly as she tried with every ounce of her being not to sprint over to that stupid, tacky, clothes store and dropkick a delinquent in his weak point. Edited by Ket, Jan 23 2016, 09:01 PM.
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| Nonsequitur | Jan 23 2016, 03:05 AM Post #18 |
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Yellow Bubblegum
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The reality was that most people who did that sort of thing did get away with it. In a large public venue there were just too many chances to just put their head down and walk away before they were noticed. But Sayako did notice them, or at least someone she thought was responsible. She seemed intent to march up to them and didn't want them to raise the suspicion any more than necessary. He was not less happy about the situation than anyone else, but he remained impassive. Not just because he was asked. It wasn't good to act rashly there. Delivering a sound beating to anyone but the person responsible was almost as wrong as the sign trick, so they had to make sure that it was the guilty party before fists started swinging. "Ah. I had to buy a new phone myself." He also had to get out of the house for a while. He didn't hate any of his family by any means, but he definitely hated not getting a moment's peace in his own house because it was suddenly packed with chattering hens. He glanced back to Momoko, she was quiet and checking her phone's condition. "Was it damaged badly? I am Yuki Harada, this is Mai Takagawa, by the way." It seemed they would best stay put until Sayako was back, so introductions were in order, he supposed… |
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| The One True Nobody | Jan 23 2016, 01:21 PM Post #19 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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As she got closer, Sayako lightly bit the inside of her lip. It was unlikely she'd snag the phone without this boy noticing that it was gone, or at least without noticing fairly quickly. He was probably at least somewhat focused on his hip; the absence of the tightness in his pocket and the subtle weight of the phone would not go un-felt for long. No outbursts of confusion sounded from behind her, though; that was good... she averted her eyes from the boy and approached at an angle as if to pass by behind him. She would have to do this without slowing her walk, which meant she had to move her hand just so, like Teruko had taught her. As she neared, she could make out some of his features out of the corner of her eye: the silvery color of the steel chain that dangled as an ornament from his pants, his bleached-brown hair. The faint blur of a logo on the back of his jacket. None of it mattered. She focused on the layout of his clothing above the phone. The jacket, which was meant to hang over his pocket, was tucked behind the phone-camera that stuck out from his pocket. The success of this plan might well hinge on whether it was simply tucked between the belt of the pants and the phone, or tucked into the pants themselves, because the absence of the phone would cause it to fall free and probably disturb the wearer unless it was tucked into the pants themselves. She could only check by stopping close by, too close. She would have to gamble on it. As Sayako neared the boy, she felt her nerves begin to spike, and her hand begin to shake; immediately she imagined herself in another time and place, and the image calmed her. She was a spry little halfling thief on the market street of some bustling fantasy town, casually strolling down the road, half an eye on her mark. And when she got there, she would swipe his pouch of gold before he even decided what to buy, let alone realized he no longer had gold to buy it with. She passed, her hand moved. She slowed, just subtly enough to concentrate on the maneuver. Two fingers clamped down on the left and right sides of the phone, and she pulled back her hand in time with her walk, so that it didn't push into the boy's side and alert him to its presence. A quick, vertical upward slide, a stealthy withdraw of the hand. The boy didn't move. The hand which had stolen his phone from his pocket disappeared into her purse. His jacket was tucked into his pants; it did not fall free. Sayako didn't speed up, but she turned down an aisle, disappearing from the sight of the store entrance. For the moment, the boy wasn't looking up. He was still rifling through that line of shirts-on-hangers, the same ones he'd been examining for about five minutes now. |
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| Supnitle | Jan 23 2016, 08:42 PM Post #20 |
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Monika Apologist
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Mai nodded. "Ah, I see." Apparently the whole day was just about phones, now - people dropping them, people buying new ones... "Did you end up finding one?" Mai asked Yuki, out of politeness more than actual curiosity. Yuki was a hard one to read. Mai purposefully kept a frown from coming up on her face, keeping up a pleasant semi-smile; he always seemed so distant, so it was hard for Mai to figure out if he was just always like that or not interested in the conversation. Before that actually came up at all, however, Yuki directed the conversation back to the second girl who had tripped, and Mai suddenly gasped. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't introduce myself." Thankfully, Yuki introduced both of them for her. Mai smiled. "It's nice to meet you, and... oh, oh dear." She couldn't help but glance over at the screen of Momoko's phone, seeing how disfigured the display had become. "Hopefully you can get it repaired, right? Do you have a warranty?" As they talked, Mai occasionally glanced back at Sayako, trying to see if she was going to get in trouble or anything. She glanced over just in time to see her pocket the guy's phone before ducking around the corner. Mai's blinked, mouth agape. Had she seen that correctly. She turned back around to the other two and whispered, "Er, did she just...?" |
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