[Rise called over from down the street waving her friend over. Naoto was one of the few people from their group in her year after all, and she had an easier time getting along with the cool detective than Kanji. Still it was unusual for her to call out Naoto alone, but she figured she could help the girl get some quality girl time in for a change.]
Naoto-kun, I've been meaning to get you a little something to show how much you mean to me as a friend, and I thought, why not let you help me pick it out for you? We can turn it into a shopping trip into town! What do you say?
[It really was unusual for Rise to call Naoto out alone without any other members of the investigation team around, but even if they didn't hang out much outside of the times they were all together as a group she was still a friend. She accepted the invitation with a bit of confusion and once she heard why she was actually called out here that confusion only increased.
Her brow furrows at the request. It all seemed so... unnecessary.]
A gift isn't necessary Rise-chan. I'd be more than happy to simply spend time with you.
[Not that shopping was the peak of excitement for her or anything, but she could deal.]
[Rise sighed, it was times like these that she knew the reason why Naoto felt more like a guy at times, because clearly she was a bit less frivolous than her. For Rise a shopping trip was a chance to go out, see new things, try to get the best prices and accessorize! For Naoto... she suspected it was probably just a chore like going to pick up milk.]
Aww, don't be like that, it'll be fun I promise! Besides, if I want to get you a gift you should just accept it gracefully because it's simply good manners.
[Okay she might have been making that up, but she's fairly certain that was an unspoken rule somewhere in the universe.]
So where do you wanna go first? I kind of wanna pick out a new skirt and a hat, but I thought you might wanna put in some input since we're also going to be getting you a gift. Do we wanna go to the shopping district first, or skip right to Okina?
[She absolutely made that up, but Rise had already moved on and was very clearly not going to take no for an answer.]
I suppose that would depend on what you were looking for, but if you're unsure I'm certain Okina would have a bigger selection of items for you to choose from.
[Kida was out cruising the streets of Ikebukuro after school, as usual. He didn't have any end goal in mind, other than keeping his mind off his current problems (specifically: how best to protect his friends from the Slasher, and whether or not he could afford to stay away from his past mistakes if he really meant to do that with 100% of his strength). He's simply wandering, hands in his pockets, deceptively watchful for all his casual mien.
...Which is why he notices the slight figure in the newsboy cap purposefully approaching Shizuo Heiwajima.
For the first second, he doesn't move. Then his eyes dart to that too-pretty face, the gracefulness of the stranger's frame, the way they move--and then Kida's moving also, smoothly interposing himself between the strongest man in Ikebukuro and this unsuspecting girl (because she was a girl, he was certain of it, there was no fooling the eye of a true connoisseur of womanhood!).]
Ahhh, at long last, here you are! I'd almost started to think you'd stood me up, but ~OF COURSE~ I had more faith in you than that!
[With a smile and a twinkle in his eye, he firmly links arms with her, towing her away before either of them gain any unwanted, unfortunate attention from the lanky blonde smoking nearby.
He'll explain himself in a minute, but. First, more distance between themselves and Certain Death is necessary. 8|]
[There was a reason this slight figure was approaching Shizuo Heiwajima. The reason was simple: she had been hired to do a job and the best source of information was likely to come from him. When a strange blond boy very purposefully steps between her and her intended target to say she's not pleased is a bit of an understatement. Naoto positively bristles with annoyance.]
Excuse me? What exactly do you think you're --
[And then very suddenly the boy's gone and linked his arm with hers and has started to pull her away and WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?]
Let go of me! I have business with that man and I don't know what you think you're doing, but I do not appreciate being manhandled!
[Kida's smile only gets wider and more desperate, for the few who know how to see it and he doubles their pace, swiftly towing the girl out of earshot of Shizuo.]
Mm, but I don't think I know what I'm doing, I ~DEFINITELY~ know what I'm doing! Unlike you, it would seem, if you think that approaching Shizuo Heiwajima-san is something you can do so casually!
[They're out of earshot now, but still within sight, so Kida's going to keep pulling her along at a good pace, making sure to turn a corner as soon as possible, but not stopping even then.
And of course, he keeps babbling away the entire time.]
Ahhhh, no no, we're complete opposites, no matter how you look at it! Which makes even the possibility of a ~STAR-CROSSED LOVE STORY~ infinitely more appealing!
[The look on Naoto's face has gone from an indignant frown to one of incredulous anger in seconds. Once they've turned the corner she tries to rip her arm away from the boy who's been tugging her along.
She sighs heavily, rubbing at her temples.]
I have no idea what you're talking about, nor do I care to find out. As I have already said previously, I have business with him and the way I approach him is certainly no business of yours! I was scheduled to meet with him!
[It'd been a little more than a month since Naoto had recovered and joined the Investigation Team. She was still getting used to being part of something. Still getting used to the idea that she had friends now. She was getting used to texting her peers and laughing and going out after school to do something other than work and study.
They were nice changes though. Changes that she had really always hoped would come one day. What she was having trouble getting used to was abrupt phone calls like this one. She knew how to deal with them on a professional level, of course. There had been times when she'd been called in the middle of the night for work reasons, but when a friend called this late...
It was about 11:30 at night when the call came. She was already in her pajamas and getting ready for bed, but surely if it was this late into the evening there was some pressing reason for it.
She answers after a couple of rings, curiosity and slight concern in her voice.]
[This was a bad idea. It was a terrible, horrible, awful idea and he shouldn't be doing it. The smart thing would be to put the phone down, go to bed, and forget it was an idea he ever had. Instead, he found himself standing there, listening to a ring as he wanted for the one and only Naoto Shirogane to answer. Even now, he still couldn't convince himself that this was smart. It was something that made sense for exactly one second, and she'd probably just laugh at him.]
[Still... he was worried, and she was the only one who might not just dismiss him outright. And if she did, well, then he'd know for sure he was worrying over nothing. Win-win, right? The only thing he had to worry about was looking foolish, and it wasn't like he'd never done that in his life.]
[When she answered though, it still took him a second to find his voice.]
Uh... hey. Sorry to bother you so late, but do you have a second? There's something bothering me, and I'm not really sure who else to go to.
[She shuffles over to her bed, plopping down on the mattress. Honestly, she's surprised Yosuke would be calling her for something like this. She's pleased to know that he trusts her enough to come to her with a problem, but it begs the question why would he be calling her when he had others he was closer to?
It seemed he was closest to Yu, but if he was unavailable there was still Chie or... any of the others who he's spent more time with. If he couldn't call Yu about this then... could it have something to do with him? Or perhaps this is something he needs an unrelated third party to weigh in on.]
I was just getting ready for bed, but I have some time. What's troubling you, senpai?
[He takes a deep breath. Time to rip the band aid off, right? Just beating around the bush never helped him - and he had the memories of Chie kicks to prove it.]
I know it's kind of weird, but I was hoping we could talk for a minute about Yu's new girlfriend?
It's probably not your usual problem, but I'm not sure if I'm worried over nothing or not and I'm pretty sure everyone else would just laugh at me.
[Babysitting duty. When did Adachi ever get so lucky.
Dojima-san had sprung it on him quite unexpectedly, though whether it Shirogane or Adachi that he wanted out of his hair was still a mystery yet to be solved. So far it's gone about as well as you would have expected. A lot of fumbling, the occasional snappy comment, and zero progress on getting anything productive done this afternoon. After about three hours or so of this torture, Adachi finally opted to take a much-needed break for supper. It had taken some tricky maneuvering but eventually he was able to twist Shirogane's arm on this, too.
They've pulled up some stools at the counter of Aiya, and they're waiting on their meals to be prepared. The silence in the air hangs heavier than any delectable aromas the noodles have to offer. With a half-hearted sigh, Adachi sets down his beer and gives the Detective Prince a weary sort of look.]
Listen, Naoto-kun. Can I... level with you here for a moment?
If Dojima didn't think she realized what he was doing when he told her that she'd be working with Adachi today he was very wrong. The exhaustion and exasperation in his voice when she'd approached him this morning was telling in and of itself and then to dismiss her so quickly on top of it all...
It was clear that Dojima had just been trying to get rid of her.
He'd shoved her off to another detective so he wouldn't have to deal with her. It wasn't anything new, truth be told. She was used to getting pushed from person to person when someone inevitably grew tired of her, but it didn't mean she liked it. It always left her with a bad taste in her mouth -- the feeling that whoever she was assigned to work with never truly saw her as a partner, but as a child they were being forced to watch.
To be fair to Adachi, she hadn't made it easy to work with her today. The situation with Dojima had soured her quite a bit and she hadn't bothered to hide her displeasure. Initially she hadn't wanted to come to Aiya with him at all -- she would have much rather stayed at the office and continued to work, but she was tired and Adachi had raised a few good points so she eventually conceded.
It was good to get out of there for a little bit, even if it was with Adachi.
She quietly meets his eyes as he talks, trying to figure out where he might try to take this conversation before it's even started.]
I think... maaaaaaybe we've started off on the wrong foot.
[Adachi briefly breaks their gaze, staring down at the head of his drink in idle thought. If he wants to try and get anywhere with this, he'll have to try and butter this kid up. Even if it means putting himself down more than he should.]
I mean, let's face it. As far as team-ups go, I doubt I was your first choice, ahaha... You've gotta be disappointed, I'm sure. But -
[He glances back up, flashing Naoto a dorky half-grin.]
- like it or not, we're partners. At least, for the rest of the day. No reason why we can't try and make the most of it, right?
[On several accounts. Adachi would have never been her first choice for a partner and to say she was disappointed when she was paired up with him would be an understatement. She came in the morning hoping to go over the case with Dojima and instead she ended up stuck with him.
It was far from ideal.]
I believe I owe you something of an apology as well. I acted unprofessionally today. It was wrong of me to take my frustrations out on you.
[What do you get when you stick a detective and a delinquent in a closet together?]
GODDAMMIT!
[You get Kanji Tatsumi, slamming his fist against the inside of the locked door, smoke practically shooting from his ears.]
This ain't funny, senpai! Wh-what is this, anyway? Are you like five years old or somethin'?! Quit screwin' around already and let us outta here, dammit!
[No can do. If Kanji's fate wasn't enough of an indicator, the party outside's gotten much rowdier than any of them had been anticipating. The speakers in the living room blare with the sounds of some trashy CD Yosuke had decided to bring along and Yukiko's snorting and laughing like a hyena out there. You'd think it'd take more than that to drown out Kanji but, well.
Calm down, Kanji-kun. Even if they were able to hear you, it's quite clear that they do not intend to let us out any time soon.
[Naoto's not pleased with it either. Her mouth is pressed into a thin line, her arms crossed over her chest, and her eyes laser focused on the door as if her glare alone would cause it to open.]
[Aaaaaand here's the part where his rage subsides and he remembers that not only is he locked in a closet. He's locked in a closet with Naoto Shirogane.]
R-Right.
[He tears his attention away from the door to try and get a good look at her. It's a good thing the lights in here are so dim. Though if he lets himself get any more worked up about all this, chances are he could quit his day job as a student and use his face to become a full-time night-light.]
Seven minutes or whatever? Who comes up with this shit, huh...?
It's a game, or so I've heard, and a foolish one at that. I don't understand what purpose this could serve or how it could be, in any way, considered to be amusing.
[Outside the confines of their new prison she can hear Rise giggling and Yukiko continuing to laugh like a drunken hyena. She leans closer to the door, pressing her ear to it in an attempt to hear what's going on a bit more clearly.
She's only able to hear a few words over the din of the music and Yukiko's constant snorting and they belong to Yosuke.
"How long"
Music.
A giggle from Rise.
Another snort.
"Smooch."
Uproarious laughter from Yukiko followed by her nearly gasping out a single sentence.
"YOU SAID--" Gasp. Laughter. "SMOOCH."
Naoto pulls her ear away from the door, suddenly more flustered than she was only a moment before.]
[Kyoko's never been much of a planner. It was too much work to put forward for something that would likely fall apart within seconds of trying to enact it. Still, even for her, there were certain things worth keeping track of. That's why, against all her better judgment, she's sitting at a library table with a collection of road maps spread out before her.
Her knee rests on the edge of the chair, foot catching the back of the chair as she leans over them. Some are general maps of the area, showing cities and districts, while others are detailed views of Inaba and other nearby cities. There's places circled and crossed out on each of them, with numbers and letters and arrows scribbled here and there in a seemingly random fashion. On the generalized road map, a nearby city was crossed out, before a question mark was drawn over it in a different color.
Her arms are folded on the top of the table, and the red marker she'd been using is clenched between her teeth. She taps the table with her index finger thoughtfully, brows knit together, like she was working through a particularly difficult problem.
She looks up, catches sight of someone, and takes the market out of her mouth. She gestures towards the person--one of Yu's friends, she thinks. Definitely the kind of stick their nose in everything. Definitely the type who is sticking her nose into Kyoko's business, though she opts to not worry about the extent of that. That means talking to her is probably a mistake. Then again, so is talking to anybody here. She'd never been to a place where the people were all so nosy.]
[Naoto hadn't expected to run into Yu's girlfriend at the library. From everything she'd heard and learned about her, it didn't seem like this would the type of place she would frequent. As far as she had heard, the girl wasn't in school, nor did she seem to be making any plans to do as such, so she wasn't here studying.
But as she passed by her table she very clearly was studying something. A collection of maps from the look of it.
Naoto raises a brow when the girl calls out to her, surprised that she'd be addressing her at all. She pauses, considering for a moment, before nodding her head and making her way towards the table.]
[Kyoko nods once, a little surprised that she was being humored at all. She'd never liked the police. They were troublesome and egotistical. Most of them either turn tail and ran at the first sign of danger, or looked for it in its most benign form or, more often, both.
She keeps those thoughts to herself for now, leaning over the table. She draws an arrow from Inaba to another city on the map that must be a good few hours away before tapping down on it with the marker.]
Ah, yeah... Do you know anything about this area?
[The city she sets her eyes on isn't anything special. There's nothing in particular that it's known for and it's neither big enough to be a bustling city, nor small enough to be considered a small town like Inaba. The only thing of significance is an incident that happened months ago. The daughter of a well-known family had unceremoniously disappeared one day. It would just be another cold case, but Kyoko keeps any comments she has on that issue to herself. No need to add salt to an open wound, and this place was practically bleeding out.
Places with high crime rates were best, but those seem to be in short supply here. She draws an arc over a couple towns over. This one she's heard mentioned more often. It seemed like people made more of an effort to avoid it.]
[Naoto taps her chin in thought as she leans over the table, her eyes flitting from one city to the next. She was familiar with both areas, but they were drastically different and she was having a hard time reasoning why Kyoko would be interested in either of them.
She knows the first city only because she was asked to assist with a disappearance case there. It was around the same time the Inaba police department had contacted her to help with the case here, so she had turned them down.
She taps it on the map.]
This one is relatively inconsequential. It's larger than Inaba, but not quite a city. I suppose all in all it's a nice enough area, but I can't say I know of anything there that's worth travelling several hours to get to it.
[She pulls back her hand, moving her finger to the other marked city.]
This one is a... rougher area. You might have heard the name come up on the news. There isn't much to see there either, so unless you have some reason to be there, I would avoid it.
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Prompt 4-17 A fluffy gift.
[Rise called over from down the street waving her friend over. Naoto was one of the few people from their group in her year after all, and she had an easier time getting along with the cool detective than Kanji. Still it was unusual for her to call out Naoto alone, but she figured she could help the girl get some quality girl time in for a change.]
Naoto-kun, I've been meaning to get you a little something to show how much you mean to me as a friend, and I thought, why not let you help me pick it out for you? We can turn it into a shopping trip into town! What do you say?
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Her brow furrows at the request. It all seemed so... unnecessary.]
A gift isn't necessary Rise-chan. I'd be more than happy to simply spend time with you.
[Not that shopping was the peak of excitement for her or anything, but she could deal.]
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Aww, don't be like that, it'll be fun I promise! Besides, if I want to get you a gift you should just accept it gracefully because it's simply good manners.
[Okay she might have been making that up, but she's fairly certain that was an unspoken rule somewhere in the universe.]
So where do you wanna go first? I kind of wanna pick out a new skirt and a hat, but I thought you might wanna put in some input since we're also going to be getting you a gift. Do we wanna go to the shopping district first, or skip right to Okina?
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I suppose that would depend on what you were looking for, but if you're unsure I'm certain Okina would have a bigger selection of items for you to choose from.
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[Rise tapped her chin thoughtfully, finally making the decision.]
Okay! Do you have your scooter all fueled up?
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HAVE A KIDA <3
...Which is why he notices the slight figure in the newsboy cap purposefully approaching Shizuo Heiwajima.
For the first second, he doesn't move. Then his eyes dart to that too-pretty face, the gracefulness of the stranger's frame, the way they move--and then Kida's moving also, smoothly interposing himself between the strongest man in Ikebukuro and this unsuspecting girl (because she was a girl, he was certain of it, there was no fooling the eye of a true connoisseur of womanhood!).]
Ahhh, at long last, here you are! I'd almost started to think you'd stood me up, but ~OF COURSE~ I had more faith in you than that!
[With a smile and a twinkle in his eye, he firmly links arms with her, towing her away before either of them gain any unwanted, unfortunate attention from the lanky blonde smoking nearby.
He'll explain himself in a minute, but. First, more distance between themselves and Certain Death is necessary. 8|]
KIDA PLS. KIDA NO.
Excuse me? What exactly do you think you're --
[And then very suddenly the boy's gone and linked his arm with hers and has started to pull her away and WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?]
Let go of me! I have business with that man and I don't know what you think you're doing, but I do not appreciate being manhandled!
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and more desperate, for the few who know how to see itand he doubles their pace, swiftly towing the girl out of earshot of Shizuo.]Mm, but I don't think I know what I'm doing, I ~DEFINITELY~ know what I'm doing! Unlike you, it would seem, if you think that approaching Shizuo Heiwajima-san is something you can do so casually!
[They're out of earshot now, but still within sight, so Kida's going to keep pulling her along at a good pace, making sure to turn a corner as soon as possible, but not stopping even then.
And of course, he keeps babbling away the entire time.]
Ahhhh, no no, we're complete opposites, no matter how you look at it! Which makes even the possibility of a ~STAR-CROSSED LOVE STORY~ infinitely more appealing!
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[The look on Naoto's face has gone from an indignant frown to one of incredulous anger in seconds. Once they've turned the corner she tries to rip her arm away from the boy who's been tugging her along.
She sighs heavily, rubbing at her temples.]
I have no idea what you're talking about, nor do I care to find out. As I have already said previously, I have business with him and the way I approach him is certainly no business of yours! I was scheduled to meet with him!
I CAN RESURRECT OLD TAGS TOO
LOOKIT YOU GO!!
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For Hubs!
They were nice changes though. Changes that she had really always hoped would come one day. What she was having trouble getting used to was abrupt phone calls like this one. She knew how to deal with them on a professional level, of course. There had been times when she'd been called in the middle of the night for work reasons, but when a friend called this late...
It was about 11:30 at night when the call came. She was already in her pajamas and getting ready for bed, but surely if it was this late into the evening there was some pressing reason for it.
She answers after a couple of rings, curiosity and slight concern in her voice.]
Hello?
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[Still... he was worried, and she was the only one who might not just dismiss him outright. And if she did, well, then he'd know for sure he was worrying over nothing. Win-win, right? The only thing he had to worry about was looking foolish, and it wasn't like he'd never done that in his life.]
[When she answered though, it still took him a second to find his voice.]
Uh... hey. Sorry to bother you so late, but do you have a second? There's something bothering me, and I'm not really sure who else to go to.
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[She shuffles over to her bed, plopping down on the mattress. Honestly, she's surprised Yosuke would be calling her for something like this. She's pleased to know that he trusts her enough to come to her with a problem, but it begs the question why would he be calling her when he had others he was closer to?
It seemed he was closest to Yu, but if he was unavailable there was still Chie or... any of the others who he's spent more time with. If he couldn't call Yu about this then... could it have something to do with him? Or perhaps this is something he needs an unrelated third party to weigh in on.]
I was just getting ready for bed, but I have some time. What's troubling you, senpai?
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[He takes a deep breath. Time to rip the band aid off, right? Just beating around the bush never helped him - and he had the memories of Chie kicks to prove it.]
I know it's kind of weird, but I was hoping we could talk for a minute about Yu's new girlfriend?
It's probably not your usual problem, but I'm not sure if I'm worried over nothing or not and I'm pretty sure everyone else would just laugh at me.
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5-18ish
Dojima-san had sprung it on him quite unexpectedly, though whether it Shirogane or Adachi that he wanted out of his hair was still a mystery yet to be solved. So far it's gone about as well as you would have expected. A lot of fumbling, the occasional snappy comment, and zero progress on getting anything productive done this afternoon. After about three hours or so of this torture, Adachi finally opted to take a much-needed break for supper. It had taken some tricky maneuvering but eventually he was able to twist Shirogane's arm on this, too.
They've pulled up some stools at the counter of Aiya, and they're waiting on their meals to be prepared. The silence in the air hangs heavier than any delectable aromas the noodles have to offer. With a half-hearted sigh, Adachi sets down his beer and gives the Detective Prince a weary sort of look.]
Listen, Naoto-kun. Can I... level with you here for a moment?
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If Dojima didn't think she realized what he was doing when he told her that she'd be working with Adachi today he was very wrong. The exhaustion and exasperation in his voice when she'd approached him this morning was telling in and of itself and then to dismiss her so quickly on top of it all...
It was clear that Dojima had just been trying to get rid of her.
He'd shoved her off to another detective so he wouldn't have to deal with her. It wasn't anything new, truth be told. She was used to getting pushed from person to person when someone inevitably grew tired of her, but it didn't mean she liked it. It always left her with a bad taste in her mouth -- the feeling that whoever she was assigned to work with never truly saw her as a partner, but as a child they were being forced to watch.
To be fair to Adachi, she hadn't made it easy to work with her today. The situation with Dojima had soured her quite a bit and she hadn't bothered to hide her displeasure. Initially she hadn't wanted to come to Aiya with him at all -- she would have much rather stayed at the office and continued to work, but she was tired and Adachi had raised a few good points so she eventually conceded.
It was good to get out of there for a little bit, even if it was with Adachi.
She quietly meets his eyes as he talks, trying to figure out where he might try to take this conversation before it's even started.]
Certainly.
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[Adachi briefly breaks their gaze, staring down at the head of his drink in idle thought. If he wants to try and get anywhere with this, he'll have to try and butter this kid up. Even if it means putting himself down more than he should.]
I mean, let's face it. As far as team-ups go, I doubt I was your first choice, ahaha... You've gotta be disappointed, I'm sure. But -
[He glances back up, flashing Naoto a dorky half-grin.]
- like it or not, we're partners. At least, for the rest of the day. No reason why we can't try and make the most of it, right?
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[On several accounts. Adachi would have never been her first choice for a partner and to say she was disappointed when she was paired up with him would be an understatement. She came in the morning hoping to go over the case with Dojima and instead she ended up stuck with him.
It was far from ideal.]
I believe I owe you something of an apology as well. I acted unprofessionally today. It was wrong of me to take my frustrations out on you.
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3-19 to start.
GODDAMMIT!
[You get Kanji Tatsumi, slamming his fist against the inside of the locked door, smoke practically shooting from his ears.]
This ain't funny, senpai! Wh-what is this, anyway? Are you like five years old or somethin'?! Quit screwin' around already and let us outta here, dammit!
[No can do. If Kanji's fate wasn't enough of an indicator, the party outside's gotten much rowdier than any of them had been anticipating. The speakers in the living room blare with the sounds of some trashy CD Yosuke had decided to bring along and Yukiko's snorting and laughing like a hyena out there. You'd think it'd take more than that to drown out Kanji but, well.
Here we are.]
Assholes.
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[Naoto's not pleased with it either. Her mouth is pressed into a thin line, her arms crossed over her chest, and her eyes laser focused on the door as if her glare alone would cause it to open.]
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R-Right.
[He tears his attention away from the door to try and get a good look at her. It's a good thing the lights in here are so dim. Though if he lets himself get any more worked up about all this, chances are he could quit his day job as a student and use his face to become a full-time night-light.]
Seven minutes or whatever? Who comes up with this shit, huh...?
[He's screaming on the inside.]
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[Outside the confines of their new prison she can hear Rise giggling and Yukiko continuing to laugh like a drunken hyena. She leans closer to the door, pressing her ear to it in an attempt to hear what's going on a bit more clearly.
She's only able to hear a few words over the din of the music and Yukiko's constant snorting and they belong to Yosuke.
"How long"
Music.
A giggle from Rise.
Another snort.
"Smooch."
Uproarious laughter from Yukiko followed by her nearly gasping out a single sentence.
"YOU SAID--" Gasp. Laughter. "SMOOCH."
Naoto pulls her ear away from the door, suddenly more flustered than she was only a moment before.]
Ridiculous.
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Her knee rests on the edge of the chair, foot catching the back of the chair as she leans over them. Some are general maps of the area, showing cities and districts, while others are detailed views of Inaba and other nearby cities. There's places circled and crossed out on each of them, with numbers and letters and arrows scribbled here and there in a seemingly random fashion. On the generalized road map, a nearby city was crossed out, before a question mark was drawn over it in a different color.
Her arms are folded on the top of the table, and the red marker she'd been using is clenched between her teeth. She taps the table with her index finger thoughtfully, brows knit together, like she was working through a particularly difficult problem.
She looks up, catches sight of someone, and takes the market out of her mouth. She gestures towards the person--one of Yu's friends, she thinks. Definitely the kind of stick their nose in everything. Definitely the type who is sticking her nose into Kyoko's business, though she opts to not worry about the extent of that. That means talking to her is probably a mistake. Then again, so is talking to anybody here. She'd never been to a place where the people were all so nosy.]
Oi. You. Got a minute?
no subject
But as she passed by her table she very clearly was studying something. A collection of maps from the look of it.
Naoto raises a brow when the girl calls out to her, surprised that she'd be addressing her at all. She pauses, considering for a moment, before nodding her head and making her way towards the table.]
I have some time. Did you need some assistance?
no subject
She keeps those thoughts to herself for now, leaning over the table. She draws an arrow from Inaba to another city on the map that must be a good few hours away before tapping down on it with the marker.]
Ah, yeah... Do you know anything about this area?
[The city she sets her eyes on isn't anything special. There's nothing in particular that it's known for and it's neither big enough to be a bustling city, nor small enough to be considered a small town like Inaba. The only thing of significance is an incident that happened months ago. The daughter of a well-known family had unceremoniously disappeared one day. It would just be another cold case, but Kyoko keeps any comments she has on that issue to herself. No need to add salt to an open wound, and this place was practically bleeding out.
Places with high crime rates were best, but those seem to be in short supply here. She draws an arc over a couple towns over. This one she's heard mentioned more often. It seemed like people made more of an effort to avoid it.]
Or around here?
no subject
She knows the first city only because she was asked to assist with a disappearance case there. It was around the same time the Inaba police department had contacted her to help with the case here, so she had turned them down.
She taps it on the map.]
This one is relatively inconsequential. It's larger than Inaba, but not quite a city. I suppose all in all it's a nice enough area, but I can't say I know of anything there that's worth travelling several hours to get to it.
[She pulls back her hand, moving her finger to the other marked city.]
This one is a... rougher area. You might have heard the name come up on the news. There isn't much to see there either, so unless you have some reason to be there, I would avoid it.
(no subject)