The sun was gone, and its glow was replaced with that of the city. Just coming off from a... relatively tame training session, Lance had decided to take a break and get something to eat. He stretched his arms high into the air and rested them behind his head as we walked. "God, I'm starving." He said out loud to himself as he looked around at the different shops. This will be his first meal of the day, just a few hours from the days official end... Probably not good for him.@Emy
An Nam Il
It wasn't the best place to be trying to break into, and it definitely wasn't the best time. Somehow, all of the apprehensions Nam Il had earlier were flooding back to him. Earlier, it might have been a bit of a struggle to totally stamp them out but he had managed, hadn't he? But there was something about actually being there, hiding in the shadows of an already close-for-the-day as he picked the lock to its back office. He wore gloves but he could still feel the sweat on his palms, even as the lock suddenly turned with a quiet, satisfying click.
The boy slipped in at once, rummaging through the drawers. The Acus ex Machina might have presented itself as a fashionable clothing store for supernaturals on the outside but he was sure that something was up. The way that the employees acted, as if they were all part of the same mind. The way that the business managed to be so closed lipped about everything that nobody knew a thing about it except for the prices on the racks.
Something was definitely up and it was probably illegal and Nam Il was going to find out what. After a while of frantic searching, however, he came to a startling conclusion. He couldn't find anything. It was as if the entire business made no records at all, which was insane. It was impossible.
But the more Nam Il looked, the more nervous he became. It wasn't going at all like he had planned. It was supposed to be easy to find information, even if the stuff was illegal. There was always some kind of trail, something to investigate. The fact that there was nothing was driving him insane.
Okay, deep breaths, self. Just put everything back and leave and maybe you can come back later. As best as he could, he tried to do just that, even locking the door after him. With that done, he went to the window he had entered from and hosted himself up into the alleyway.
It wasn't the best place to be trying to break into, and it definitely wasn't the best time. Somehow, all of the apprehensions Nam Il had earlier were flooding back to him. Earlier, it might have been a bit of a struggle to totally stamp them out but he had managed, hadn't he? But there was something about actually being there, hiding in the shadows of an already close-for-the-day as he picked the lock to its back office. He wore gloves but he could still feel the sweat on his palms, even as the lock suddenly turned with a quiet, satisfying click.
The boy slipped in at once, rummaging through the drawers. The Acus ex Machina might have presented itself as a fashionable clothing store for supernaturals on the outside but he was sure that something was up. The way that the employees acted, as if they were all part of the same mind. The way that the business managed to be so closed lipped about everything that nobody knew a thing about it except for the prices on the racks.
Something was definitely up and it was probably illegal and Nam Il was going to find out what. After a while of frantic searching, however, he came to a startling conclusion. He couldn't find anything. It was as if the entire business made no records at all, which was insane. It was impossible.
But the more Nam Il looked, the more nervous he became. It wasn't going at all like he had planned. It was supposed to be easy to find information, even if the stuff was illegal. There was always some kind of trail, something to investigate. The fact that there was nothing was driving him insane.
Okay, deep breaths, self. Just put everything back and leave and maybe you can come back later. As best as he could, he tried to do just that, even locking the door after him. With that done, he went to the window he had entered from and hosted himself up into the alleyway.
While looking around, Lance happened to catch something odd out of the corner of his eye. A young boy... Sneaking out of a closed up clothing store? That... wasn't suspicious at all. "Hey kid?" Lance called out, instantly making a b-line for the boy.
An Nam Il
Nam Il froze at the sound of somebody calling for him, an instinctive reaction that he felt like he was watching from somebody else's point of view in slow motion. Caught, he thought franctically. Caught? He felt weak. He had failed. He hadn't even been doing this whole breaking into places thing for very long and already, he was down for the count, making beginner mistakes. The last thing he was supposed to do in this situation was to act as guilty as he actually was. It didn't help. The knowledge didn't help.
He was... He was such a failure. In that slowed-down moment, Nam Il thought of all of the people who would be so disappointed in him -his teachers, his parents, and Gen. Everybody had such high hopes for him, how could he just get caught? It was just a random encounter.
He had to get out of there, that was all. Maybe the length of the pause had just been his imagination. Maybe he could still get away with this. He just needed a distraction and a good escape route.
Feeling numb and forcing himself not to run, Nam Il kept walking in the other direction, as if he hadn't heard anybody call out. As if it were perfectly normal for him to be there. He took the cellphone from the front pouch of his hoodie, hiding it in front of him, and turned it into a small, blue lantern no bigger than his palm. A distraction, that was all. Maybe a minor spirit to cause up a little ruckus but nothing major. The lantern wasn't even that big.
Nam Il froze at the sound of somebody calling for him, an instinctive reaction that he felt like he was watching from somebody else's point of view in slow motion. Caught, he thought franctically. Caught? He felt weak. He had failed. He hadn't even been doing this whole breaking into places thing for very long and already, he was down for the count, making beginner mistakes. The last thing he was supposed to do in this situation was to act as guilty as he actually was. It didn't help. The knowledge didn't help.
He was... He was such a failure. In that slowed-down moment, Nam Il thought of all of the people who would be so disappointed in him -his teachers, his parents, and Gen. Everybody had such high hopes for him, how could he just get caught? It was just a random encounter.
He had to get out of there, that was all. Maybe the length of the pause had just been his imagination. Maybe he could still get away with this. He just needed a distraction and a good escape route.
Feeling numb and forcing himself not to run, Nam Il kept walking in the other direction, as if he hadn't heard anybody call out. As if it were perfectly normal for him to be there. He took the cellphone from the front pouch of his hoodie, hiding it in front of him, and turned it into a small, blue lantern no bigger than his palm. A distraction, that was all. Maybe a minor spirit to cause up a little ruckus but nothing major. The lantern wasn't even that big.
"Kid, wait up!" Lance called out, now far more suspicious of the boy. He sped up a bit, but felt if he just walked up to the kid, he would just talk it out and return whatever he must have taken. No need for a chase, no catching the child, just a chat.
An Nam Il
Nam Il kept walking, albeit a little more quickly than before. All the while, he couldn't help but think about how bad of an idea this was -all of it. Not just the breaking in, getting caught, not-quite running away. Why did he ever think he was ready to start doing big stuff like Gen? It was just ridic-
There was a sound that made Nam Il take pause. It wasn't just the noise of that other person trying to catch him. It was like an echo, a mild ringing sound that deepened with every repetition. He slapped his ear for a moment. Great, so he was going deaf, too.
Great job, Nam Il. You're just messing up even more today.
Nam Il kept walking, albeit a little more quickly than before. All the while, he couldn't help but think about how bad of an idea this was -all of it. Not just the breaking in, getting caught, not-quite running away. Why did he ever think he was ready to start doing big stuff like Gen? It was just ridic-
There was a sound that made Nam Il take pause. It wasn't just the noise of that other person trying to catch him. It was like an echo, a mild ringing sound that deepened with every repetition. He slapped his ear for a moment. Great, so he was going deaf, too.
Great job, Nam Il. You're just messing up even more today.
Lance glanced around when the echo started, but he kept heading toward his target when he stopped, going till he caught up, albeit with a new question to ask. "Hey kid." He said, tapping his shoulder. "Plenty of questions later, but um... Any idea what that sound is?"
An Nam Il
Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap no go away! He froze under that touch for a moment, mind completely blank. He had the vague idea that the best way to deal with the problem would be to act like one of those cool superheroes in comics or something, with a witty line and a cocky attitude. What came out of his mouth instead was "Is that your idea of a pickup line because that's really gross and also kind of pedophilic what sound I have never heard such nonsense in my life what sound."
So, it could have gone better. Just by a little. It wasn't really that bad, everything considering.
Nam Il blinked at the other boy. Ringing. That was still there, and it seemed like wasn't just him now. There was a brief pause before he said dully, "Oh. Wait. You mean the ringing sound? Yeah, that's kind of a bad thing. It means that we run like hell now because there's a giant, flesh-eating skeleton on the way."
He was so matter-of-fact about it that it almost seemed pleasant and routine. Just another spirit that wanted to kill him, no big d- oh my God no run like hell now oh my God aushdfiahsdoa
In a mad sprint, Nam Il headed in the opposite direction, gesturing wildly at the other boy to follow.
Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap no go away! He froze under that touch for a moment, mind completely blank. He had the vague idea that the best way to deal with the problem would be to act like one of those cool superheroes in comics or something, with a witty line and a cocky attitude. What came out of his mouth instead was "Is that your idea of a pickup line because that's really gross and also kind of pedophilic what sound I have never heard such nonsense in my life what sound."
So, it could have gone better. Just by a little. It wasn't really that bad, everything considering.
Nam Il blinked at the other boy. Ringing. That was still there, and it seemed like wasn't just him now. There was a brief pause before he said dully, "Oh. Wait. You mean the ringing sound? Yeah, that's kind of a bad thing. It means that we run like hell now because there's a giant, flesh-eating skeleton on the way."
He was so matter-of-fact about it that it almost seemed pleasant and routine. Just another spirit that wanted to kill him, no big d- oh my God no run like hell now oh my God aushdfiahsdoa
In a mad sprint, Nam Il headed in the opposite direction, gesturing wildly at the other boy to follow.
Did.... Did this kid call me a... pedophile? A pickup line...? Lance tilted his head to the side and stared blankly for a moment, unsure which of his endlessly growing list of questions to hit next. Before he could though, the kid told him that a... giant... skeleton... What? And now hes running again!
Lance shook his thoughts off for a moment to sprint after the kid.
"Hey hey wait!" Lance yelled as he caught up again. "What the bloody hell kid?! Why is something like that..?"
Forgive me, O' Member who has waited forever and a day for my slug self.
An Nam Il
He was bringing the stranger with him. For some reason, that bothered Nam Il a whole lot more than the fact that there was a gashadokuro rampaging behind them, intent on devouring these two little sacks of blood and organs for dinner. Maybe it was just his upbringing, the fact that demons, evil spirits, anything supernatural at all -they were just a normal part of life. Something wants to kill you? That was vanilla. Now, if that something was going to steal his soul and place him in eternal, conscious suffering, that was a different story. But just plain kill? Nah. Did not even make his top twenty.
Still would be nice to, say, not die, though.
At least gashadokuro were slow. Also very, very clumsy which was probably what they deserved for being, what? "Ten to fifteen times larger than an average human?" This one was a lot smaller than that. Maybe five to seven times larger, at the most. It wasn't midnight, after all. That was when they were really active.
He ditched the lantern at last, turning it back into a cellphone. So, at least, they weren't walking bait anymore. Now they were just. Um, prey. It would have been helpful if he could actually turn things into lanterns and keep them that way without direct contact.
"JUST FIND A REALLY NARROW ALLEY OKAY?" Nam Il shouted at the other person. "SEWER, SOMETHING, WHATEVER, LET ME KNOW, TTYL."