[For Gaims, but especially seeking Takatora(s) and Micchi(s)]

[warintheextreme]

[otherwise known as: I'm in ur tower, creepin' on ur baby brother]

I'm not saying I had even a pinkie finger in organizing the field trip that brings this high school class to the Tower for a tour. I'm definitely not saying that I had any idea that the class in question also happened to contain Takatora's little brother, his pride and joy, the one he's got a picture of on his desk (and not even his parents have that distinction)...

And also, notably and somehow completely outside of Takatora's notice, one of my favorite little test subjects.

I slink towards him, hanging back and looking utterly bored by the proceedings. I'm not surprised- he's a Kureshima. He could come here any time he wants to, he just, presumably, chooses not to. Probably because he spends all of his free time with that Team Gaim.

"Kureshima Mitsuzane-kun?"

Comments

[warintheextreme]

Such a respectful kid! No wonder Takatora dotes on him. I offer a little bow in return, and then my hand. "A pleasure to meet you. I've heard all about you, from your brother, Takatora?"

I tilt my head to one side, smirking. "You look bored. Considering your father, you deserve better treatment than to tag along with this tour group, skimming along the surface. Would you do me the honor of coming to see my lab? I dare say you'd learn much more that way."

[ryuugen]

He's smiling, so I smile back. It's guarded, but it's still more of a smile than I generally give when I'm with my class. I shake his hand carefully.

"Oh, you know nii-san? Certainly, sir, that sounds quite educational." I look around for the teacher. I'd better get permission first.

[warintheextreme]

I notice him glancing around and wave one hand before putting it, I hope companionably, on his shoulder. "Don't worry about that, I'll take any grief your teacher tries to give you. Oh, I'm Sengoku Ryouma, by the way, but you can call me Ryouma, if you like, or Professor, like everyone around here seems to do." I smile at him. "Though I'm honestly not that old."

I angle him and lead him away from the group of his peers, and towards the elevator.

Perhaps I'm pushing my luck with something like this, but I am terribly curious as to what his reaction will be to seeing the obvious debris from our current project strewn about my lab.

[ryuugen]

He touches my shoulder, and I very carefully remain still. It's all right. He knows nii-san, and it's not like I can get into danger here anyway. It's the Tower, after all. Might be dangerous to other people. But not to someone with a 'bright and shining future' like me.

A small sigh.

I walk along with him compliantly. "Perhaps Ryouma-san, then," I try.

[warintheextreme]

Respectful, but tense. I figure he's got himself a little bit in over his head, with this Beat Riders thing. Well, I suppose that's mostly my fault, and I smirk as I hold the elevator for him, letting him on first before pressing the two numbers and a separate button entirely that will bypass any other calls for this elevator and take it straight to my lab.

"That's fine. And what would you like me to call you? Kureshima-kun? Mitsuzane-kun?" Am I willing to press it that far?

Is that even a question?

"Micchi-kun?"

[ryuugen]

He keys in a special combination, one that I imagine will give us express service. He must be reasonably highly ranked here. Or at least very useful. Not always the same thing, from what I know from nii-san.

I think nii-san mentioned a particular scientist -- I can't remember the name, though. Hm.

I stand with my hands folded politely in front of me as he speaks. My eyebrows rise a little on the last one. It's not a common nickname, but it's not that uncommon, either. Doesn't necessarily mean anything that he's said it. My voice is very mild. "You can call me anything you like, Ryouma-san. I'd be fine with any of those."

[warintheextreme]

I glance over at him to check his reaction, and catch the almost imperceptible surprise that passes over his face before he pulls it back into check.

He's already shown more emotional restraint that Takatora has been known to exhibit, at times.

I wonder how they ended up so wildly different. Was already nearing adulthood during Yggdrasill's take-over of the city that influential on Takatora? Or is it Mitsuzane's growing up in the Yggdrasill-controlled Zawame that makes him so different?

"Anything but 'Takatora's little brother', I imagine?" I laugh lightly, and the elevator chimes before the doors open, and I step back again, sweeping one arm, inviting him to enter first.

At first glance- the immature Lockseeds in their tanks, the properly matured ones scattered here and there across my desk. If he bothers to look closer- the blueprints for the Driver, the file I received from Cid on all of the test subjects.

Significantly out of his line of sight- blueprints for the new prototype, and the E.L.S. 04 I based it on.

[ryuugen]

"Oh, I don't mind that too much, but it is nice to be known as me," I say, smiling in return. He seems nice enough. I'm not about to give away all my secrets to him, but that doesn't mean I can't relax a little and be nice to him.

The doors open, and he gestures at me to go first.

I take three steps into the room before my forward motion falters. I swallow, and put savage effort into smoothing my expression again. Lockseeds.

He has Lockseeds.

He has to be associated with nii-san as the white Rider...

I cast a look over my shoulder. Ryouma-san's not moving to attack me, not moving to stop me, so I keep going. Hands behind my back to make it obvious I'm not going to touch anything, I get to the first desk and have to swallow again. Blueprints.

"Ryouma-san?" I ask softly. "You work with the Beat Riders?"

[warintheextreme]

I wait to make sure the elevator closes before moving to follow him through the lab. I catch the stutter in his steps, though his back is to me and I can't see what his face is doing. I can already guess he's keeping himself remarkably composed, all things considered.

I know about him. Takatora does not. But what does he know? About Takatora, specifically? We all have our assumptions, our educated guesses, about where that wild kid from Gaim got his hands on a Suika. It's obvious enough to me that Mitsuzane took it, though why he then gave it to the other kid, instead of using it for himself, is of great interest to me.

I pass him to go to my computer, under the guise of checking for any messages I might have missed, then look over at him with a little laugh at his question.

"You mean those street dance teams? I can't say I am personally associated with any of them, no. Why do you ask?"

[ryuugen]

...so it is nii-san that he works with.

Unless there are yet OTHER Riders that we don't even know about -- no. No. The simplest explanation is the most likely, which means that this man, for some reason, is handing me information about what nii-san's up to in the forest.

"I just thought maybe you were involved with creating the suits they use," I say carefully. "But if you don't do it, you don't do it."

...okay, let's see how smooth I can make this. I manage a grin. It's partly true anyway. Which is always the best way to lie. Bits of truth mixed in... "This is really interesting, Ryouma-san. May I ask what the purpose of it is?"

[warintheextreme]

He's good. I grin at him and move closer at his question.

Of course I know everything, but for as accomplished a liar as he seems to be, he's got nothing on me. "Suits, eh? I can't say I get out enough to follow the ins and outs of the games those kids play."

He's got a finger on the blueprints, and I smile. I'm glad he picked up on it so quickly. "I designed that. It is called a Sengoku Driver. Do you think that's maybe a bit too egocentric of me, to name it after myself?"

[ryuugen]

He's smiling. He's got a nice smile. But there has to be something more behind this, because if he's working with nii-san then he's either unaware of the damage nii-san has done, or he doesn't care, and I'm not sure which one of those bothers me more.

I look dutifully at the name on the blueprints, and nod. "No, I don't think so. I hadn't realised they were named after you! That's really cool, Ryouma-san. I hope you don't mind that other people are using them, then."

[warintheextreme]

I wonder how close he is to figuring me out? If he knows about Takatora, then he must have at least a suspicion that I'm lying, though the master of lying uses the truth to his advantage- I don't follow the Beat Riders, I could have cared less who Cid gave the Drivers to, they're merely test subjects, that was why I didn't bother objecting to the one that fell into the hands of that returned expatriate.

I lean back against one desk, facing him, and cross my arms over my chest. "Other people? Is that what you meant, the dance teams are using my Driver? What ever would they want them for?"

[ryuugen]

He's quite close. It's funny, he sort of feels like nii-san, but different, in the way he makes me go very still.

I wonder if nii-san knows I'm here.

I nod enthusiastically. "Yes, they are. To fight for status, and to stop those grey creatures that have been running amok."

[warintheextreme]

He meets my eyes, and I appreciate that show of confidence.

"How curious." I say idly, looking past him at the blueprints again. "I thought those dance teams had formed to amuse themselves. Sounds like it's much more serious than that." I look up and meet his eyes again.

"You seem to know a lot about them, Mitsuzane-kun."

[ryuugen]

I nod. "They've dealt with some scary things," I say softly, trying to read his expression. He's as bad as nii-san at being unreadable. Or as good at it. I don't know. If I get to know this Ryouma-san better I'll probably learn to read his face more expertly, too, like I can sometimes with nii-san.

(Only sometimes.)

...that's an interesting comment. "They're all over certain channels," I venture.

[warintheextreme]

That they have. They're just kids, him in particular. The youngest of my test subjects. I'm actually still not sure what, exactly, Cid was thinking, giving this one a Driver. Not just because he's still in school, he's only sixteen, but seeing as he's Takatora's brother...

There are depths, I think, in Mitsuzane that Takatora is either ignoring, or oblivious to.

"I see. You just watch them on the 'net, is that it? Do you have a favorite team?"

[ryuugen]

He knows.

...I think he knows.

About me.

It's not like I've kept my involvement hidden. Except from nii-san, but nii-san's very easy to hide things from.

"Team Gaim," I say, watching his face, brazening it out. "Have you heard of it?"

[warintheextreme]

There it is- a spark deep in his eyes when he meets my gaze. He even stands up a little straighter, I wonder if he even realizes..? But either way, he's rumbled the game I'm playing, and yet is still smart enough not to push his luck if he might be wrong. Very clever.

This could turn out to be very interesting indeed.

"No." I say blithely, spreading both hands with a little shrug. "Your Team Gaim, they use my Drivers, huh? To fight the Inves, is that it? On their own? Sounds dangerous."

[ryuugen]

I can't quite get a handle on him. I know he's got knowledge, about me, about nii-san, but I'm not sure what. And I'm not sure what he wants.

That's what it all comes down to. What he wants.

A casual grin. "Yes, it does, doesn't it? But I suppose if someone takes a risk willingly and gets hurt, it's okay if it's their decision. Nii-san says things like that sometimes."

[warintheextreme]

I smirk a bit at that one, inclining my head. "That he does. He can be a bit of a risk taker, your brother. Still, I'm surprised he would say such things to you, of all people."

[ryuugen]

Why is he so blase about other people using his work? A Sengoku Driver is a big deal. It's not like he invented a new kind of spoon.

I crouch for a moment to peer at what looks like a kumquat Lockseed, still conscientiously keeping my hands away, then I stand again. "Ah, he wants me to be his right hand man, so he tells me quite a few things."

Not everything. Definitely not everything.

We're both still dancing around it, but really, what will it hurt me if Ryouma-san knows I know? He wouldn't've brought me here, wouldn't be trying to get me to give up information, if he really was just a drone scientist working for nii-san. He wants something from me. Or wants to tell me something. I don't know what, though.

So.

Idly, "He never told me that you'd given him a Driver."

[warintheextreme]

"Is that so?"

That could be guessed at by anyone willing to look at the way Takatora speaks of his brother, but I have my suspicion that it's less about inheritance and power and more about the much more simple concept of keeping Mitsuzane within arm's reach.

He shows interest in one of the odder Seeds, and then looks up at me again.

Oh, so he does know about his brother's indiscretions. But how much?

"Well, to say that I gave him anything is something of a vast overstatement of my importance. I'm no project manager, after all, I simply design and build the technology. You would be more accurate to say that I was told to give him one." I tilt my head a little more to one side. "The first one, in fact."

[ryuugen]

He reacts to that. But only a little. It's hard to tell if I'm intriguing him or making him think about how he could use me. Or both.

I swallow, because it's still hard and strange to have someone else essentially acknowledge that nii-san tried to kill Kouta-san. And seriously hurt all those other people.

(Blood on my hands.)

"Oh, I see," and it's not too hard to feign polite enthusiasm here. I am enthused. I want to know more.

I need to know more.

"Was that a long time ago?"

[idfk making shit up as I go~]

[warintheextreme]

There's something wrong, perhaps I've gone too far with this game? He seems more nervous, suddenly, though he's hiding it remarkably well.

"Not so very long ago, no. Less than a year. The Driver was original designed as a defensive measure for a major project. You should be proud of him, I think, heading a project this large at his age."