Night 60: Main Hallway, 1-Center

[roseoverture]

[From here]Looked like she was the first one out this way. Utena stopped just short of the Sun Room, turning her light back to see if anyone she knew was coming up the hall behind her. No one so far

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[ofthemotions]

[from here]

There were less people in this hallway, and therefore, it was obvious that Mikado would be noticed sooner or later. He'd have to take the risk that this was her, and see what happened. Otherwise, he'd look too suspicious.

There was a brief moment of decision. This was an encounter that he had worked to put together, and even though he'd be pretending to not know her, there were ways to have himself seen. He could approach her cautiously, to maintain a degree of respect, and he could take a page out of his own book and make a mild mess of things. From the past few days, he'd learned at least, that when you were busy tripping over yourself, people seemed more willing to talk to you.

He sighed internally. It wasn't as if he needed dignity, right?.... It would set him more apart from the anonymous leader of Dollars, at any rate. And might place him as someone harmless and able to be trusted.

...Ahh, he was thinking like someone in a manga. A wave of excitement washed through him, embarrassment tingeing the sensation. Should he feel stupid or proud at that realization? By any rate, he was almost close to her. Alright. Here we go.

He angled his foot slightly to catch the back of his other heel as he stepped forward. Instantly he stumbled and fell into an ungainly heap at the woman's feet (his hands were going to start to get calluses at this rate....). He looked up at her, wide-eyed in surprise. "Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...."

[melodists]

According to memory, there existed four stairwells on this floor. The one closest to her first destination was a small stretch away, which Tear located after a brief use of the flashlight. She leveled the fontech toward the ground and began her trek, sacrificing a bit of focus for speed. A beeline for the stairs shouldn't prove so eventful; adjustments were necessary to make good time.

She did not get far. A nearby bystander tripped over his own heels and sprawled at her feet, forcing Tear to an abrupt stop. Her thoughts jostled, and she tipped forward to stare at the other with a surprised expression. Mouth opened on habit to question wellness and berate on clumsiness, to close when she heard the apology from his lips. He appeared to be the same age as the soldier, and more importantly, he was a civilian. These details alone instantly shifted her mindset to something less harsh.

"It's fine," Tear replied before offering a hand to the young man. "Are you all right?"

[ofthemotions]

...Oh, that actually... That seemed to work, didn't it? Mikado scrambled to shift into a sitting position on his heels, a hand resting in his lap while the other moved to his neck nervously. "Y-yes, thank you...." he gave, glancing to the side anxiously. This, at least, did not have to be feigned--it wasn't that easy to speak to someone after embarrassing yourself like that.

He moved to stand, placing a palm on the ground for pressure, before inhaling in light pain. Mikado stared at his hand. Of course, this time would be when he actually scraped it enough to bleed. Frowning at it, he switched hands to support himself, and straightened, cupping his lightly injured hand in front of him. Then, he bowed to her. (And how old was she, anyway?) "I'm sorry for bothering you like that." He peered up at her. "I'm Ryuugamine Mikado. I've only... been here for a few days. I'm still getting the hang of things."

Giving apologetically, in the way of explanation. A reasoning for his floundering, if a poor one.

[melodists]

Thankfully, the boy appeared fine. Shaken, perhaps, but none the worse for wear. When Tear gave him a quick glance over for injuries, however, she noticed the light blood across his palm, the obvious result of his clumsiness. Furthermore, it was quickly becoming apparent how alone he happened to be. She withdrew her own hand with a disapproving frown whilst the other stood to bow.

"You don't need to apologize," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "but it seems you've injured your hand." It was unfortunate and something she couldn't easily ignore. A small delay could not hurt, even in the face of objectives.

"My name is Tear Grants," the Melodist continued. "I'm a trained medic. If you'll let me, I can treat your hand."

[ofthemotions]

What a stern woman. A person like that was... really quite intimidating when she needed to be, wasn't she? She'd be scary angry, Mikado thought. Though she had moved in the way he had needed. Tear Grants. The appearance and name fit, and even the statement that she was a medic. All right, then. The first part of this was a success. Mikado would stick to her for the night.

Her offer was normally something he would wave off, but it seemed better to give her a reason to focus on remaining with him more. The boy was so pleased with how things had turned out that he beamed up at her charmingly. "That would really be kind of you. I wouldn't know how to repay you, though."

[melodists]

She had anticipated resistance and had even gone to the trouble of readying her arsenal of 'persuasions'. In a turn for the unexpected, however, Mikado seemed to agree in an immediate and more importantly, congenial manner. After being with stubborn and frustrating individuals (including herself), it was almost strange to be on the receiving end of easy compliance. Her intuition pinged at the answer, but she opted to leave it alone. She had tasks to fulfill.

With a shake of her head and a mild smile, Tear answered, "Don't worry about payment. It's my duty as a soldier." She quickly glanced to the stairwell. "Do you think you'll be able to make the trip to the supply closet upstairs? We should be able to find something for your hand there."

[ofthemotions]

...A what? Suddenly Mikado half thought he might have started something too big. His eyes widened, making no attempt to hide his reaction. "A... Soldier?" he asked in some amazement. "Like the ones that were here?" Was she more... something undercover? Or was she from a different unit or.... Ah, he didn't know at all.

For her question, though, he could answer simply. Still staring slightly, he nodded. Wasn't she only a little older than him? "I can," he replied. "Thank you. Really."

[melodists]

The response was instantaneous. The last misinformation Tear needed was that she had any associations with Aguilar's men. "No," she said. "I'm an intelligence officer for the Oracle Knights. We do not have any connection to General Aguilar, Dr. Landel, or their operations. I'm more or less a prisoner here, like yourself." Her smile faded. She hoped he would take the explanation as fact.

The boy did seem, however, to be able and willing to go to the second floor. This probably wouldn't be necessary if she had brought a few of Peter's supplies, but given her initial intentions, that hadn't been the case. Might as well take advantage of the supply room. "Okay. Follow me."

[To here.]