[RL Open to close friends of Naoto | School Rooftop]

[truthinfortune]

Naoto decided to hide out on the school rooftop after that last prank Kaito pulled. She was wearing the boy's gym uniform--powder blue sweatpants and zippered jacket--while her clothes were being laundered. In her hands she held her cabbie hat, still wet, but no longer dyed festive colors. She wouldn't allow anyone to touch that hat, which belonged

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[satellite_idol]

[ Rise had been walking upstairs to find Naoto and eat lunch with her-- as soon as she got to the roof, though, she dropped her tray, running over to crouch down next to her ]

Oh my gosh, what happened!?

[truthinfortune]

[Oh, dammit... Naoto didn't want anyone to see her like this. She angrily scrubs her cheeks with the cuff of her jacket and keeps her face turned away.]

Nothing... I'm fine. Just... had to deal with another one of Kuroba's annoying pranks, that's all.

[satellite_idol]

[ ignores this completely and throws her arms around her from the side ] Whatever it is, it's gonna be okay, yeah?

[truthinfortune]

[Naoto stiffens a bit in surprise... but only for a moment. She relaxes and leans against Rise, trying to keep her self from crying again.]

I don't know about that... [a pause] I'm thinking about quitting the Disciplinary Committee. I don't... I don't deserve to be the Head anymore...

[bluespring]

[Karen is the sort of person who probably has the eating habits of the entire school memorized, and is therefore temporarily a closer friend of Naoto's than usual.]

Shirogane-san?

[truthinfortune]

Mi-Minazuki-san...? [She scrubs at her eyes with the cuff of her sleeve, hoping she won't see the tear tracks on her face.] What are you doing up here...?

[Crap, how long had Naoto been sulking up here? She was probably going to be late to class, wasn't she? Maybe Karen was here to lecture her.]

[bluespring]

I wanted to get away from the chaos inside. [And minimize the number of people seeing her like this.] Are you all right?

[truthinfortune]

If by "all right" you mean "completely and utterly humiliated in front of the entire student body," then I'm just damn peachy!

[She doesn't mean to lash out at you, really. Naoto's just been having a really rough time these past few weeks.]

[ddd_zack]

[Zack loves high places too, and often comes up to the roof so he can people-watch and see what everyone is doing. He almost walks right by her before he does a double-take and stops.]

Whoa, hey! You okay? [He doesn't know who this kid is - a freshman by the size of him - but he can't just walk by someone in distress.]

((I hope it's okay for me to butt in, Zack needs to get to know more people *sweatdrops* Just ignore this or delete it if you'd rather not deal with him))

[truthinfortune]

[Naoto looks up, blinking, and quickly scrubs at her eyes with one sleeve. An upperclassman, by the look of him, but she doesn't know him well. Probably because she's never had to drag him to detention.]

I, um... I just needed a moment to myself, that's all... That last prank Kuroba pulled was pretty bad, wasn't it?

((Sure! And since Naoto is dressed this way, he probably doesn't recognize her as the Head of the Disciplinary Committee. That, and I doubt Zack gets in trouble all that often.))

[ddd_zack]

Dunno, I didn't get hit by it - is that why half the people in school are covered in red and green? [He smiles sympathetically, now understanding why the kid is dressed in a gym uniform.] I was outside until just now, guess I missed the fun.

((Zack might get detention for being too loud and energetic in class, but he'd never need to be dragged to it, lol. Can he tell she's a girl? Given the clothes, he's going to assume 'boy' unless there's real evidence otherwise))

[truthinfortune]

[nods her head] Yes. Kuroba put dye in the sprinkler system. He's such an insensitive jerk sometimes! [balls her hand into a fist] He made me look like a fool, in front of the entire school! And the worse part is that he's going to get off scott-free just because I'm not smart enough or fast enough to apprehend him...

[dammit, no, don't start crying again, you've cried enough already]

((Well, since her bindings got wet, she's not wearing them, so she has noticeable breasts. That is, once she's not hunched over and hiding them.]

[grey_grief]

[And Haibara is her little shadow when not around Hakuba.

Just sits nearby, there if Naoto needs her at all.]

[truthinfortune]

[And Naoto continues to sit there and mutter to herself while gazing down at the hat held between her hands.]

Why? Why can't I catch him? Am I really not good enough? Am I really no good as Head of the Disciplinary Committee?

Maybe... I should just go ahead and quit now...

[grey_grief]

[And here's where Haibara pops you over the side of the head] Since when did you talk like that, huh? He's just some stupid magician. You're the Detective Prince!

[She leans back and looks up at the sky] You could always consider him the Moriarty to your Holmes? Just without the falls?

[truthinfortune]

Oh, Ai-kun... [Naoto smiles wanly at her Junior Deputy and wipes the tears from her cheeks with one sleeve.] Were you here this whole time?

[She stares down at her knees, frowning.] It's not just Kuroba, you know? No matter what I do, I can't change anything. No matter how many times I send those delinquents to detention, they never learn anything, and they just go right back to doing what they've done before...

So, what's the point of it all?

[tyki_tock]

[Tyki ducks out onto the roof for a quick breath of fresh air, fumbling for his pack of cigarettes, but pauses at the sound of sobs. He hesitates, then moves to investigate, coming upon Naoto fairly quickly]

[Startled:] Oh, it's you, kid. Did someone steal your yo-yo or something? What's wrong?

[truthinfortune]

[Naoto rounds on him, having little patience for one of the schools worse troublemakers.]

Don't call me "kid"! [She turns her face away quickly and scrubs at her eyes with one sleeve.]

What do you care? You just came up here to make fun of me, didn't you?

[tyki_tock]

[He chuckles and settles himself down beside her] That's pretty arrogant, to think it's all about you. I came up here to sneak a smoke. I had no idea you were here.

[He glances at her sidelong, sobering] Really, what's wrong?