Description: Schoolgirls Are The Answer - Beaten to a pulp, alone and frustrated, Soma Travedi is secretly beginning to rethink this whole 'servant of justice' affair. However, a chance encounter with Hotaru suddenly gives him not only an unexpected breakthrough in the Jinchuu case, but an unexpected and much needed ally.
It hasn't been very long since Soma Travedi attempted what must be the most ill-fated air insertion into hostile territory that has ever been attempted. His efforts to distract the Ryouhara were almost entirely in vain, and they had Aislinn waiting... who proceeded to throw Soma to the verge of death for the second time in as many months. In fact, beyond her final blow most of the interval is a bit of a blur, except for lingering aches and pains.
But of all the things one might expect to follow from that experience, sitting in what is effectively a richly appointed lounge on a surprisingly comfortable chair, listening to a random individual play Chopin on a piano while he scribbled notes about his next novel into a notepad was not really on the list.
Yet that is indeed what he's doing. Black clogs discarded on the floor next to the chair, Soma is for all intents and purposes curled up on one of the large chairs in the stern piano lounge, one leg pulled up onto his lap. His foot taps absently at the air as Soma himself, dressed in typical black and grey, absently looks down at a leather portfolio in his hands, the front emblazoned with, of all things, the UCLA school seal in gold and blue. A pencil scratches occasionally onto the paper within... and the expression on his face suggests there is something on his mind beyond just how to structure his next Metro Times bestseller.
For Hotaru, this started out as an amusing if occasionally creepy cruise that came pre-packaged with the chance to mingle with dozons of fighters and observe some particularly intriguing matches taking place. But over time her perspective has shifted a little. She boarded the boat already highly suspicious of anything to do with Riko and her ninja clan, but the passage of a couple of days without anything too strange happening assuaged that wariness some.
That was until her incredibly unlikely roommate opened her eyes to another perspective, folding back the shutters of naivete to let the young fighter see the possabilities of something more sinister at work here aboard the mysterious ninja boat. The problem has become: what to do about it?
Enter Soma. The young man looks content with his note taking, relaxing in the luxurious lounge. Which makes the idea of interrupting his ruminations somewhat awkward. But... There's the sound of a small body sinking down into the thick, comfortable chair closest to his. And should he look up he will find that he is the sole object of the Japanese girl's attentions right then, blue eyes staring at him as she leans against the armrest on the closest side.
It's said that most people get a sense when someone is looking at them, as if the human gaze itself were something that extends outward, a thing ranging out from the body like sonar. Generally speaking this doesn't have any *scientific* basis; the human gaze is receptive, not active, after all. But undeniably, the feeling that you're being looked at does exist, and it might even be proof of some sixth sense, a connection between people that the gaze triggers.
In Soma's case, this is *abundantly* true. Even with all the ascetic-like control he needed to learn as a child, there's no way to 'shut off' his empathic abilities. They're always working, always pulling in the 'taste' of people around him. And of course, the closer they are -- and the more those emotions are directed *at him* -- the easier it gets. Hotaru, sitting no more than five feet away and staring right at him, doesn't have a chance, as it were.
But Soma also long ago learned to tell the difference between curiosity and hostile intent. For a moment or two, he just continues to scribble away, before saying, in an amused and almost wry tone, "If you want to know how it ends, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait until I actually write the book..."
Then he turns with a grin, not missing a beat as he recognizes the person sitting next to him. "...Miss Futaba."
As he starts to speak, there is a small shift on the part of the staring girl, as if having gotten caught in something she didn't even consciously realize she was doing. And by the time he glances at her, she has averted her eyes a little toward the floor though her head is still turned toward him. It makes it easy to catch the light blush of one feeling a little guilty. For a moment.
It passes quickly, eyes coming back up, a ready smile replacing the pensive expression born seconds ago. "O-oh, it's a book." She leans forward a little more then, propping herself up by resting her elbows against the soft, cushioned armrest, "I thought maybe you were writing a story on this event. Like how you were sent to the front lines in Thailand to report for the BBC." It seems she remembers well their last encounter in a Neo League match several months ago.
"I-I- mean, I'm sure your book is good too," she stammers, realizing that maybe he might take offense that her interests in his writing were elsewhere. "But it's just... well, this is a pretty strange tournament, don't you think? Seems like there would be a lot to write about here."
One dark eyebrow goes up a bit at Hotaru's sudden fluster, but if it's bothered Soma he doesn't seem to have any outward expression of it. However, thoughts of Thailand don't exactly bring up the most wonderful memories for him... especially since his part in the entire affair was sparked by none other than Riko Koganei. Ducking his head to the portfolio for a moment, as if scanning his notes, he tucks the pencil inside and then folds it shut, talking as he does so. "Ah, no... in that instance it was because the British government wanted a correspondent who could defend themselves in case of trouble... and I owed someone at Bush House a favor. Apparently, people who can both fight *and* write are somewhat rare."
As for the strangeness of the tournament... that topic seems to gather more of Soma's interest. He glances up and away from Hotaru, looking at the wall panels, the piano... even the bizarre exterior of the hull through a nearby picture window. "But you're right about this being a strange tournament. Most of my books are... I guess you could say something between a mystery, a thriller, and an action story," Soma explains, turning back to Hotaru. "Mysteries make for compelling reading, after all. And this huge boat, the way they're structuring bouts between fighters... it certainly does qualify as 'strange'."
There's a beat, and then something seems to occur to the undercover agent. "Are you here to participate, perhaps...?"
Hotaru is quiet as he speaks, paying such intent, obvious attention that it would be clear that her interest in speaking with Soma isn't just out of desperation for some way to pass the time. She has something on her mind, and that something has brought her to converse with the adult she mistakenly interpreted as being some kind of reporter / fighter hybrid. A mature, responsible, non-psychotic version of Ran, perhaps.
As he clarifies his primary purposes in writing, she nods slightly. Mysteries do mkae for a good story, even if she isn't a regular book reader herself. In the back of her head she wonders if Himeko has ever met Soma. Maybe the little bookworm is actually a fan of some of his works! Then the question is paused and Hotaru answers to the negative. "Only to watch," she explains, her reaction to that a little vague. Surely a fighter like her would love to participate in something like this. But it was invite only, so some manner of selection process left her being merely a passive observer.
But she veers right back into the previous topic with some level of tenacity. "So... do you think there's some mysteries about all this?" One of her elbows lifts off the arm rest to wave generally at the boat around them, though her eyes stay fixed on Soma. "You probably have a unique way of looking at things with your background in writing."
Something is *not right* about this scenario, and the sudden realization of that shows in the corners of Soma's face: a movement of the eye, a slight twitch of the lips. But he's not about to give the whole thing up... not yet, anyway. And he does indeed give voice to a thought Hotaru herself may have had: "Invitation only, right? Mine came while I was laid out in a hospital bed in Metro City," he says faintly, dimly remembering the storm of preparation that engendered... and the plan that followed. His brief disappearance after fighting Kaiwei, the meeting with Elle, the airdrop.
All for naught.
But it's unlike the Ryouhara to use Hotaru -- a known quantity in the fighting world, including her temperament -- as a spy. And this is just as good an opportunity for Soma to get some of the less... classified things he's been thinking about off his chest. "I know... a little bit about the organizers," the ICPO agent adds, settling his portfolio in his lap. A signal to some: we're off the record, now. "And you have to admit, this ship itself is pretty damned suspicious. It's got... an aura. I'm guessing you can feel it, too. Power, running through it, and I don't mean electricity. And why have a tournament on a giant ship instead of somewhere on land? There's certain national sovereignty problems you circumvent, but that's only an issue... if you have something to hide. No..." Soma pauses, and his eyebrows actually go up. There ARE things here he hadn't really considered that perhaps need more looking into. "There's more to this than just the 'fighting proletariat's legendary recompense', whatever that is."
"Nn," Hotaru nods when he brings up the invitation only aspect of the tournament. She's had her words with Riko on the subject, so she has some idea why she was excluded. But explanining it is just as uncomfortable as leaving it unexplained, since if she were to summarize Riko's justification, it would amount to saying 'Basically, I'm better at this than all you', and there's no way in the world the girl is going to suggest something like that. If it wasn't completely unlike her to say so anyway, some of the very contestants have beaten her in fights in the past, making such an assertion very hard to defend.
But now it seems like she's getting somewhere with Soma. A lot of the things he's saying resonate with her own conclusions, which is what she was hoping for. Leaning forward a little further, Hotaru is pretty much propped up sideways against the armrest now, not so much sitting in the chair but kneeling in it. "The organizers are a sect of very secretive ninjas that have gone to great lengths to stay off the radar for... well, as long as they have existed. But now they come out and put on a grand show like this, exposing their clan to the limelight?" Strange detail number one. It seems the girl is far from clueless in spite her age.
"There is a lot about this boat that doesn't feel right. I've felt the... aura if you want to call it. There's the engravings in the wall that react to fighters who manifest a visible energy with their attacks... It's like the engravings are channeling it all somewhere deeper in the boat." Strange detail number two. "I wandered down below on accident once. The aura is stronger down there."
The girl pauses, taking a breath, allowing that to sink in, before adding, "They deliberately have avoided inviting the best of the best. The... 'agents of Jinchuu' as they call them... It's as if they specifically wanted to avoid gathering a large number of exceptionally powerful fighters here... like, maybe... maybe they're afraid of them?" Hotaru settles back down a little, though still kneeling in the chair, her voice calming, becoming more somber. "I'm afraid they're up to something big with this event. They're hiding something. I... I don't know. I just thought maybe you might have some insight into it. The perspective of one who crafts mysteries for fun, after all..."
A faint smile crosses Soma's face as Hotaru deftly skirts around saying anything fantastically arrogant... and then, bastard that he is, Soma says it for her: "And are you the best of the best, Miss Futaba?" However, before she can likely get out an answer or a defiant stammer of rejection, he waves a hand dismissively. "I'm not bothered by the news that you're too good a fighter to be here, don't worry. In fact, that's useful information in a way, isn't it? The more you know about who they *didn't* invite, the more you know about who they *did*." He pauses, chewing over what she's said. The thing about the sigils is new... and for a moment the undercover detective wonders if they would react to *his* power -- a power he doesn't understand but knows is not chi -- as well.
Something to think about.
But on Hotaru's other theories Soma has more to say, picking up the portfolio in his lap and running his finger along the gold foil-stamped seal. "I don't think they're afraid of powerful fighters. After all, anyone can actually come onto the Suiryuu to observe, can't they? You're here, after all." There's a pause, then Soma shakes his head. "No... I understand how Seishirou and Riko's minds work, a bit. Anyone who's not useful to them they don't care about. Meaning that they only invited people to *participate* they think are useful." He turns to Hotaru again with a faint grin. "I may be a novelist but my background is in criminology, you see. Helps make the mystery novels more believable."
Stretching his arms up for a moment, the ICPO agent then continues. "I don't want to be the winner of this tournament. The cash prize has to be bait, nothing else. And I'm certain they'll have... some use for the winner. They plan on coming away from this with something worth more than what they've spent to make it happen, and I don't just mean money. Like you said, they're suddenly visible, too... so they expect to get something back worth more than that."
"I-" Hotaru attempts to protest, complexion paling a little as she tries to refute his assertion, but the self-proclaimed author continues on too fast for her to get a word in edgewise. And by the time he pauses she feels uncomfortable even bringing it up again, so she just stays quiet on the matter.
He goes on to refute somewhat her conclusion about those that have been invited verses those left out, making valid points. The girl doesn't seem to be bothered by this - after all, she was bouncing ideas off the man for a reason. As he mentions is background, she smiles faintly. "That must be interesting." Criminologist verses Ninja Clan. Who can out-profile the other?
He talks about the prize and she nods a little. Many of the fighters she's talked to have been very interested in the prize money, citing it as their primary motivation. "Yeah," she agrees when he talks about the clan definitely having some kind of 'win condition' for themselves in doing all this. "I think the clue is this boat. The aura... the reactions in the walls... I don't think it's for show."
Hotaru turns around to sit flat in the chair at last, her hands resting in her lap, as her expression becomes more thoughtful. It doesn't sound like Soma knows anything she doesn't. Or if he does, he's holding back on her. But at least she's done something to raise his own awareness, perhaps, if it wasn't already there. The idea that there's another person thinking about this stuff the same way she is trying to is a small comfort at least.
For a moment, Soma enjoys the sudden break in the conversation, leaning back in his chair and tipping his head back, looking at one of the light fixtures on the ceiling... and suddenly his eyes narrow. There they are: the signs, in dark blue, not reacting at the moment to anything. But he didn't even notice them until just now. They really are everywhere. He's not *angry* at himself for missing it -- after all, he's only been on Suiryuu for three days, two of which he spent unconscious in his cabin -- but... they're a piece of the puzzle he didn't consider.
Almost as an afterthought, he reaches into his portfolio and retrieves his pencil. Without dipping his head back up, he concentrates... and the pencil flares silver-black with a sudden infusion of Psycho Power, shortly before Soma hurls it at the edge of the light fixture. Once the pencil hits the ceiling it bursts in a silver haze, the pencil itself disintegrated in the process.
On cue, the sigils closest light up in a flare of blue, a spiderweb of lines of that same color bursting outward along the ceiling in the aftermath.
Raising one eyebrow in surprise, Soma sits up and looks to Hotaru, his expression intended to convey his hope that she'll offer commentary on that. "...interesting. So mine, too..."
Lost in her own thought for a moment, the girl easily mistakes the extraction of the pencil as an intention to get back to his writing. Or, perhaps, to jot down some notes, putting to written word some ideas that she might have given him. Thus it is that she misses the initial flaring of the writing instrument, only becoming aware he is up to something when he tosses it upward.
The movement seen at the edge of her vision causes her to glance back toward him, then match his upward gaze with one of her own to observe the reaction of the lines once the pencil is vaporized. She smiles faintly. Not because the demonstration worked. That didn't come as a surprise. But because of his own reflection on his power behaving similarly. The fact that she didn't sense anything at all - that his little display might as well have been a fancy light show - means Soma has something in common with a few other opponents she's faced in the past. One of those things she just can't figure out about them. How it is their own power doesn't resonate with her at all.
But no comment is made about that. "Looks that way," the girl states, eyes tracing the spreading reaction before it becomes too faint to see anymore. "There's a lot more in the lower areas of the boat. I think they might be bigger there. Like, perhaps they're conduits all leading to a specific destination..." She lowers her gaze from the vision then, sinking back down to rest in the chair.
"I've dealt with one of them a few times. Riko... I don't trust her at all. Considering she's partially behind this, I'm suspicious about the whole thing. There's a bigger picture, but I don't know what it is. I just hope... no one is going to end up paying a severe price just so the ninjas running this thing can get whatever victory it is they're looking for."
There is a long period where Soma, mulling over his own thoughts, glances at Hotaru carefully, studying her... having come full circle from her inadvertent staring at the beginning of this little tete-a-tete. If she's duplicitous, or hiding something, he can't sense it at all... only a genuine confusion at what's going on, a concern for the participants... perhaps even curiosity, but that's to be expected. This actually surprises Soma more than it should, because he's unusued to dealing with the true samaritan, the type of person who has no ulterior motive, who doesn't look to exploit every situation to his or her advantage.
Unbidden, the thought escapes his lips, and he murmurs: "...kind of like I'm doing."
There's a pause, and then the undercover agent sits up straight, looking down at his lap for a moment. "Riko is dangerous and you *shouldn't* trust her. Though... look who's saying it." He pauses, then turns to Hotaru. "I can't give you all the information I know. I'm sorry for that. But you've given me some important leads today, so I'll be honest with you. I'm not here simply as a participant, nor as a novelist. I have... I guess you'd call it a greater purpose. The Ryouhara clan knows that. They knew it in Thailand, too... and I walked into whatever they wanted me to do *there* because it helped break Shadaloo's control on the country. But now..."
He pauses, and shuts his eyes for a moment. When he opens them again, the dark violet gaze is no longer neutral or amused: it is deadly serious. "I'm telling you this because I think you're trustworthy. I'm one of the good guys, Miss Futaba... but I'm also still a pawn here, because I have to be, if I want to find out who's moving the pieces. If you find anything else out that's important, please let me know."
She glances up from her lap as Soma speaks again as if oblivious to his careful scrutiny. She smiles faintly as he mentions Riko as being dangerous. Yeah, she got kidnapped and dragged to some secret ninja base to find that out herself. But the warning is appreciated all the same. But when he brings the topic back around to himself, she blinks, sitting up a little straighter again, paying closer attention. Her smile fades swiftly, her expression becoming a reflection of his own seriousness - though perhaps without the jaded edge his bears, a 'gift' from experience that she lacks. Probably for the better.
There is a searing look to her eyes, as if trying to decide how to take everything he has just revealed. The thing is, it comes across pretty believable. There's something about his demeanor, his presence, that compells her to trust that his cover for being here is just that - a cover. "I will," Hotaru states, her voice sounding very honest, very believable. "I... well, it's good to know that someone is looking into this. It's very much over my head. But I can't do nothing." comes the addmission of feeling inadequate or overwhelmed by how much is going on. But he's trained to deal with these kinds of problems, right? Whatever his true background is... he has to be better at handling it than she could possibly be.
"If they know your angle, do you think you might be in danger here? Unless they wanted you to see this for some reason..." she muses.
Perhaps unexpectedly, Soma's response to that question is to laugh. When that dies down, he shakes his head. "That's very caring of you, but I don't think I'm in any more danger than normal. Actually, I'm probably safer here than I would be anywhere else. I know that might seem contradictory, but I'll be okay. Thanks for your concern." It is true, however. Here, on Suiryuu, with so many other parties involved... Soma is safer than ever. A small, closed community makes strange goings-on to the participants harder to hide, too...
Clearing his throat, Soma glances at Hotaru carefully. "But the reason I'm not telling you everything is because it might put *you* in danger. If someone comes to you and asks about me, it's safer if you can convincingly say you don't know." Thus is the crux of allies during undercover work. Policemen accept danger and the possibility of harm as part and parcel of their mandate to protect the public. Civilians, well... that's another story, and Soma is in no hurry to have something bad happening to Hotaru on his conscience. "But your last question is pretty perceptive. I have to wonder why I was invited when they know I'm... opposed to some of their plans. If they *wanted* me to be here for some reason, I have to wonder why..."
The girl blushes a little at his appreciation for her concern. The idea that he's safer here than almost anywhere else is hard to understand, since she definitely doesn't feel likewise. The last time the boat pulled into the harbor, she just about got off... It would be the sensible, self-preserving thing to do after all, given her suspicions about the event. But she couldn't just leave and do nothing. Besides, out of everyone aboard the boat, she has been able to move about mostly ignored. As someone not in the events itself, her presence has hardly sparked much attention at all. She can get around a bit easier than the 'agents of Jinchuu' can. Which means maybe she has a part to play yet.
"I understand," comes the quiet voice when Soma indicates he can't tell her everything, for her own good. "All I ask is that you let me know enough to help keep other people from getting hurt if possible." At his compliment about her question, she blushes again. She's never considered herself much of an investigator of any sort. And right now she's pretty convinced Soma is some kind of secret spy for some big organization. That he appreciates her input and questions is pretty complimentary.
"Maybe it's a gamble on their part." the girl proffers one idea. "Maybe they invited people specifically because of what they could do. How their abilities manifest. Maybe you fit the bill and they invited you out of necessity rather than actually wanting you here." After all, there's certainly /something/ about his own energy manifestations that set him apart from most.
The undercover agent nods. It's a sensible suggestion, especially given the new information he's learned about the sigils on the walls. *That* bears investigating... if only there was an expert on the topic he could ask. Sadly, none come to mind. "That's certainly a possibility. To be honest I haven't given my own personal situation a lot of thought. Putting myself in the line of fire is my job, so to speak. But..." And here he gets up, dusting off his pants legs and then slipping the black leather portfolio into the crook of one elbow. "You might have a point. Maybe I need to look into that a little more."
Pausing to glance at his watch, Soma turns back to Hotaru. "Listen, I need to go. Take care of yourself. And don't worry, I'll try to keep you in the loop, inasmuch as that's possible. In fact, I may be counting on you to keep certain people safe if I can't do it myself." There's an inadvertent grimace at that statement; no policeman likes admitting a threat is beyond his/her personal ability to handle it, but the memories AND the bruises of his one-sided fight with Aislinn are still fresh in his mind, and their immediacy is winning over his pride, for sure. "The most important thing is for you to keep yourself safe, though. Don't do anything crazy, okay?"
Hotaru is quiet once more as Soma speaks, remaining seated as he stands, moving off to attend to whatever it is his watch has beckoned he should. She is fine with that. Finding him here at all was mostly a lucky coincidence at all. That approaching him turned out to be for the better is even more of a pay off.
"You can count on me if you need to," the girl replies with a faint smile that does some to hide her nervousness, but not managing it completely. "And I will," she adds about keeping herself safe. Not doing anything crazy is a tall order, though. Craziness is part and parcel to being a rising fighting star anyway, isn't it?! "Thanks," she adds just as he is about to take his leave. For the compliments. For the shoulder to vent her worries on. For the trust placed in her. "For everything."
A genuine smile passes over Soma's face at that. Perhaps it's infectious... or perhaps it's just him picking up her emotional wavelength again. Either way, it's a welcome change to the seriousness of his demeanor. "Don't thank me until the final credits are rolling. But look at it this way," he says, holding up the portfolio and tapping his other hand against the cover once or twice. "Maybe in the end this will make one hell of a book."
And then he's turning on his heel and gone to his cabin. Hotaru's given him plenty to think about, after all.
Log created on 14:53:03 09/08/2007 by Soma, and last modified on 05:51:29 09/12/2007.