The sun set over Rhy'Din as the men and women who littered the streets disappeared to their homes or the shifts that required late night working. Slowly, the crowds thinned out, though a steady stream of people went in and out of the Shanachie Theater even as the city retreated indoors. One solitary figure remained motionless, leaning against the wall across the street from the theater with black eyes ever watchful of the doors.
Half an hour or so after the audience filed out of the Shanachie, the staff began to do the same, among them the face that watchful, solitary figure had been waiting for. Laughing at something said to her in farewell, Arisu Matsumara wriggled her fingers in goodbye as she pulled her jacket closer about herself and headed in the direction of Little Asia and home, anticipating another argument with Obaasan when she got in. The late nights were just one of many reasons her grandmother despised the thought of Arisu working at the western-style theater.
He pushed from his lean and smoothed the wrinkles from his coat before turning to follow Arisu at a distance, moving at an easy and casual pace so as not to draw attention to himself, mindful to follow her through crowds however small they might have been given the hour.
Brushing her hair back out of her face, Arisu fell into an easy amble of a walk, counting carefully through her tips from the night. She wasn't too worried about being out on the streets late at night; there were perks to being known as a little sister to a few of the kyodai.
It wasn't until they were in Little Asia that Hayato decided to close the distance between them. He lengthened his stride, his hands sliding from his pockets as he approached at a brisk pace, the intensity of his gaze focused on the back of his mark's head.
A few blocks from her home was when Arisu realised that the hackles were up on the back of her head, her walk slowing just a little, testing the sound of footsteps behind her for any sign that they would slow with her or walk on past. There was only one reason she could think of for anyone to be following her, especially on home turf, but was it friend or foe?
He slowed as well and muttered: "Don't turn around." The voice was on the back of her neck, considerably closer than she might have anticipated. "Keep walking, Matsumara."
"Matsumara-san," she snapped over her shoulder to her apparently male shadow. He was speaking, which meant he fell into the rough category of friend, and that meant she could insist on the formal honorific with him.
"Matsumara-san," he repeated. "What were you doing on our rooftops, Matsumara-san?"
"Convincing a friend not to use the rooftops himself," she answered in a cool voice. She wasn't stupid enough to try and lie, but neither was she going to be completely co-operative. "What's your name, kyodai?"
"Nishimura Hayato," he replied with the same cool tone she used to address him. "Who was this friend? We've never seen him before."
"Junshin'na seishin," she told him quietly, daring a glance over her shoulder to try and put a face to her interrogator under the dim street lights. "A street entertainer. He is no concern."
He was silent for several more minutes save the sound of his footsteps as he followed her close by, not bothering to try and hide his face. "This street entertainer needs to stay out of Little Asia, Matsumara-san. Until we know more about him. If you value your friend's life, you will send him away."
Arisu almost groaned. The thought of trying to explain that to Tavarius was headache-inducing. He'd never understand, and unless he understood, he wouldn't do as she asked anyway. "Believe me, I'm trying, Nishimura-san."
"Good," he replied stepping aside and lengthening his stride to walk past her. "And stay off our rooftops."
She glared after him as he walked away, her mood almost completely destroyed thanks to that little exercise in street intimidation. But she'd known it was coming; a stranger in Little Asia called up enough interest, but one who dared the runs along the rooftops was drawing too much attention to himself. She needed to talk to Tav, and soon.
((Thanks to Nishimura Hayato's player!))
Half an hour or so after the audience filed out of the Shanachie, the staff began to do the same, among them the face that watchful, solitary figure had been waiting for. Laughing at something said to her in farewell, Arisu Matsumara wriggled her fingers in goodbye as she pulled her jacket closer about herself and headed in the direction of Little Asia and home, anticipating another argument with Obaasan when she got in. The late nights were just one of many reasons her grandmother despised the thought of Arisu working at the western-style theater.
He pushed from his lean and smoothed the wrinkles from his coat before turning to follow Arisu at a distance, moving at an easy and casual pace so as not to draw attention to himself, mindful to follow her through crowds however small they might have been given the hour.
Brushing her hair back out of her face, Arisu fell into an easy amble of a walk, counting carefully through her tips from the night. She wasn't too worried about being out on the streets late at night; there were perks to being known as a little sister to a few of the kyodai.
It wasn't until they were in Little Asia that Hayato decided to close the distance between them. He lengthened his stride, his hands sliding from his pockets as he approached at a brisk pace, the intensity of his gaze focused on the back of his mark's head.
A few blocks from her home was when Arisu realised that the hackles were up on the back of her head, her walk slowing just a little, testing the sound of footsteps behind her for any sign that they would slow with her or walk on past. There was only one reason she could think of for anyone to be following her, especially on home turf, but was it friend or foe?
He slowed as well and muttered: "Don't turn around." The voice was on the back of her neck, considerably closer than she might have anticipated. "Keep walking, Matsumara."
"Matsumara-san," she snapped over her shoulder to her apparently male shadow. He was speaking, which meant he fell into the rough category of friend, and that meant she could insist on the formal honorific with him.
"Matsumara-san," he repeated. "What were you doing on our rooftops, Matsumara-san?"
"Convincing a friend not to use the rooftops himself," she answered in a cool voice. She wasn't stupid enough to try and lie, but neither was she going to be completely co-operative. "What's your name, kyodai?"
"Nishimura Hayato," he replied with the same cool tone she used to address him. "Who was this friend? We've never seen him before."
"Junshin'na seishin," she told him quietly, daring a glance over her shoulder to try and put a face to her interrogator under the dim street lights. "A street entertainer. He is no concern."
He was silent for several more minutes save the sound of his footsteps as he followed her close by, not bothering to try and hide his face. "This street entertainer needs to stay out of Little Asia, Matsumara-san. Until we know more about him. If you value your friend's life, you will send him away."
Arisu almost groaned. The thought of trying to explain that to Tavarius was headache-inducing. He'd never understand, and unless he understood, he wouldn't do as she asked anyway. "Believe me, I'm trying, Nishimura-san."
"Good," he replied stepping aside and lengthening his stride to walk past her. "And stay off our rooftops."
She glared after him as he walked away, her mood almost completely destroyed thanks to that little exercise in street intimidation. But she'd known it was coming; a stranger in Little Asia called up enough interest, but one who dared the runs along the rooftops was drawing too much attention to himself. She needed to talk to Tav, and soon.
((Thanks to Nishimura Hayato's player!))