Fandom Whaddaya Mean, You Can't Steal A Goddess? (Johnoclock/Schnee Corp Lawyer)

[Johnoclock]

Sanae was actually on the cusp of a giggle as she watched Kuroi push herself back up, but it died in her throat when she saw the look in the thief's eyes. But as the threat rang out, Sanae only crossed her arms over her chest with a sniff as she closed her eyes, oddly nonplussed. She was a goddess; it wasn't her place to bend to others will! She'd be dishonoring the entire suwa shrine if she did.

"Kidnapped or not, you're a terrible host. If you tried being nice, I'd be much more pliable to your requests!"

"Is that so?" The dry, mocking line reminiscent of Rumia's rang out from somewhere in the room, Kuroi less a predator in the underbrush and more one casually hanging over a tree branch as it licked its paw, unconcerned with the notion of any escape attempt or show of bristling defiance by its prey. "Cuz from where I'm standing, I've been sweet as pie. Haven't really roughed ya up, haven't scared you, haven't done much more than screw around for kicks and giggles, even though you keep puffing your feathers up over and over again... Maybe that's why you think you can get away with so much?"

A single lock of Sanae's hair twisted as though being twirled around a finger, but only for the briefest of moments before it fell and went still.

"That feel you copped earlier, for instance. I don't believe for a second that the good little shrine girl just wanted a quick turn at playing bad. You sure there isn't just a part of you that maybe likes bein' played with rough?"

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Is that so?" The dry, mocking line reminiscent of Rumia's rang out from somewhere in the room, Kuroi less a predator in the underbrush and more one casually hanging over a tree branch as it licked its paw, unconcerned with the notion of any escape attempt or show of bristling defiance by its prey. "Cuz from where I'm standing, I've been sweet as pie. Haven't really roughed ya up, haven't scared you, haven't done much more than screw around for kicks and giggles, even though you keep puffing your feathers up over and over again... Maybe that's why you think you can get away with so much?"

A single lock of Sanae's hair twisted as though being twirled around a finger, but only for the briefest of moments before it fell and went still.

"That feel you copped earlier, for instance. I don't believe for a second that the good little shrine girl just wanted a quick turn at playing bad. You sure there isn't just a part of you that maybe likes bein' played with rough?"

The priestess gave an astounded blink before her eyes went wide "Haven't roughed- you punched me! In the face!" She accused. 'hadn't roughed her up' what kind of nonsense-

She jumped at the accusation and the finger in her hair, and her arms shifted to a less grumpy and more protective position as she shifted towards the corner of the futon near the wall. Her cheeks were slowly hueing red, but her eyes stayed sharp and annoyed even as she glanced to the side "Don't project your own fetishes onto me, fist-san. We gods are all about ironic punishment, thats all it was!"

​

And it really was at the time. She just was... Not at all prepared for the reaction it got, and thinking about it again had her eyes tilted down as she covered an embarrassed cough. "Though you didn't seem to take it as a punishment, s-so don't expect that again anytime soon"

 

[Johnoclock]

The priestess gave an astounded blink before her eyes went wide "Haven't roughed- you punched me! In the face!" She accused. 'hadn't roughed her up' what kind of nonsense-

She jumped at the accusation and the finger in her hair, and her arms shifted to a less grumpy and more protective position as she shifted towards the corner of the futon near the wall. Her cheeks were slowly hueing red, but her eyes stayed sharp and annoyed even as she glanced to the side "Don't project your own fetishes onto me, fist-san. We gods are all about ironic punishment, thats all it was!"

​

And it really was at the time. She just was... Not at all prepared for the reaction it got, and thinking about it again had her eyes tilted down as she covered an embarrassed cough. "Though you didn't seem to take it as a punishment, s-so don't expect that again anytime soon"

"And it was about the nicest thing I could've done, considerin' you wouldn't zip your lips and you would've wound up incarcerated at an esper containment facility if the police towed you in." She shot back in smooth, undeterred tones. "Besides, that was how we met. We were talking about how I am as a host..."

Something strongly resembling a finger in feel and proportion prodded the goddess in the midriff, trailing lightly down her side and disappearing as quickly as it came to avoid retaliation. As Sanae blustered more and more, the disbelieving snort Kuroi gave from wherever she was spoke volumes well before she uttered a word in response.

"Uh huh. That sure explains why you're the only one getting all steamed and tomatofaced thinkin' about it. And I dunno if anyone ever gave you the birds and bees talk, shrinegirl, but that's actually sort of the normal way to take gettin' felt up in an erogenous zone, especially since you went to town like you've never been touched before in your life. That true?"

She let her voice rise in a mocking uptick as she pushed the line of improper questioning farther and farther.

"So going by what you're telling me, Shinto's the religion where squeezin' someone's marshmallows can qualify as a punishment somehow? Jeez, maybe I will convert after all."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"And it was about the nicest thing I could've done, considerin' you wouldn't zip your lips and you would've wound up incarcerated at an esper containment facility if the police towed you in." She shot back in smooth, undeterred tones. "Besides, that was how we met. We were talking about how I am as a host..."

Something strongly resembling a finger in feel and proportion prodded the goddess in the midriff, trailing lightly down her side and disappearing as quickly as it came to avoid retaliation. As Sanae blustered more and more, the disbelieving snort Kuroi gave from wherever she was spoke volumes well before she uttered a word in response.

"Uh huh. That sure explains why you're the only one getting all steamed and tomatofaced thinkin' about it. And I dunno if anyone ever gave you the birds and bees talk, shrinegirl, but that's actually sort of the normal way to take gettin' felt up in an erogenous zone, especially since you went to town like you've never been touched before in your life. That true?"

She let her voice rise in a mocking uptick as she pushed the line of improper questioning farther and farther.

"So going by what you're telling me, Shinto's the religion where squeezin' someone's marshmallows can qualify as a punishment somehow? Jeez, maybe I will convert after all."

"S-stop! Stop please, stop, just, stop!" Sanae shrilled as she jumped at the touch and brought her knees up to her chest with her arms around them to make herself as small a target as possible. "S-seriously, what kind of crappy limewire doujin are you even getting these lines from?!" She snapped. "Whats next, 'you may not be but you're body is honest, sanae-chan'?" She hissed as she narrowed her eyes, her cheeks nonetheless completely flushed now and her eyes starting to water slightly.

She had, in fact, been touched like that once or twice, but it never went far. Before she'd made it to Gensokyo, she'd still been figuring out what she was. Once she did, though, she started to to think that it didn't matter, because somehow or another she'd been cursed; everything went fine at the start, but whenever some girl tried to push things farther than a chaste kiss, no more than a few days later they bowed their head to Sanae, apologized for leading her along, and told her that they no longer had interest. It was an almost eerie rendition of the same script, every time. So it had to be a curse, or something, right?

Spoiler: Another perspective

Kanako and Suwako; goddesses of the Suwa Shrine. In their heyday, they commanded thousands of followers; with Kanako a kami of the sky, and suwako one of the earth, their abilities complimented each other greatly. But as the hey day of Shinto dwindled, so did their followers, and in turn their faith. Without someone to believe in them, a god cannot exist. So it was that their last priestess, Kochiya Sanae, was in a sense responsible for keeping their deaths at bay. Certainly other priests helped maintain the historic Suwa Shrine, but in the end they did not truly believe; only the young girl with frighteningly green hair could see the goddesses, and they grew to love her dearly as she grew up determined to keep her kami safe and enshrined. With the girl's own parents gone, as a child left to the shrine itself, the kami's took a sort of parental role, an odd task for formerly almighty gods such as them, but they took to it with gusto, and did as much as they could with their diminished forms. Often the lamented how little they could do, and how little they could protect the young priestess who gave them so much faith on her own

The move to Gensokyo changed much; plenty of people believed in them their, and so their powers returned in full; so it was too that they could actively protect their young Sanae, from danger as well as... other things. While they were glad of course that Sanae made ventures into romance, not a single one of her suitors seemed at all, well, suitable for their sweet little wind priestess. And the Kami of the Moriya shrine never did anything by halves. Some would claim they had a tendency to overdo it, but those sorts of people just lacked vision.

All they wanted to ensure was that the right person eventually ended up with her. And if blackmail, curses, and the occasional bout of overt violence was the solution to that, then well that was just how it was sometimes.

Any complexes or unfounded fears it left Sanae herself with were just unfortunate side effects. She was a goddess, she'd live long enough to get over them

Trapped against the wall with the presence of neither of her kami felt for days, Sanae was not feeling very protected. The sheer frustration she felt at the knowledge that this was a situation that wouldn't even be a situation if she had her powers had tears stinging at her eyes, and the newness of the situation and contact without that for her had her imagination running a little rampant.

 

[Johnoclock]

"S-stop! Stop please, stop, just, stop!" Sanae shrilled as she jumped at the touch and brought her knees up to her chest with her arms around them to make herself as small a target as possible. "S-seriously, what kind of crappy limewire doujin are you even getting these lines from?!" She snapped. "Whats next, 'you may not be but you're body is honest, sanae-chan'?" She hissed as she narrowed her eyes, her cheeks nonetheless completely flushed now and her eyes starting to water slightly.

She had, in fact, been touched like that once or twice, but it never went far. Before she'd made it to Gensokyo, she'd still been figuring out what she was. Once she did, though, she started to to think that it didn't matter, because somehow or another she'd been cursed; everything went fine at the start, but whenever some girl tried to push things farther than a chaste kiss, no more than a few days later they bowed their head to Sanae, apologized for leading her along, and told her that they no longer had interest. It was an almost eerie rendition of the same script, every time. So it had to be a curse, or something, right?

Spoiler: Another perspective

Kanako and Suwako; goddesses of the Suwa Shrine. In their heyday, they commanded thousands of followers; with Kanako a kami of the sky, and suwako one of the earth, their abilities complimented each other greatly. But as the hey day of Shinto dwindled, so did their followers, and in turn their faith. Without someone to believe in them, a god cannot exist. So it was that their last priestess, Kochiya Sanae, was in a sense responsible for keeping their deaths at bay. Certainly other priests helped maintain the historic Suwa Shrine, but in the end they did not truly believe; only the young girl with frighteningly could see the goddesses, and they grew to love her dearly as she grew up determined to keep her kami safe and enshrined. With the girl's own parents gone, as a child left to the shrine itself, the kami's took a sort of parental role, an odd task for formerly almighty gods such as them, but they took to it with gusto, and did as much as they could with their diminished forms. Often the lamented how little they could do, and how little they could protect the young priestess who gave them so much faith on her own

The move to Gensokyo changed much; plenty of people believed in them their, and so their powers returned in full; so it was too that they could actively protect their young Sanae, from danger as well as... other things. While they were glad of course that Sanae made ventures into romance, not a single one of her suitors seemed at all, well, suitable for their sweet little wind priestess. And the Kami of the Moriya shrine never did anything by halves. Some would claim they had a tendency to overdo it, but those sorts of people just lacked vision.

All they wanted to ensure was that the right person eventually ended up with her. And if blackmail, curses, and the occasional bout of overt violence was the solution to that, then well that was just how it was sometimes.

Any complexes or unfounded fears it left Sanae herself with were just unfortunate side effects. She was a goddess, she'd live long enough to get over them

Trapped against the wall with the presence of neither of her kami felt for days, Sanae was not feeling very protected. The sheer frustration she felt at the knowledge that this was a situation that wouldn't even be a situation if she had her powers had tears stinging at her eyes, and the newness of the situation and contact without that for her had her imagination running a little rampant.

"Hah! The same ones you read, apparently!" Kuroi declared with a beam of pure mirth, but it faded as her eyes continued taking Sanae in and she saw more or less the exact opposite end of emotional range reflected in them. As well as tears. Humming frustratedly, the esper stood with her hands at her hips and foot tapping the floor on mute as she weighed the sight with an expression that must've been written in ancient hieroglyphs for how illegible it was.

"What the hell's the quivering deer look for, anyway? I haven't even got to the part where I tell you a runty, deluded little shrine virgin like you is the last person I'd be interested in. That's when you should've started crying. I'm just having fun."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Hah! The same ones you read, apparently!" Kuroi declared with a beam of pure mirth, but it faded as her eyes continued taking Sanae in and she saw more or less the exact opposite end of emotional range reflected in them. As well as tears. Humming frustratedly, the esper stood with her hands at her hips and foot tapping the floor on mute as she weighed the sight with an expression that must've been written in ancient hieroglyphs for how illegible it was.

"What the hell's the quivering deer look for, anyway? I haven't even got to the part where I tell you a runty, deluded little shrine virgin like you is the last person I'd be interested in. That's when you should've started crying. I'm just having fun."

Whatever expression Kuroi was wearing wasn't one Sanae could see, and she regarded the mocking words with a quiet glare of suspicion from where she was still pressed against the wall, that didn't involve much of a change of expression.

"...you should go do whatever you wanna do to find out you don't need me."

 

[Johnoclock]

Whatever expression Kuroi was wearing wasn't one Sanae could see, and she regarded the mocking words with a quiet glare of suspicion from where she was still pressed against the wall, that didn't involve much of a change of expression.

"...you should go do whatever you wanna do to find out you don't need me."

"What's your problem so suddenly? You just on a whim decided you're all anti-kidnapping again?" She demanded bluntly as if that wasn't a ridiculous question, not much one for beating around the bush. "You practically begged me to take you here. Not like you got anything better to be doin', wherever you came from."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"What's your problem so suddenly? You just on a whim decided you're all anti-kidnapping again?" She demanded bluntly as if that wasn't a ridiculous question, not much one for beating around the bush. "You practically begged me to take you here. Not like you got anything better to be doin', wherever you came from."

"I almost forgot that I hate you."

Sanae may have normally not been so blunt a person, but being reminded how completely stuck and powerless she was to stop even some invisible pervert from feeling her up had all the awfulness of the last day welling up.

"...I just wanna go home..." *sniff*

 

[Johnoclock]

"I almost forgot that I hate you."

Sanae may have normally not been so blunt a person, but being reminded how completely stuck and powerless she was to stop even some invisible pervert from feeling her up had all the awfulness of the last day welling up.

"...I just wanna go home..." *sniff*

"Oh... goddess-chan hates me..." She sniffled with a dejected, tremulously wobbling lip, slowly fading back into view standing in front of the futon. Her deadpan expression did not match her voice. "C'mon, you whiny baby, shouldn't a 20something year old woman start growing up sometime? I really haven't been that awful. 'Sides, if you wanna go home so bad then from the very beginning you just had to tell me where that is so I can go check everything out. Not my fault you're being difficult."

She shifted her hand on her hip and glanced away, morally beyond reproach in her own eyes.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Oh... goddess-chan hates me..." She sniffled with a dejected, tremulously wobbling lip, slowly fading back into view standing in front of the futon. Her deadpan expression did not match her voice. "C'mon, you whiny baby, shouldn't a 20something year old woman start growing up sometime? I really haven't been that awful. 'Sides, if you wanna go home so bad then from the very beginning you just had to tell me where that is so I can go check everything out. Not my fault you're being difficult."

She shifted her hand on her hip and glanced away, morally beyond reproach in her own eyes.

"I told you, and you thought it was nonsense, because it might as well be." She replied dejectedly, not bothering to look up to Kuroi after she returned to sight. "Gensokyo's not someplace I can just... go."

She lapsed into a morose silence for a few seconds, before she rubbed at her eyes with the palm of one hand and sniffed.

"...The best I can give you is where we were before we left this world. The Suwa Grand Shrine in Nagano Prefecture." She added quietly.

 

[Johnoclock]

"I told you, and you thought it was nonsense, because it might as well be." She replied dejectedly, not bothering to look up to Kuroi after she returned to sight. "Gensokyo's not someplace I can just... go."

She lapsed into a morose silence for a few seconds, before she rubbed at her eyes with the palm of one hand and sniffed.

"...The best I can give you is where we were before we left this world. The Suwa Grand Shrine in Nagano Prefecture." She added quietly.

"Haha, yeah I'm not going there." She brushed off the information with disinterest, rolling her eyes. "I told you we're using my methods. I'll dig whatever scrap of truth exists in your brain up in a way that doesn't involve us leaving Tokyo. And it means you have to come with, so either you start playin' ball when you're with me or, well, you know the drill!~"

She cracked a grin, tone light and jubilant as her hands pantomimed like they were holding something, then that tapey sound Sanae was probably starting to hate so much hit their ears as it slowly entered visibility where it was already prepared and stretched out in Kuroi's hands.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Haha, yeah I'm not going there." She brushed off the information with disinterest, rolling her eyes. "I told you we're using my methods. I'll dig whatever scrap of truth exists in your brain up in a way that doesn't involve us leaving Tokyo. And it means you have to come with, so either you start playin' ball when you're with me or, well, you know the drill!~"

She cracked a grin, tone light and jubilant as her hands pantomimed like they were holding something, then that tapey sound Sanae was probably starting to hate so much hit their ears as it slowly entered visibility where it was already prepared and stretched out in Kuroi's hands.

"What do you want me TO DO!?"

Sanae stood up so fast she floated off the bed, and her hair splayed out behind her in the air as her eyes flared green. "I try telling you the truth, I try leaving you alone, I try to just leave, what is it that you want me to say that means I'm playing bal-"

*thunk*

Her float reached the ceiling with a solid bump, and she let out a squeak of surprise before she fell back onto the futon in a tumble.

"...ow"

 

[Johnoclock]

"What do you want me TO DO!?"

Sanae stood up so fast she floated off the bed, and her hair splayed out behind her in the air as her eyes flared green. "I try telling you the truth, I try leaving you alone, I try to just leave, what is it that you want me to say that means I'm playing bal-"

*thunk*

Her float reached the ceiling with a solid bump, and she let out a squeak of surprise before she fell back onto the futon in a tumble.

"...ow"

Her face was saved from a potentially more painful impact by virtue of her collar being grabbed in an unnervingly still fist, Kuroi's eyes a much more luminescent seeming blue than usual as she crossed the distance in a mere eyeblink to affix Sanae with a downright threatening leer. "Howsabout not butting heads with me every time you get your feathers ruffled?! Howsabout being compliant so you don't keep backing me into spots where I either have to spook you enough to check yourself or come off lookin' like a chump who can't keep a lid on her own hostage?! How about you stop actin' like I'm the worst person to ever breathe the same air as you just 'cause I'm trying to secure interests you and your hungry little cannibal friend TRAMPLED ALL OVER! I mean, do you not get just how nice I've been?! If any other Black Fist came across you the same way I did, you woulda had way more to complain about. Granny would've stuck you in a cell without food, water or furniture until she figured out what's what, and my mother would've just tortured ya til you croaked! You're lucky as hell the thief whose crime you interrupted happened to be a criminal with class!"

Seething, she shoved the goddess back onto the futon and glowered in the wake of her rant.

The nerve of this kid was beyond belief.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Her face was saved from a potentially more painful impact by virtue of her collar being grabbed in an unnervingly still fist, Kuroi's eyes a much more luminescent seeming blue than usual as she crossed the distance in a mere eyeblink to affix Sanae with a downright threatening leer. "Howsabout not butting heads with me every time you get your feathers ruffled?! Howsabout being compliant so you don't keep backing me into spots where I either have to spook you enough to check yourself or come off lookin' like a chump who can't keep a lid on her own hostage?! How about you stop actin' like I'm the worst person to ever breathe the same air as you just 'cause I'm trying to secure interests you and your hungry little cannibal friend TRAMPLED ALL OVER! I mean, do you not get just how nice I've been?! If any other Black Fist came across you the same way I did, you woulda had way more to complain about. Granny would've stuck you in a cell without food, water or furniture until she figured out what's what, and my mother would've just tortured ya til you croaked! You're lucky as hell the thief whose crime you interrupted happened to be a criminal with class!"

Seething, she shoved the goddess back onto the futon and glowered in the wake of her rant.

The nerve of this kid was beyond belief.

Sanae sniffed and rolled away where shit hit the futon, the threats not managing to crack the layer of morose sadness that had overtaken her by that point. "If you want a thank you for settling on just punching me in the face and copping a feel then sorry." she muttered bitterly.

...

She let out a groan of frustration and buried her face in the futon. Bitter hadn't ever been an emotion she dealt with, and it felt awful, and guilty.

"... I'm sorry.just do whatever you're gonna do or take me wherever your taking me."

 

[Johnoclock]

Sanae sniffed and rolled away where shit hit the futon, the threats not managing to crack the layer of morose sadness that had overtaken her by that point. "If you want a thank you for settling on just punching me in the face and copping a feel then sorry." she muttered bitterly.

...

She let out a groan of frustration and buried her face in the futon. Bitter hadn't ever been an emotion she dealt with, and it felt awful, and guilty.

"... I'm sorry.just do whatever you're gonna do or take me wherever your taking me."

"I don't. Just shut the hell up before you do goad me into slugging you again," she retorted with an apathetic glare. She combed her bangs back with her hand, shutting her eyes with an actual look of perturbation cracking her usual insolent composure, face faintly pigmented to match the color of her hair. "And stop makin' it sound like I'm some creepy sicko. I t-told you it's just a game, it got you all mousey and tame without me havin' to do anythin' that actually hurts. Jeez, and I actually thought it was making you the good kinda nervous, my mistake or whatever."

Giving her unusually self-conscious frustration a voice in the shape of a huff, she continued messing with her hair a bit longer than was necessary before she turned and stomped out of the room.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"I don't. Just shut the hell up before you do goad me into slugging you again," she retorted with an apathetic glare. She combed her bangs back with her hand, shutting her eyes with an actual look of perturbation cracking her usual insolent composure, face faintly pigmented to match the color of her hair. "And stop makin' it sound like I'm some creepy sicko. I t-told you it's just a game, it got you all mousey and tame without me havin' to do anythin' that actually hurts. Jeez, and I actually thought it was making you the good kinda nervous, my mistake or whatever."

Giving her unusually self-conscious frustration a voice in the shape of a huff, she continued messing with her hair a bit longer than was necessary before she turned and stomped out of the room.

Whether the looming threat of getting punched again if she didn't shut up or the dismal weight of her situation weighing down on her did it, Sanae didn't respond. At most, she furrowed her brow slightly and bit her lip at how that train of thought ended, and she rolled over to say something just in time to see the door close.

She gave a muted sigh and laid flat on her back, and tried to figure out which of her life choices led her to this moment. The frustrating part was that it seemed to be none of them :')

 

[Johnoclock]

Whether the looming threat of getting punched again if she didn't shut up or the dismal weight of her situation weighing down on her did it, Sanae didn't respond. At most, she furrowed her brow slightly and bit her lip at how that train of thought ended, and she rolled over to say something just in time to see the door close.

She gave a muted sigh and laid flat on her back, and tried to figure out which of her life choices led her to this moment. The frustrating part was that it seemed to be none of them :')

The minutes turned to hours without sign of Kobushi coming back. The ticking rhythm of a clock played incessantly like a metronome, but there was no clock in the room so that was weird. Just when it seemed Sanae's life had reached its apotheosis of boring, a noise disrupted the monotony of the cloudy afternoon, distant but rising gradually in volume and strength.

"ooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!"

A man of ridiculous mass and rippling bulk soared through the Tokyo skyline as if empowered by a gamma-charged leap, hit the building right outside Sanae's room and clung there by seemingly nothing, shooting his hand towards the window and flexing his hand. The metal latch on the inside twiddled and lifted of its own accord, and the man politely slid open the frame to let himself in and stand to his full height. He was grizzled and war-torn, scars lining the furrowed leather of his aging face, and between his gigantic knuckles were three fully extended nightsticks that he brought to bear threateningly with a snarling grimace.

"Kuroi Kobushi, I'm puttin' a stop ta yer putrid sink into the quicksand of injustice one way or another! I- eh?!"

Blinking his pupilless eyes, he took note of the green-haired girl in a nightgown lying on a futon, as well as how warm this room was. It made him glad he put on one of his extra-thin layered tearaway vests or he'd have been sweating his ass off. Regardless, what he wasn't blind to was the fact that this was not the criminal he was looking for.

"Who the hell're ya? I know I got the right apartment, I counted up from the damn street!"​

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey, it's my boyfriend!" The man's dramatic pose was suddenly destabilized by the invisible thief who flung herself onto one of his tree-trunk arms in a double-armed embrace, her esper ability lifting to reveal the exuberant kitty smile on her face as she nuzzled it into his bicep affectionately.

His reaction was less enthused, and he shook his arm vigorously to try and detach her to no avail. Her feet dangled freely where they fell just short of touching the ground. "Aw, hell naw! Quit spreadin' that rumor around, I'm 58 years old!! Now who's this dame ya got here?! I thought ya kept all your safehouses under lock and key!"

Kobushi pulled back to affix him with a small, quivering pout and misty eyes that seemed much more round than usual.

"But... But this is just a homeless girl I brought in off the street out of the cold... She's enjoying my hospitality, right?"

She put her head back on her lover(???)'s shoulder so she could give Sanae a flat, pointed stare.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

The minutes turned to hours without sign of Kobushi coming back. The ticking rhythm of a clock played incessantly like a metronome, but there was no clock in the room so that was weird. Just when it seemed Sanae's life had reached its apotheosis of boring, a noise disrupted the monotony of the cloudy afternoon, distant but rising gradually in volume and strength.

"ooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!"

A man of ridiculous mass and rippling bulk soared through the Tokyo skyline as if empowered by a gamma-charged leap, hit the building right outside Sanae's room and clung there by seemingly nothing, shooting his hand towards the window and flexing his hand. The metal latch on the inside twiddled and lifted of its own accord, and the man politely slid open the frame to let himself in and stand to his full height. He was grizzled and war-torn, scars lining the furrowed leather of his aging face, and between his gigantic knuckles were three fully extended nightsticks that he brought to bear threateningly with a snarling grimace.

"Kuroi Kobushi, I'm puttin' a stop ta yer putrid sink into the quicksand of injustice one way or another! I- eh?!"

Blinking his pupilless eyes, he took note of the green-haired girl in a nightgown lying on a futon, as well as how warm this room was. It made him glad he put on one of his extra-thin layered tearaway vests or he'd have been sweating his ass off. Regardless, what he wasn't blind to was the fact that this was not the criminal he was looking for.

"Who the hell're ya? I know I got the right apartment, I counted up from the damn street!"​

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey, it's my boyfriend!" The man's dramatic pose was suddenly destabilized by the invisible thief who flung herself onto one of his tree-trunk arms in a double-armed embrace, her esper ability lifting to reveal the exuberant kitty smile on her face as she nuzzled it into his bicep affectionately.

His reaction was less enthused, and he shook his arm vigorously to try and detach her to no avail. Her feet dangled freely where they fell just short of touching the ground. "Aw, hell naw! Quit spreadin' that rumor around, I'm 58 years old!! Now who's this dame ya got here?! I thought ya kept all your safehouses under lock and key!"

Kobushi pulled back to affix him with a small, quivering pout and misty eyes that seemed much more round than usual.

"But... But this is just a homeless girl I brought in off the street out of the cold... She's enjoying my hospitality, right?"

She put her head back on her lover(???)'s shoulder so she could give Sanae a flat, pointed stare.​

Sanae didn't mind the monotony. The last two days had been the antithesis of monotonous in the worst way possible. The lengthy, lonely silence had let her finally take a moment to think on her situation. When she bounced up to her knees in surprise at the sudden commotion in her room, the erstwhile thief and massive cop(?) saw that her wide eyes had left streaks of red down her cheeks from tears, but she'd felt better for finally letting them out, and it had been almost an hour since they'd subsided.

She almost felt disappointed that the silence had finally been broken, but more than that... She seemed annoyed, almost hurt as she stared at the pair.

"So you...." She made a disgruntled harrumph before she smiled. " I didn't even know your name till now, kobushi-chan. Hey, mister, I know this is probably a weird question, a-and I'm sorry to interrupt your heroic ambush at stuff but um... Is Kuroi dangerous?" She asked with an open, honest smile.

 

[Johnoclock]

Sanae didn't mind the monotony. The last two days had been the antithesis of monotonous in the worst way possible. The lengthy, lonely silence had let her finally take a moment to think on her situation. When she bounced up to her knees in surprise at the sudden commotion in her room, the erstwhile thief and massive cop(?) saw that her wide eyes had left streaks of red down her cheeks from tears, but she'd felt better for finally letting them out, and it had been almost an hour since they'd subsided.

She almost felt disappointed that the silence had finally been broken, but more than that... She seemed annoyed, almost hurt as she stared at the pair.

"So you...." She made a disgruntled harrumph before she smiled. " I didn't even know your name till now, kobushi-chan. Hey, mister, I know this is probably a weird question, a-and I'm sorry to interrupt your heroic ambush at stuff but um... Is Kuroi dangerous?" She asked with an open, honest smile.

Kobushi didn't look all too happy about the development or the question, but kept her irritation limited to a watchful frown as the former most feared police detective in all of Tokyo scratched his stubbled jaw with one of the nightsticks. He seemed generally confused about where this series of events had led already. "Girl's a criminal through-'n-through, ain't she? But she keeps doin' good things between all this selfish stuff... And... Since she's the same age as my daughter... Somethin' I can't help thinkin' about... WHAT MAKES IT FAIR THAT A GIRL JUST LIKE RINKA GOT STUCK WITH SUCH A BAD UPBRINGING THAT MADE HER TURN INTO A CROOK?! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH-"

He threw his head back, arms spreading out to his sides and taking Kuroi with them where she clung on, blinking once or twice at the assessment with only a surprisingly mild show of exasperation in blowing a tuft of her hair away from her eyes.

"Don't compare me to the goody-goody White Girl. But so what, you're sayin' I'm just misunderstood?"

"Naw. You break into places and give people beatings. It's yer potential to walk on a better track that's misunderstood! By you!!!"

"Then how come you fired me from that crappy detective agency you run..."

"'Cause ya started breakin' into places and givin' people beatings again!!!!"

"Yeah, I got so bored." She tittered and held onto his arm tighter, prompting him to finally start prying her off with all three of the nightsticks.

"Now what the hell's the score here... Whole reason I came here's cause yer on strike for murder now..."

Kuroi's brow twitched, but then her eyes shut as she shook her head lightly with a simper and finally let his arm go. She clasped her hands behind her back at the hip, and started scuffing the floor with her toe in an affectedly adorable posture.

"Noooope. I just broke into a place where a murder was committed, coincidentally, at 'bout the same exact time. I had to throw away what I went in for because of it, so I haven't even done anything bad! Actually, Santa, I've been extra good this year, givin' this poor confused bum a place to stay. Indefinitely."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Kobushi didn't look all too happy about the development or the question, but kept her irritation limited to a watchful frown as the former most feared police detective in all of Tokyo scratched his stubbled jaw with one of the nightsticks. He seemed generally confused about where this series of events had led already. "Girl's a criminal through-'n-through, ain't she? But she keeps doin' good things between all this selfish stuff... And... Since she's the same age as my daughter... Somethin' I can't help thinkin' about... WHAT MAKES IT FAIR THAT A GIRL JUST LIKE RINKA GOT STUCK WITH SUCH A BAD UPBRINGING THAT MADE HER TURN INTO A CROOK?! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH-"

He threw his head back, arms spreading out to his sides and taking Kuroi with them where she clung on, blinking once or twice at the assessment with only a surprisingly mild show of exasperation in blowing a tuft of her hair away from her eyes.

"Don't compare me to the goody-goody White Girl. But so what, you're sayin' I'm just misunderstood?"

"Naw. You break into places and give people beatings. It's yer potential to walk on a better track that's misunderstood! By you!!!"

"Then how come you fired me from that crappy detective agency you run..."

"'Cause ya started breakin' into places and givin' people beatings again!!!!"

"Yeah, I got so bored." She tittered and held onto his arm tighter, prompting him to finally start prying her off with all three of the nightsticks.

"Now what the hell's the score here... Whole reason I came here's cause yer on strike for murder now..."

Kuroi's brow twitched, but then her eyes shut as she shook her head lightly with a simper and finally let his arm go. She clasped her hands behind her back at the hip, and started scuffing the floor with her toe in an affectedly adorable posture.

"Noooope. I just broke into a place where a murder was committed, coincidentally, at 'bout the same exact time. I had to throw away what I went in for because of it, so I haven't even done anything bad! Actually, Santa, I've been extra good this year, givin' this poor confused bum a place to stay. Indefinitely."

"..."

Sanae balled her fist up tried to cover up a giggle, a light and cheerful sound that seemed to soothe nerves and lighten the mood with its mere existence, even her own. She couldn't help it though, it was all such a silly conversation; For a terrifyingly huge rendition of Hugh Jackman (Huge Jackman! (The giggle extended itself as that thought hit her mind)) who just came through what looked like a fourth story window, Sanae could almost instantly tell that she liked him. He just sort of radiated a very big, angry aura of safety.

She cleared her throat with an apologetic smile and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, sorry. But, um... whatever happened, it was more my fault than hers." Her words became more somber, though still a change for the depressed, morose tones from earlier. "If anything, Kobushi-chan saved my life from the thing thing that was killing people. It followed me here, and I didn't have the power to do anything to it. I'm very grateful to her." She said as she gave Kuroi a warm, genuine smile.

...but a few seconds after she let those words sink in for both of them she frowned and scratched the side of her chin. "...But then she punched me in the face and I woke up duct taped to a chair so....sorta mixed signals..."

 

[Johnoclock]

"..."

Sanae balled her fist up tried to cover up a giggle, a light and cheerful sound that seemed to soothe nerves and lighten the mood with its mere existence, even her own. She couldn't help it though, it was all such a silly conversation; For a terrifyingly huge rendition of Hugh Jackman (Huge Jackman! (The giggle extended itself as that thought hit her mind)) who just came through what looked like a fourth story window, Sanae could almost instantly tell that she liked him. He just sort of radiated a very big, angry aura of safety.

She cleared her throat with an apologetic smile and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, sorry. But, um... whatever happened, it was more my fault than hers." Her words became more somber, though still a change for the depressed, morose tones from earlier. "If anything, Kobushi-chan saved my life from the thing thing that was killing people. It followed me here, and I didn't have the power to do anything to it. I'm very grateful to her." She said as she gave Kuroi a warm, genuine smile.

...but a few seconds after she let those words sink in for both of them she frowned and scratched the side of her chin. "...But then she punched me in the face and I woke up duct taped to a chair so....sorta mixed signals..."

Just like Sanae's giggles, that changed the mood. For all the fury of the Wolverine's entrance and his persistent denial of Kuroi very literally flinging herself at him, it had been clear enough from the way they engaged that there was already a current of near familial acquaintanceship defusing all hostility in the room, whatever the nature of their relationship was. It brought out an entirely different side in Kobushi, even, with the sly, complacent sense of bullishness standard in the thief replaced by an actual schoolgirl-like nervousness and apparent desire to impress the huge, greying ox.

So when it seemed like Sanae had, in playing up her heroism, been helping her do that, her smile had been confused but sincere, and when she followed it all up by just throwing her under the bus anyway her reaction was immediate and potent. If a little less so than the ex-cop himself's, his brow setting like cement in a looming glare down on the boxer.

"You kidnapped... this here young lady?"

Kuroi shifted her feet together as she squirmed under the fierce glare. "...No, that's... Not what she meant to say..."​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Just like Sanae's giggles, that changed the mood. For all the fury of the Wolverine's entrance and his persistent denial of Kuroi very literally flinging herself at him, it had been clear enough from the way they engaged that there was already a current of near familial acquaintanceship defusing all hostility in the room, whatever the nature of their relationship was. It brought out an entirely different side in Kobushi, even, with the sly, complacent sense of bullishness standard in the thief replaced by an actual schoolgirl-like nervousness and apparent desire to impress the huge, greying ox.

So when it seemed like Sanae had, in playing up her heroism, been helping her do that, her smile had been confused but sincere, and when she followed it all up by just throwing her under the bus anyway her reaction was immediate and potent. If a little less so than the ex-cop himself's, his brow setting like cement in a looming glare down on the boxer.

"You kidnapped... this here young lady?"

Kuroi shifted her feet together as she squirmed under the fierce glare. "...No, that's... Not what she meant to say..."​

"mmmhhh, I dunno, you seemed pretty insistent on your terminology." Sanae said with a slight flicker of a grin before she cleared her throat again and glanced off at the floor. "...But... then the thing thats killing people found us again, and then she tried to save me again, and when I ran off after that and almost froze to death she... saved me again... so... you can see why I'm a little confused as to whether Kobushi-chan is dangerous or not..."

She glanced upwards at Kobushi and quirked an eyebrow. "So... I'm not kidnapped?"

 

[Johnoclock]

"mmmhhh, I dunno, you seemed pretty insistent on your terminology." Sanae said with a slight flicker of a grin before she cleared her throat again and glanced off at the floor. "...But... then the thing thats killing people found us again, and then she tried to save me again, and when I ran off after that and almost froze to death she... saved me again... so... you can see why I'm a little confused as to whether Kobushi-chan is dangerous or not..."

She glanced upwards at Kobushi and quirked an eyebrow. "So... I'm not kidnapped?"

"...What word you wanna use makes no difference to me, shrinegirl. You're not going anywhere til I'm satisfied." Kuroi spoke finally in no uncertain terms with a disheartened, resigned bow of the head, eyes closed and lips pursed so hard they were white.

It almost hid how much tighter her teeth were clenched.

The enormous man's features had darkened even further during the course of Sanae's indecisive account, and he looked up towards the ceiling in silence for a few moments. If the bizarrely friendly atmosphere that had pervaded the room needed any further trampling, it got it when he raised his nightstick-fist at the ready. His tone was more solemn when he spoke again, graver and better pronounced.

"I beg ta differ. Kid, I know you got enough of a good streak in you not to wanna see this girl get hurt. But listen... s'far as I'm concerned, those who commit crime on a smaller scale are still nothing but pure garbage."

The quiet, dejected moan Kobushi gave probably would've been enough to garner pity from most breeds of reprimander, but the hulking detective stood unwavering as though it didn't move him at all.

"And the way I see it, you just about burned up the last of your goodwill. We at the Urushiba Detective Agency™ ain't just gonna turn a blind eye to your despicable acts any longer!" It seemed like his frame was somehow expanding to fill the room with each word, but it couldn't have been anything more than his overshadowing presence. The window latch and various other metallic odds and ends in the room started to rattle and shake the more he went on. "Villainy... is a spiral. And spirals only ever lead down. How long before you go from this caution-to-the-wind thief lifestyle to an existence as evil and debased as that mother of yours, huh? Is it gonna be you the entire world needs savin' from next time, who my daughter's gotta put herself at risk to go fight?! I ain't gonna let that go DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWN!" He let his stomping foot shake the floorboard beneath him, then-

"Hey, where'd you go?"

His eyesight wasn't as good as it used to be, so he completely missed the fact that Kobushi disappeared sometime in the middle of his grand monologue, leaving a portentious absence where the master thief had been standing. That said, the opportunity to attack would've been ripe from the very moment he stopped noticing her if that had been the intent, and the once-again-ajar window provided a more telling view of this vanishing's motivation as the curtains flapped in the breeze.

"...Crap! How much of that ya think she heard?!"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...What word you wanna use makes no difference to me, shrinegirl. You're not going anywhere til I'm satisfied." Kuroi spoke finally in no uncertain terms with a disheartened, resigned bow of the head, eyes closed and lips pursed so hard they were white.

It almost hid how much tighter her teeth were clenched.

The enormous man's features had darkened even further during the course of Sanae's indecisive account, and he looked up towards the ceiling in silence for a few moments. If the bizarrely friendly atmosphere that had pervaded the room needed any further trampling, it got it when he raised his nightstick-fist at the ready. His tone was more solemn when he spoke again, graver and better pronounced.

"I beg ta differ. Kid, I know you got enough of a good streak in you not to wanna see this girl get hurt. But listen... s'far as I'm concerned, those who commit crime on a smaller scale are still nothing but pure garbage."

The quiet, dejected moan Kobushi gave probably would've been enough to garner pity from most breeds of reprimander, but the hulking detective stood unwavering as though it didn't move him at all.

"And the way I see it, you just about burned up the last of your goodwill. We at the Urushiba Detective Agency™ ain't just gonna turn a blind eye to your despicable acts any longer!" It seemed like his frame was somehow expanding to fill the room with each word, but it couldn't have been anything more than his overshadowing presence. The window latch and various other metallic odds and ends in the room started to rattle and shake the more he went on. "Villainy... is a spiral. And spirals only ever lead down. How long before you go from this caution-to-the-wind thief lifestyle to an existence as evil and debased as that mother of yours, huh? Is it gonna be you the entire world needs savin' from next time, who my daughter's gotta put herself at risk to go fight?! I ain't gonna let that go DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWN!" He let his stomping foot shake the floorboard beneath him, then-

"Hey, where'd you go?"

His eyesight wasn't as good as it used to be, so he completely missed the fact that Kobushi disappeared sometime in the middle of his grand monologue, leaving a portentious absence where the master thief had been standing. That said, the opportunity to attack would've been ripe from the very moment he stopped noticing her if that had been the intent, and the once-again-ajar window provided a more telling view of this vanishing's motivation as the curtains flapped in the breeze.

"...Crap! How much of that ya think she heard?!"​

There were references to events and people in those words that both intrigued and confused Sanae, but the ones she understood had her frowning in concern. She stared at the open window, and waited for the relief that her erstwhile, unrepentant kidnapper had finally left her in the hands of some morally decent if terrifyingly large man.

It didn't come, instead leaving her with a roiling sense of unease and disappointment, like she'd read a book only to find out the chapters stopped midway through. She sighed and glanced over to the man, an almost judgemental frown on her face as she swung her feet to the edge of the futon. "Well she definitely heard you call her garbage. Kuroi-chan was a jerk and scary, but anyone who faces down a youkai for someone else can't be garbage." She said before her brow furrowed slightly. She pushed off the bed with wary steps, and despite the seeming exit glanced around with a wary look.

"n-not that I condone her kidnapping me!" she snapped at the air.

....

a few moments of silence later, she cleared her throat and flushed slightly at her own paranoia before she turned to the large man with a bright smile. "Still, um... hi! I'm Kochiya Sanae. O-oh, err, I guess you probably want to go chase her, huh?" She asked, cutting off her own conversation opener.

 

[Johnoclock]

There were references to events and people in those words that both intrigued and confused Sanae, but the ones she understood had her frowning in concern. She stared at the open window, and waited for the relief that her erstwhile, unrepentant kidnapper had finally left her in the hands of some morally decent if terrifyingly large man.

It didn't come, instead leaving her with a roiling sense of unease and disappointment, like she'd read a book only to find out the chapters stopped midway through. She sighed and glanced over to the man, an almost judgemental frown on her face as she swung her feet to the edge of the futon. "Well she definitely heard you call her garbage. Kuroi-chan was a jerk and scary, but anyone who faces down a youkai for someone else can't be garbage." She said before her brow furrowed slightly. She pushed off the bed with wary steps, and despite the seeming exit glanced around with a wary look.

"n-not that I condone her kidnapping me!" she snapped at the air.

....

a few moments of silence later, she cleared her throat and flushed slightly at her own paranoia before she turned to the large man with a bright smile. "Still, um... hi! I'm Kochiya Sanae. O-oh, err, I guess you probably want to go chase her, huh?" She asked, cutting off her own conversation opener.

"NAH. That ain't what I said at all, kid. But damn, crime and criminals are the worst kind of scum, so that girl needs these sortsa stern talking-tos before it's too late. Dammit, why couldnta I known her when she was littler...?" He nursed his iron jaw with a downcast expression as he started to move, a sag in his hefty shoulders. But before his shuffling feet could carry him completely from the room, he jerked his gaze Sanae's way again with urgency. "Hmmh?! Nah, there's no sense tryin' to chase down an invisible person... Guess I'll just take the metro home or somethin'... You're safe enough now and everything, right?"

Looming up above her like a great monolith of stone, he rooted around briefly in his sweatpants pocket and came out with a small and battered business card with a name and number for a detective's agency.

"Urushiba Rindo. Oh yeah, that's the place me and my daughter run. You know, the White Girl who Kobushi saved Tokyo with a few times and everythin'... (please hire us, we're poor... she's so high on justice she just does everythin' for free...)" His lips didn't seem to move during that last part for whatever reason. "So if you got any recollection you might wanna share 'bout those murder incidents Black Fist was accused of, take 'em there. I gotta go home and eat my protein mix."