002

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Misaki appears on the plane in casual clothes. With an entire batting-cage setup in tow. Complete with nets, pitching machines, buckets of balls, and racks on racks of beat up bats. She goes around for a few minutes making sure everything still works, even without anything to plug it into. Which it does. Of course. Then she switches one of the pitching machines on high and starts cracking balls into the net, one after the other, with Totally Unnecessary Ferocity.]



[[Right after this, so naturally she is in a VERY VERY bad mood. Hence the stealing of her favorite batting cages.]

Comments

[contract_star]

[Look who's feeling better! Hei comes over and watches her bat for awhile before speaking.]

Bad day?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She didn't see him come up. At the sound of his voice, she misses her swing, and then goes ahead and throws the bat with a snarl, surprising herself. It bounces off the pitching machine, which falls over and starts spitting balls rhythmically across the Astral floor.]

You would know about those. [She bites back and turns away. This isn't her. But a kid. Another kid.]

[contract_star]

[...Whoa, he wasn't expecting that. He watches the pitching machine spit balls, a little wide-eyed.

Waits a moment for her to calm down, then,] What happened?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She presses a hand to her her face] Some murderer I can't even catch a bare lead on piled a kid's remains on a seesaw for a laugh.

[contract_star]

[Goes immediately :|]

Contractor?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Just too damn tired]

...yes.

[contract_star]

[Frowns.]

But that doesn't make sense. They don't kill needlessly. [Pause.] Unless it's an obeisance.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Meh face. Got it in one. She doesn't say anything, just sets about righting the pitching machine]

[contract_star]

[Frowns at the ground and is silent for awhile.]

Any patterns in the murders?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

Nothing. No consistent MO, no consistent drop point for the body, no consistent witness accounts except for mentions of a blue light. Nothing except the fact that the child is always killed elsewhere.

[contract_star]

[Rubs his chin, thinking.]

You mean that there's no blood found at the scene?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She finishes fixing up the machine and crosses her arms, as though to defend against the memory.] Not the first time. The first time it was messy. The child was stabbed to death. There were hesitation marks and the body wasn't presented in any particular way, just left out where it would be found. He was more careful with the second one, and by the third...

[Closed eyes, slight sway.] He's beginning to enjoy himself.

[contract_star]

[Eyes widen a little.]

He's using his power as an excuse for his obeisance? [Looking down,] Have Contractors really changed that much, in the future? It's not logical at all...

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Teensy bit of fondness leaks into her voice.] Neither were you.

[Facepalm.] Ignore that. I'm too tired for anyone's good.

[contract_star]

[Blinks, a bit surprised. Isn't sure whether to take that as a compliment.] Not exactly befitting of someone with my reputation, is it?

[Shakes his head.] It's okay.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Small smile] I don't know. The reputation you have here seems to be quite fitting.

[contract_star]

[That catches him off guard and he looks away, unsure of how to respond to that. It's not lost on him that his reputation here is built on lies.]

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She sighs.] If I said something wrong, I apologize.

[contract_star]

No, it's...it's alright. [And now the guard comes back up.] If you learn anything new, do you mind letting me know?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

I shouldn't. [She leans against the machine, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.] But anything you have to offer that might help, I would appreciate. A deal, then. Is that acceptable?

[A long pause.]

I didn't mean to tell the Doctor.

[She turns back to the pitching machine and starts double-checking everything.]

About Contractors. About anything.

I'm too used to being around people who are as steeped in this as I am. I'm too used to having to explain to the help that comes in.

[Something isn't working. She scowls, kicks it, and it rattles to life again.] They always were cheap.

[contract_star]

[Small smile.] Deal.

[Silent as he listens to her]

It's alright. The truth was going to come out sooner or later. And he can handle himself if any other Contractors find their way here. [Looking away.] I mostly just don't want the people here to have to get involved. They're innocent--at least where this is concerned.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

You really think he'll be all right? [Frets a bit, then frowns.] It's not like he's a civilian, but still... The dangers from these worlds are all so different.

You care about them. [It's isn't really a question so much as a confirmation.]

[contract_star]

He's been traveling time and space for centuries; I'm sure he's dealt with much worse than Contractors. [Staring at the stars beneath the "floor"] I just don't want him or anyone else here to have to.

[Silent for awhile before answering.] I guess I do. Funny, right?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She sighs.] You're right. I'm not used to capable people.

[She doesn't quite look at him.] Not at all.

[contract_star]

[Smiles a little.]

You're not surprised?