1206/Rooftop Ruckus

Rooftop Ruckus
Date of Scene:	29 February 2024
Location:	Mitakihara Ward
Synopsis:	placeholder!
Cast of Characters:	Hinote Kagari, Tadase Hotori, Ikuto Tsukiyomi

---

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari sent a text a day or so ago.

>It hatched!

So the two probably had some minor discussion about this via text and a meetup was probably planned. So thusly, Hinote Kagari is outside of a Starbooks after class with a big coffee, because boy has he needed it, dressed in the boy's school uniform- nothing fancy today, bookbag strapped over his shoulder, which from within, a tiny voice could be heard, tiny eyes peeking out from the flap.

"It was a dark and stormy night.."

"No, no it isn't." says Hinote.

"I was waiting with my partner. We'd just gotten a cup of joe. We we're waiting on the informant." he narrated.

"We're just waiting for Tadase-san." said Hinote as he sipped his coffee.

Tracy was at least staying in the bag. He was on a stakeout, he claimed.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
    Tadase Hotori is headed over to meet Hinote. Another chara bearer was always welcome, and so far Hinote had seemed pretty trustworthy. Or at least he didn't open by asking about cool powers or strength which was a good sign to Tadase. Hinote was mostly concerned about taking care of his egg. And generally those who got Chara Eggs were trying to put a better version of themselves forward.

    And then there's Kiseki. Okay jokes aside the start of it was honest at least, Tadase protested in his mind to nobody. Kiseki, however, was an active bundle of energy, floating from shoulder to shoulder, looking left and right. "I love meeting new subjects." Kiseki stated excitedly. Tadase rolled his eyes, a bit, a smile creeping across his face despite himself.

    "Kagari-san!" Tadase says upon spotting him, and jogs over.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
The rooftop had an air of tension hanging over it. He'd heard them sauntering their way up the stairs from the street below, heavy footfalls echoing from the...fifteen, maybe twenty men? However many there were it was no small number, and they weren't trying to sneak up on him. "Ikuto, I think it's them nya..." Yoru whispered. Ikuto flicked one of his cat ears. "Yeah. I don't think Nikaidou-san would be this brazen. He'd know better, anyway. This has the Director written all over it. We're not going to transform, alright? Not unless one of them starts pulling out magic of their own."

Ikuto recognized the "leader" of the group from their run-in near the convenience store days before. "Enough running, kid. Oyaji-san wants you taught a lesson about trying to cut and run." Ikuto stayed where he was, squatting on the rooftop as he turned his head to look at the man, a smirk giving away his amusement. "Did you seriously just call the Director 'Oyaji-san'? No wonder there were complaints about the conduct of security at the talent shows. Get what you pay for I guess..."

Moments later the rooftop was alive with the cacophony of a brawl, and many an "Oryaa!" being yelled.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari relaxed a little more when Tadase showed up. Tracy popped his head out more. "Hotori-san!" he said. "I'm really glad to see you. I have questions!" he said as paused. Right. First. He opened the backpack and started to walk along. "This is. Tracy."

"Hey, kid." said Tracy back, the tiny detective looking chara floating out of the back and towards Tadase, magnifying glass in hand as he stuck it up, looking Tadase over, then over to Kiseki. Hinote continued to speak as this happened.

"So. What do I need to do now?" he asks. "Also."

"I was in a bookstore, and some big ox monster attacked it? But then before I knew it I was helping fight it but it felt strange after wards and I don't remember doing anything to actually. Like... do that." he says.

Then Tracy looks his magnifying glass upwards. "Eh? Anyone else hear 'dat?"

Hinote pauses and blinks. "Actually. I do. What is that?" he asks, looking up. "Sounds like a fight..?" he says.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
    "Oh, cool. He's like a little... private eye, that's what they call those, right?" Tadase says.

    "Well, if he's floating around with that magnifying glass outside it's kind of a public eye, right?" Kiseki asks. Tadase sighs. "Oh, if you felt strange but not like... super-strange... you may have had a Chara Change... it's sorta where you access some of the power of your Chara." Kiseki begins to explain. "You don't have to do anything, your Chara can do it when you need to."

    "But you need to be careful because it's not a henshin - a transformation - those hide your identity and a basic Change doesn't." Tadase explains. "There's a different way of doing things, called Character-Transforming, where you access 125% of your Guardian Chara's power... and that IS a henshin and people won't recognize you." he continues to kind of drill down the first set of basics. "Takes more energy though, tires you out..."

    Then Hinote and Tracy point out the noise. Kiseki floats up too. "I sense... Yoru?!" he asks. Kiseki flies up higher, his cape fluttering behind him in the wind, to get a better shot. And returns to them, a little faster than he went up. "Either Ikuto is having a really weird and bad dance class up there, or a bunch of dudes are trying to beat him up." Kiseki says. If it was not Ikuto he might be more worried.

    "Like, youma?" Tadase asks.

    "Maybe? I dunno, they looked pretty same-y to me but I'm also uh. Small."

    "We should probably go check it out, but it's 50-50 he's just gotten himself into trouble on his own. Still, if you said a bunch of dudes that doesn't seem fair, at least." He points to a set of fire escapes zig-zagging up the side of the building. "I'm gonna see what's up." he says, getting up and running off. He doesn't know if Hinote will follow him but... he figures it's at least likely. And a good sign if he does.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Up on the roof Yoru was mostly trying to keep out of the way of Ikuto and the men he was fighting. It wasn't particularly easy with an entire classroom's worth of grown men trying to find an opening to swing at the catboy, who was to his credit proving that he wasn't -just- a musical prodigy but also quite dangerous in a fistfight, especially with the enhanced reflexes and senses Yoru's Chara Change granted him. At times Yoru caught himself watching proudly as Ikuto would duck a swing from one of his opponents and come back with a kick or palm strike of his own that sent them reeling.

The numbers advantage these goons had was significant, though. Many times Ikuto simply didn't have a way out of getting hit, and was just trying to take it as well as he could. In what seemed like minutes but was really maybe thirty seconds Ikuto had dispatched more than half of his attackers, leaving them in a heap on the rooftop or crawling away to regret their life choices. The catboy was bruised, scraped, and his clothes were quite dusty from tumbling all over the roof in the brawl.

With a 'Hoomph!' Ikuto sent a goon rolling off the side of the building, the (un)lucky man bouncing down the fire escape steps with almost comical shouts of pain. Yoru peeked over the roof after him. "Ouch...maybe you should've taken it a bit easier, nya..."

Ikuto was focused on something else, though. Three more "goons" had come up from inside the building. They didn't exactly fit in with the rest of the men he'd dealt with, either. "Now you three...you make me think Nikaidou-san had a hand in this too." They looked almost robotic, with sinister expressions on silvery faces with bright yellow eyes. The "men" looked to be dressed in black jumpsuits, with very...dated, hats and trench coats over them. "What sort of villainous thrift store did he find you in?"

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari listens to the information about Chara Changes. So it's not...a henshin? He's seen anime, so he thinks he knows what Tadase means. "Oh." he says. "Then that was probably what that was." he says. "They called me. Detective guy." he says with a strange face. He listens about the information about what a 'Character Transformation' is and he purses his lips. "So how doe--- wait. Later."

Hinote Kagari wants to know what's going on, so he follows along as Tracy floats after. "So who's Ikuto?" he asks.

"We climbed the fire escape, up to the Tangle upstairs. We we're gonna set the record straight." says Tracy as he narrates.

Hinote Kagari follows up to the rooftop as he takes in the fight, and the boy fighting the fight as Hinote Kagari calls out. "Hey, what's going on here!?" he yells. Wait. Those guys don't look exactly. Human. Gulp.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
    "Sorry." Tadase says, moving out of the way as some poor dude comes tumbling down the stairs. Not a youma, though. And he's not sorry at him. "I was gonna try and give a whole... thing... but it looks like we're already in it." he says. "Ikuto is... complicated? Kind of like a brother. But also might be working for Easter. Though maybe not since I think these guys work for Easter and..."

    Kiseki stands straight as a board as a visible shiver courses through him. "Tadase, we have Dark Energy up there too."

    Tadase turns and looks at Hinote, and as he does, a crown appears on his head along with a scepter in his hand. Just. Pops into existence, sparkly and all. "You said you were able to fight, right?" he asks.

    Of course he doesn't entirely wait for an answer as he hits the rooftop. "Ikuto-san, what have you gotten into now? And who are the... they're not people are they." he says, raising the scepter at them. "Next time can you get into a fight on the ground if you're gonna get into one and make a lot of noise near me? I'm already kinda tired from running up here." he complains.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto can't help but grin when he first hears and then sees Tadase and...stranger with a Chara of his own. The Chara looks like a detective. Neat. "Oh, hey Hotori-san and Chara Bearer I've never met. The old man sent his security after me because I haven't been taking any of Easter's calls since I helped crash that concert a while ago. These guys seem a bit more serious than the rest, though. They aren't X-Charas, or at least...if they're X-Charas they're from some really big kids." Yoru adds, "Really big kids with a taste for clothes from the 80's, nya..." with a side-eye at the strange "men" who seem to be getting increasingly agitated.

Yoru further taunts them by pulling on one eyelid and sticking his tongue out with a 'Bweeeeh!', to which the three angrily charge, fists ready to swing.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari is asked if he can fight. "I thinkkkk so." but he has no idea how he did it yesterday. Tracy pushes Hinote as best as he tinyily can. "Come on kid, get into the tangle!" he says, slapping Hinote's shoulder. Hinote Kagari thinks, he thinks hard. He can fight. He can do this like yesterday!.....

Then with a magical sparkle a grey fedora with a white band appears on his head--- (and he doesn't start narrating, because it's willful this time.)-- and he looks up to this before looking back down from under the brim as he 'ohs' to a memory from yesterday.

He reaches into his jacket and produces a Colt .45!? Before leveling it at one of the goons, and firing off the stronger-than normal replica-magical watergun, as he says.

"Alright, I think I got it...!" he says as the stream jets out.

"That's it kid. Like that." says Tracy as he pumps a hand down.

"Things we're starting to stack-up as the kid got his bearing." he narrated from somewhere behind the group. "I don't know what the king and cat's deal was though." he says.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
    Tadase does not have a large amount of offense outside of his henshin but he's not thinking these guys are really going to need it. After seeing titanic giant Terribads with fists the size of cars, literal monster trucks, and Dark Generals? Some goofy looking youma goons in trench coats worry him a lot less. He can henshin if he needs to - but he's not getting that feeling from these guys or from Kiseki.

    "Well, they're probably not up here to sell us Vault-Tec spots." Tadase notes, given their outfit, and grips that scepter before running towards one of the youma and just trying to brain it with the quite hard magical scepter.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto goes for the third of the baddies, his scuffed state perhaps making his opponent think he has a chance...at least until a well-placed kick sends him back and over the edge of the roof, where unfortunately for the overconfident youma there is no fire escape to make its fall any less terminal. Yoru floats over to look down and doubles over laughing in the air. "Nyahahaha, stupid monster. You're no match for Ikuto, Tadase, and...and...what's your name nya?"

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari manages to force one off the side of the building with his (water)gun, the force sending it backwards and flying with force.

Tadase goes for one and Ikuto throws his off the side of the building. That should be all three. Hinote Kagari lowers his aquatic arsenal and looks out from under the brim of the fedora. "Hinote. Hinote Kagari." he says as frowns a moment and brushes himself off. "Are you okay, uh..." pause.

"Is that a tiny floating catboy." he says.

He pauses. He looks to Tadase. He looks to Ikuto. He looks back and forth a few times. Does. Does that mean the boy with the blue hair wants to be. A catboy?

He doesn't ask this out loud. Instead.

"So uh." he says. "These guys came purposefully for you, eh?" he asks. "Because you didn't call them back?"

Tadase Hotori has posed:
    Tadase shakes his head at the youma. "Well, probably would have been more effective to leave a voicemail or something than... send really disappointing youma." he says. "Is this the best Easter had access to? I'm pretty sure the other guys have sent like... things the size of houses around. Not like... whatever that was."

    "Anyways... this is Ikuto, and Yoru. And Hinote's a new but good friend of mine. Oh, and what's your chara's name?" he asks. And then scratches the back of his neck. "Sorry if you said it I forgot." He lets Ikuto and Yoru handle tiny floating catboy related questions. They are both the experts.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto is about to speak up when Yoru proudly stands up...well not tall. But he does stand up in the air. "Mhm! I have paws and a tail and the ears, and Ikuto gets them when he gets all catty too for Chara Change form. That's how he was able to beat up those..." Yoru begins counting on his paws. There's a bit of awkward silence as he continues to (slowly) count. "...Those 29 guys nya! Anyway! Ikuto doesn't -just- wanna be a catboy, nya. I'm the reflection of his desire for freedom; to make his own choices in life and not live under the thumb of places like Easter!"

Ikuto twitches at the 'just' included in the sentence, but nods. "Said it better than I could have. Just so we're clear that I'm not hiding it, I did work for Easter up until...I don't know a couple of weeks ago? Some things made me realize that I couldn't just sit and wait for a chance to strike, because they're going to keep getting worse and doing more evil unless they're stopped. Their Director, my step-father, isn't too happy about me cutting ties and seems to have forgotten that he's dealing with a Tsukiyomi."

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari blinks-- and seems to think on this a moment. "Oh this is Tracy." he says. Tracy , who's now has a lolipop in his mouth, like a cigarette, pops it out to speak. "I'm Hinote's desire to investigate the magic and mystery around him, kid." he says. Before shoving the lolipop back into his mouth, shoving his tiny hands back into his tiny trenchcoat.

He smiles at Tadase, as he's called a new but good friend when he looks back towards Ikuto and he gives him more information. "Wait, your stepdad is the director and he's treating you like...like this!?" he asks.

Tadase did tell him Easter was secretly evil. Maybe he didn't really know the extent of that.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
    Tadase winces a bit. "As far as I could tell, the only thing Ikuto's stepdad ever really cared about was getting an in to control the company." he says, bluntly. "But I didn't realize Ikuto was as miserable as he was, or that he was against all the stuff, and then there were a few misunderstandings... and one he deliberately caused..." and for just a moment Tadase gives the older boy a death-glare. But it fades faster than it would have in the past.

    "I'm really hoping you're turning everything around, Ikuto." he says. "When you're on our side it's a lot more fun." he notes. "But... I know your sister's still deep in and I know you care about her. And I know you still have ties, so. I'm still watching you." he says.

    Kiseki floats up and holds out a hand. "Hi. I'm your king." he says. "You can bow later.

    "Plenty of magic in Tokyo to investigate, at least. We can use the help."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
"A quick summary of it is that Easter is trying to track down a myth that gives wishes, and to do that they're willing to sacrifice the hopes and dreams of every kid in the country if that's what it takes. Thought I was sticking around to protect Utau, but I might have just been afraid to ask the friends I hurt along the way for help. Someone I met just before all this really kicked off helped me see that playing the music of others isn't the way for me. Instead I'm going to take Director Hoshina's dreams, crush them, and scatter them into the dark for the sake of my sister and everyone else that bitter old man has hurt along the way." There's a brief fire behind Ikuto's words, a passion that he's just about never let show. Even Yoru's ears wiggle with some excitement.

"I've actually been meaning to let you know, Hotori-san. I'm going to be going to get my father's violin back from Easter sometime in the next week or so. I was going to bide my time a bit, but they seem pretty desperate to get my attention. Director Hoshina and Nikaidou-san probably think I'll try and sneak in, maybe use a hostage to talk my way out or something. I'm thinking I'll turn their expectations on their head and just bust in the front door. Show the old man that Ikuto Tsukiyomi isn't his errand boy anymore."

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari listens and nods. "Yeah. I'm gonna. Investigate these strange. Zones appearing. I can do that now. Well. Safer than I could before now." he says as he fumbles with the brim of his fedora a little as he draws it down.

"That sounds really dangerous. Don't you want help?" he asks. Is he offering? "Look. I'll give you my cell number. At least." he says. Yes, yes he is.

"--and then he busted into the joint, automatics blazing.!" Tracy says, lifting his two fingers into 'guns' and making noises like 'pew pew pew' before pausing and looked over at Kiseki and shaking his hand. "Eh?" goes Tracy at the 'King' comment of the other chara.

Hinote brushes the back of his head. "Maybe Tracy is right this time."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
    "I hope you don't mean the big tower in the middle of the city. That's how you get crunched up. But if you mean one of the smaller satellite offices... maybe?" Tadase offers Ikuto. "But you should let me see if I can make your crazy plan more... likely. I know you don't think much of your stepfather, but you don't want to underestimate a guy who's part of Obsidian, either." Tadase warns.

    "Like I can think of at least three times somebody from Obsidian kidnapped somebody else. And just cause he's an old guy doesn't mean he's not a wily old guy." He notes.

    "And maybe we can get Hinote and Tracy to see if they can confirm the stuff you're after is even where you think it is, or you might walk into a cat-carrier. Trap, I mean." he says, after a moment. Kiseki snickers behind him.

    "But really... if you want to protect the people around you like you told me was the thing that got you in all this trouble to begin with - you gotta act smart and not alone."

    Tadase turns to nod at Hinote. "Yeah, I also think those zones are... a higher priority, really. Not that your stuff isn't important, Ikuto... but these things are really dangerous, sucking the energy out of Civilians. Easter's involved with that, too. And if they're getting energy I'm sure it isn't for anything... good." he says.

    "Stopping it might make your... go in guns blazing plan work better anyways." he says, nodding to Tracy's little narration. Then, Tadase's phone starts to buzz and he draws it from his pocket. "Oh. Oh I uh. I have to go. Sorry, Hinote. We'll have coffee another time and hopefully won't get roped into... a brawl." he says, just for a moment looking at Ikuto like this was his fault. Some habits are still being slowly broken.

    "Like, real soon. You still need... about five more crash sourses in all this crazy stuff, like, minimum." His phone buzzes again, Tadase mumbles something under his breath, and starts the walk down the fire escapes.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods. "You both make good points, yeah. See you then, Hotori-san. I'll be in touch." He turns to Hinote. "Energy-stealing, eh? Must be something new they started after I left. Easter's really throwing as much as it can at the wall to see what sticks, I guess. Obsidian must be pressuring the Director to give them something tangible instead of just promises to find the Embryo. Hm...Tadase's right, too.

Take my number as well. I'm no detective, but I can get into pretty much any place I'm not supposed to thanks to Yoru's abilities. I don't normally enjoy fighting, but that was honestly quite fun earlier. So feel free to call on me if you need some assistance with any of those trench coat weirdos, or anything else really." Hinote might not know it in the moment, but if Tadase heard that his old friend was offering to help someone unconditionally, he'd likely be speechless. There was definitely something different about the catboy these days. Something better.