635/Cat Out Of The Bag

Cat Out Of The Bag
Date of Scene:	23 October 2023
Location:	Plot Room 5
Synopsis:	Ikuto Tsukiyomi attempts to bury the hatchet with Tadase, and make up for the trouble he's caused. Plus what the heck is an
Cast of Characters:	Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Tadase Hotori

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Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
As Ikuto crept up to the house and began scaling the wall, Yoru looked worried. "Are you sure this is a good idea Ikuto? He's still gonna be mad at you nya." Ikuto shrugged and grabbed onto the window, clinging to the wall beside it. "We don't have much in the way of options right now, Yoru. There's no one else to turn to, and even I know we can't do this on our own." Yoru lightly sighed and nodded as Ikuto leaned over, lightly tapping on the window in a manner he hoped his old friend would remember.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase was sitting on his bed. He had a strange feeling when he looked down at the heavy, shiny locket in his hands. It wasn't just because a friend of his had left. It wasn't just because that friend also happened to transform into the girl he had a mad crush on. No, there was something that felt missing, oddly enough. Since he'd been hanging out with Amu it felt like he was a little bit closer to whole, and Ran had been good to keep Kiseki occupied too. Kiseki was also sitting there, next to Tadase, his tiny feet kicking off the edge of the bed.

    He hadn't felt like things were this okay since Ikuto and Utau had lived with him, he realized. When he had someone that he had a sort of connection with. It wasn't really familial with Amu, like it had been with Ikuto before... everything he did... but...

    And that's when the tapping on the window startled him. And he -knew- that tapping, knew it immediately. Tadase hurridly shoved the lock in his pocket, and walked to the window, and by the time he's there, Kiseki has already Chara-changed him because he's expecting Ikuto and expecting Ikuto means he's expecting trouble. So the catboy finds a metal scepter pretty much pushed into his face with his old friend hissing. "What are you doing here? What do you want?" in a low whisper.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto would roll his eyes at the scepter. "If I were here to cause trouble why would I have tapped on the window? We both know things have changed a bit recently, but they've changed more than you might think. We need to talk, though I'd prefer to do so while not hanging on a window like some sort of peeping pervert. All I'm asking is for a few minutes so I can tell you, well...the truth. You want to know why I took the key, why I was there that day with Betty, why I seemed to show up whenever something bad happened? I'll tell you everything. Hell...here."

Ikuto would nod to Yoru, and the Chara floated down and lifted something from his pocket, grunting in exertion as he tossed the Key to Tadase as Ikuto explained. "That's the thing that lets me Chara Transform, so you're holding all the cards right now. Would I do this if I were trying to cause more trouble?"

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase sighs. "I don't like holding you at... magic-point anyways." He admits. He's tired too, and a lot emotional. "Fine. Worst case I can kick you back out the window and throw the stupid key at your dumb furry face." he says. But he gets out of the way. He doesn't un chara-change. He's still got the scepter in his hands. That shows how little he trusts Ikuto right now.

    "Well, at least you can give me the explanation you've owed me for... I don't even know how long now. Everything you did was one thing, but dashing off without explaining was the biggest bullshit of all." he says, bluntly.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Nodding, Ikuto hops up through the window, sitting on the edge such that if he really wanted to, Tadase could just shove him right out. After a moment, he began. "I'm...contracted to Easter Company. You know, the talent agency? I'm sure you've heard of the Embryo, maybe even heard rumors that there was a group looking for it. That's Easter. A bit after my father vanished, the current Director got with my mother and took over Easter while convincing her to put Utau and I under contract. I was a bit screwed there. No options, no way to fight back. Then I remembered overhearing my father talking about a key once. That it was important, and powerful, and that he was giving it to his good friend Hotori-san for safe-keeping."

The older boy seemed troubled at being so open as he continued. "Why'd I steal it, then? Why not just ask you for help? You were like a younger brother to me. It was bad enough that Director Hoshina was involving Utau in his schemes; I didn't want you to end up having to deal with it too. I still don't, but well...the situation changed a bit when your uh, new friend had to move. The scary girl. I do a lot of eavesdropping, and Easter noticed a drop in some sort of energy reading when she left the city. It got some of the lab coats spooked because the company has still made no progress with finding the Embryo and that search is the entire reason Director Hoshina has been able to keep the parent company from just integrating Easter. I didn't catch much of it, but two words I heard in a discussion about some new plan have me worried. 'Abomination' and 'Maze'. The things Easter has been doing already were shady, but this sounds like a whole different kind of bad. They sounded almost...scared, even just talking about it."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
    Tadase thinks on it for a moment. "The Embryo? Is it real or do they just -think- it's real? Everything I read kind of treats it like a fairytale or a legend. Like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow." He notes. "But then again, you and I both have tiny little representations of ourself that give us magic powers so I guess I shouldn't ask what -can- be real. I've seen some weird stuff lately." he admits.

    "So you don't want to work for Easter and be a big fuzzy jerk?" Tadase asks. "You're there against your will?"

    "If that's the case... what about... Betty?" he finally asks. "How do you explain that, even if I believe the rest of this. Because I want to believe you. We were like brothers for so long. And then all of this. So it sounds so good to think that you don't want to be working with the jerks and causing problems. But right now, some things still aren't adding up." he admits.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto looks down. Betty was a loss he didn't take well either at the time, but even now he's finding it difficult to talk about that day. "Betty was a good dog. When I retrieved the Key from your place, I found her in the yard on the way out. Tadase...she was dying. Poor dog was old, tired, and likely just wanted to see you one more time before she had to leave."

A subtle twitch in one eye, fighting something back. Refusing to let the lingering regret show even now. Yoru tilted his head, but knew better than to say anything. Ikuto was still Ikuto, after all. "I couldn't just leave her there, but I also couldn't save her. I did the only thing I could think to do for a dear friend whose only company in her final moments would be an unlucky cat. I played for her. When she had passed, I kept playing. For myself."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase tries not to let his eyes water, thinking about Betty. Poor old girl. Such a good dog. "But you had... months to tell me since then." Kiseki is floating nearby and he is much more of a mirror for Tadase's emotions, so he's crying a little bit more openly. "I don't know how much of this is because I want to believe you because I want my friend back, or because it makes sense." Tadase admits. "But... I guess Amu's gone so I'm not sure what you have to gain by lying to me now."

    Except the lock, but if Ikuto wants that he'll have to work a lot harder to convince Tadase.

    "So... I might know some people who know what Easter is talking about. I don't know what goes on in Easter, but in the Academy, there's some of us trying to work together to get all of this sorted out. We can start talking to them. And maybe they can be a check on my emotions? I know of a few by way of knowing a friend who knows a friend, but they'll probably be able to trust me because... Kiseki." he says, gesturing to the little Chara as Kiseki blows his nose from crying. "He's kind of unsubtle so I don't really bother trying to hide who I am."

    "But what about you? Aren't they going to be... a little annoyed if you stop showing up to work at Jerks Incorporated?"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto grins. "Oh, they'll be mad. You know what, though? Let 'em. I've been dancing for them like a puppet for too long now, looking this way and that for something they aren't even sure is out there. I barely visit home as it is because -he's- there in the evening. He won't do anything to my mother or Utau unless he wants me to kick down the front door of the office. He can curse my name and get red in the face all he wants.

As for Obsidian, the parent company? They have bigger things to handle than one guy causing trouble for the junior division. Worst case they probably get in contact to make sure I'm not going rogue on them. As long as I don't mess with real company business they shouldn't care too much if I light a few fires in Easter."

Yoru's eyes glimmer and Ikuto gives him a look. "Not actual fires." The cat Chara pouts. "Aw.."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase laughs. He actually laughs. "That is the Ikuto - and Yoru - that I remember." he says, sighing. "The one I miss." he admits. "The friend I want back."

    "So look, if you're ready to stop being a jerk - no, if you're ready to be a jerk but at the right people - I'm ready to give you another chance. But it's tough, I'll warn you that. Chara-changing isn't really on the same level as most of the other people's transformations. You gotta not bite off more than you can chew. A friend of mine is literally the cosmic force of Son Wukong and can elbow drop youma off the side of skyscrapers. And get up after." he says.

    "But if Easter is poking their nose into something that scares them, we should at least get the word out." Tadase says. "Even if you just don't fight, it'll be a big help to me, though." He admits. "Then I don't have to worry about needing to knock sense into you."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods. "I dunno...there's this thing I can do with the Key that makes me a bit tougher than just adding a tail and ears. I even get a pretty neat metal claw out of it."

Yoru rapidly nods, making claw motions from Ikuto's shoulder. "It's really cool, nya! We join together and he can jump onto rooftops from the ground! I told Ikuto to try clawing a door down but he said making people think a werecat was roaming the streets wouldn't be very helpful.." Ikuto pokes Yoru, "Yes, it's very cool and all but...honestly it'll feel good to work on stopping some evil plans instead of trying to help them. I'll try not to get in over my head, though. I still have to find my father once the immediate problem of Easter is dealt with. These friends of yours..it at least sounds like they can handle themselves. As long as we're not putting people who aren't prepared in danger, I'm all for it. My father wouldn't have let Easter stoop to meddling with...whatever they're trying to, or any of this business with Heart Eggs and the Embryo. It's pretty pathetic. A bunch of grown men hedging their bets on stealing the future from children to take it for themselves..."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase sighs. "If you think they're the only pathetic adults... Easter's kind of... small time, in the grand scheme. Probably doesn't feel like it from the inside. Or maybe it does, I don't know." he says. "But we can work on that time by time. If you can turn into a big werecat or something that's gonna help a lot. I haven't been as active as I should have been either..." he admits, pausing. "With Amu leaving I spent a lot of time with her, so a lot of weird things have been happening that I don't know about." he says.

    "But I know people who know people who know. And I need to talk to folks too. There's another girl with Charas I've heard about and I really should have talked to her but... I haven't." he says.

    "It's been quiet and honestly a lot of the time I show up to help I feel outclassed. But if you're going to come to me like this, and if you're truly serious about it, then I'm not going to let myself do less work than you." he says.

    "I mean, you're just some lazy cat, right?" Kiseki adds, but he says it in a way that it's less of an insult and more of a teasing challenge.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto laughs. "Yeah...you could say that. I am gonna need the Key back though, at least for now. If Easter is really messing around with things beyond their understanding it sounds like everyone who can fight will need to be ready to. As for Easter being small-time...yeah. That was the impression I've gotten from the few times I've been to Obsidian's big tower. Director Hoshina thinks he's providing a valuable service to Obsidian, but they...really don't care about him all that much because all he did was offer up a company that was already under them to begin with. You know, he doesn't even have any powers? He's just an old guy."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase nods, and tosses the key back to Ikuto. "You gave it to me as a gesture of goodwill. I'm giving it back as a gesture of goodwill. Don't make me regret it." He says, and there's actually a sort of stern fire in his eyes when he looks at Ikuto. It's that part of Tadase that doesn't back down, the part of him that is as tough as he wants to be, that will put up with some unbelievable trouble, that has him fight alongside magical girls against building sized monsters despite his relatively weak magic. "I'm giving you another chance, Ikuto-san. I would like to keep calling you Ikuto-san. I'd like you to prove that you are the same guy I used to hang out with, and not the guy you've been for the last few months. But I can't give you infinite chances, OK?" he says.

    "Yeah, I... didn't realize how messy things could get until I really got involved. X-charas are kind of... troublesome... but they're not like the youma. They're not like Terribads, things that are two stories tall with fists to match and laser beam eyes. Even if they look silly. Things can be really messy. If you can transform like the others can you'd be a big help." he admits. "Mostly I just try not to get out of the way, and save civilans, but. It would be nice to do more. Maybe if you can, I can learn to do the same."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Catching the Key, Ikuto would nod and start to climb back out the window. "Next time I see you around at school with your friends, maybe I'll drop in. If I do, let's make sure to tell them upfront who I used to work for. Seems like trying to hide the truth to protect people just causes more problems than it's worth. Makes friends stop believing in each other. I think I'd rather make friends and keep them from the start, from here on."

Yoru waves to Kiseki as well. "We should play cards next time while they're busy talking about boring stuff!"

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Kiseki says "Do you still cheat? Or have you at least learned to cheat more subtly?" to Yoru. This question will likely remain unanswered as Ikuto leaves out the window.

    "I hope to see you soon, Ikuto-san. And to introduce you to some good people. As a good person." he says. "I wish you had come to me sooner - but let's make sure we don't waste anymore time." he says. "I'm afraid that the world is legitimately in danger - not just the dreams of kids or some crazy executive. But I'll see if everybody's cool with reading you in soon."