Enchanting Love, Omegaverse RP

Tokyo, Japan => Central District => Hitoshi Mall => Topic started by: Raven Nightwing on August 13, 2022, 05:02:08 pm


Title: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on August 13, 2022, 05:02:08 pm
(https://images2.imgbox.com/57/58/NMJ2Yy5b_o.png)
A green-eyed child was lost. Lost and scared. This child was Kusano and she'd gotten separated from the two companions that she was with. How? Why? Because they were on the run. On the run from the people of Yokai Inc that'd been sent to take her in as well as her two friends that'd escaped that place with her to come to Japan. It'd been Akira's idea to briefly separate so they wouldn't get captured together which would defeat the purpose of them having escaped only to be taken back to that terrible place. But Kusano didn't want to separate from Akira or from Eri, another child that'd escaped Yokai Inc as well. Living in the Yokai Realm was all Kusano had known but her parents told her to escape and get as far away from Yokai Inc as she possibly could.

She did what her parents told her to do despite not wanting to leave them behind. So she took Akira and Eri with her and they've been in hiding ever since. Of course, they were followed by those people from that corporation her parents used to work for but Kusano didn't understand why they would hurt her parents and want to hurt her and her friends. While she may not have understood everything, she just knew that she couldn't go back. Otherwise, she and the other two would never make it out again. She didn't want that either. Kusano just wanted the happy life she had before with her parents and with Akira and Eri a part of it. Why couldn't she have that? With all these thoughts in mind, the green-eyed child sniffled, drying her eyes with one hand as she held the kitten her parents gave her with her other who purred in her arm.

She then hugged the gray little feline close to her body as she stood by the wall on the ground floor of the Hitoshi Mall. She and the other two got chased here by an agent from Yokai Inc which was the reason behind Akira's suggestion for them to temporarily separate. Yet Kusano was super scared to be alone and believed she would be caught if they weren't all together. While she should've hidden, she tried to remain in sight to at least be found by Akira and Eri who were somewhere in the mall evading Yokai Inc agents. The child tried her best not to freak out so much, to avoid drawing attention to herself but it was not as if she had any place she could go to hide. She knew nobody here in Japan and that reminded caused more tears to fall down the sides of her face as she hugged her pet cat and cried softly.

'I just wanna go home but I ... we don't have one to go to. Aki-chan ... Eri-chan ... where are you? I'm scared. I don't ... want to be alone anymore...' Kusano thought as she slumped down onto the floor in a sitting position and cried more.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on August 13, 2022, 05:58:09 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Yawning, Sho had been on his hour lunch break with thirty minutes remaining. Normally, he would spend it working on the latest chapter of his comic story, proofreading it, or reading a few comics from his collection that he'd brought from home just to pass the time. It was usually how he spent his lunch. However, his mind had been rather distracted lately due to previous incidents that have caused his life to be disrupted in a sense. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, all the green-eyed young man could perceive having Usui Yuuto back into his life trying to repair their friendship again, on top of being his temporary graphic artist was a disruption.

He agreed to allow the other male to work on the remaining pages that were left to do but that was only because he'd gotten him out of a tough situation from having passed out in the cafe where they met at. Where he'd awaken in Yuuto's apartment in his bedroom. That conversation when he finally woke up had been awkward, not to mention that he wasn't feeling very well due to dealing with the Post-Heat effects that still made his entire body feel as if it was still going through a Heat cycle. God how he hated it every time his Heat came around. Sho had been thankful to not have to take anymore suppressants in the form of pills and he hadn't had the shot medication for very long to notice any significant changes in his body.

Part of him didn't think it was working. He was still going through pain and still had to wear that collar around his neck to avoid his scent involuntarily releasing and causing problems for those around him. All it did was make people, specifically Alphas, act stupid and try to sexually harass him after being told he wasn't interested in them. According to Sadie, it's a blow to an Alpha's pride to be rejected by an Omega which is why they react the way they do when he turns them down. Sho didn't doubt that but that wasn't his problem that an Alpha didn't like to be told no. That didn't mean trying to attempt to assault him for it. Thankfully, the last Alpha that "seemed" remotely interested was a woman. However, she was incredibly pushy and Sho hated her scent. He'd even told his doctor of this when he last saw him.

Sho personally felt the woman meant no harm despite her insistence in wanting to mate with him and get to know him but Yuuto felt otherwise about that. Sho just felt Yuuto was worried for nothing but even Sadie had been worried as well. But to an extent that she'd told him he couldn't return to work until he saw his doctor and found out what was going on with his body and the news he got was not something he'd expected. Sho found out he was a "Dominant Omega". He'd never heard of such a thing before but it was what his doctor had said his test results had come back and confirmed. Sho not only had to deal with that news but also was told that because he isn't an average Omega, it was now unfortunately necessary for him to find some way to relieve himself when his next Heat came. He was not looking forward to that. He could no longer hold out like he normally had been doing. If he didn't want to go through the constant pain he'd been going through, he had no choice now.

His doctor knew it was embarrassing for him and he wasn't trying to push Sho to do anything he didn't feel comfortable with. He was grateful for that. Unfortunately, it just left him mentally in a weird place. It's why he was walking around the busy mall to clear his mind. He did eat something but then he'd visited the comic shop in the mall for a bit before leaving and just quietly and casually walking. Rather zoned out and lost in his own thoughts as he walked through the crowd of people with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. While everyone else was bustling with excitement, Sho was filled with indifference. He had too much on his mind to even enjoy his lunch like he normally would. The only thing that snapped him out of his own thoughts was the sound of someone crying. Hearing this made him stop in his tracks and began looking in every direction to find where it was coming from as it sounded close by from where he was.

Sho got out of the way to avoid bumping into anyone, wanting to make sure for his own sanity that he wasn't just hearing things in the mixture of all the conversations around him. But he wasn't hearing things. As he'd gotten out of the way of oncoming people, that's when his eyes came upon a small little girl that was sitting on the floor by the wall crying as she was hugging a kitten in her arms. That wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen all day and it's not as if it wasn't unusual for children to get separated from their parents. The Hitoshi Mall was pretty big after all. It's any wonder adults didn't get lost walking around it. He found it odd she seemed to be ignored by people passing by and not acknowledging her. That said, Sho felt it best to take the girl to the security booth and alert her parents who he figured may have been looking for her.

She was clearly scared so he was careful in approaching her. He knelt down in front of the little girl and asked her in a kind tone, "Hey, are you lost?" Despite what he had going on with him, he tried to remain positive and hoped some good would come out of this situation. That being reuniting this little girl with her family. She couldn't be any more than seven or eight years old from the looks of her but unless he'd asked her and she was willing to answer him, Sho could only assume her age. Right now, that wasn't important. What was important was keeping her calm so he could help her.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on August 13, 2022, 06:55:08 pm
(https://images2.imgbox.com/57/58/NMJ2Yy5b_o.png)
Kusano continued crying, the kitten in her arms meowing in an attempt to comfort her. Even lightly licking the child's arm as the animal continued to purr. It was as if it knew the child was sad and scared and in its own way, trying to assure her that things would be alright. That they would get better. As everyone continued to pass by them, it would seem out of everyone, only one person did not. The feline was the first to notice a rather tall young man approaching them as he'd knelt down, flashing a kind smile and asking if Kusano was lost. The sound of the male speaking startled the child, making her raise her head to look at the person who was speaking to her.

Normally Kusano's kitten would be on guard and would growl at anyone that posed a threat but it would seem it had not done that. Instead, the animal was rather intrigued, as if trying to sense something from this person but was unable to do so. Kusano had noticed this as it would be a sign that she would need to quickly run away and hide. That she'd been found by those from Yokai Inc trying to take her away since she was too young to be able to sense danger herself. Her powers weren't that great or at least, she didn't think so. She could barely control them and would do her best to avoid having to use them unless absolutely necessary. But did she have to use them here to ward off this person? She didn't know.

Kusano had no idea what to do. The young man seemed nice but she couldn't help but be wary. Those from Yokai Inc could be anyone she least expected. But did she really have much of a choice? She couldn't sit here all day in one spot and Akira and Eri had yet to find her. Still rather frightened, Kusano hid her face behind the kitten she was holding and in response to this action, the kitten meowed cutely, its tail swishing from side to side with a look of curiosity as this person knelt before them. As for Kusano, she could only nod her head in response to the man's question instead of responding verbally.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on August 14, 2022, 10:11:12 am
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Sho wasn't surprised that the child was still wary and afraid to talk to him. That was to be expected. Still, he couldn't just let her sit here alone crying with no one at least acknowledging that she was here and helping her find her family. It's possible people assumed that the child would be found by their family which could be a reason why no one else had stepped in yet. The only issue with that was not knowing how long the little girl had been sitting here crying. Plus, there were also terrible people in this world that didn't mind kidnapping children and using them for sick means and Sho didn't want to see that happening to her. He wasn't sure anyone in the mall like that was lurking but he didn't want to take any chance.

She didn't need to be here by herself. Retaining his smile, Sho carefully offered out his hand to the little girl for her to take it. "It's okay. I know it's scary but I can help you find your family if you'd like. I can take you to the security booth and they can reach out to your family over the intercom and let them know where you are. And I'll wait with you until they show up if that's okay. I'm on my lunch break right now so I have time to wait," Sho told her in a kind tone. "Oh, my name is Shouta, by the way. Akimoto, Shouta. But if it's too difficult for you to pronounce, you can simply call me Sho. I don't mind at all."  He remained calm and friendly to make sure the child stayed calm herself. He didn't want to upset or even scare her more than she already was.

He also didn't mind waiting with her until her family came and got her. If the wait went over the rest of his lunch, he'll simply text Sadie to let her know what's going on and she'll understand. Comically, she may even ask him why he didn't bring the child to the bookstore but logically he would say she's not his kid and therefore can't steal someone else's child because that's a crime. But that's Sadie for him. He'd only suggest the option of taking the little girl there if the security booth wasn't an option for her. It was up to the little girl, not up to him. The child also wasn't entirely alone as he'd noticed the kitten the child was holding. It wasn't abnormal for patrons to bring their pets to the mall. Usually, people brought their dogs with them when out and about but not cats unless it was a cat that was leash trained and not skittish of crowds of people. This child's kitten was not on a leash but it seemed trained enough to stay by her side. If only it appeared curious about him which Sho also had no issues with cats either. Sho continued to remain neutral to keep from spooking the little girl and her kitten as he awaited for her to answer.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on August 14, 2022, 04:10:08 pm
(https://images2.imgbox.com/57/58/NMJ2Yy5b_o.png)
While the young man sounded nice and wanted to help her, Kusano didn't want him to reach out to anyone and attract the attention of the Yokai Inc people. He could even be on their side, she wasn't sure but her kitty wasn't reacting badly to him as if he posed a danger. Maybe he really wanted to help her. If he did, she had to stop him from trying to alert anyone. Kusano had no idea how to explain to him that she didn't have any family. She had friends and she was looking for them and hoping they were alright but no living family. That realization made her fear surface again. She would not only be in danger but her friends too and immediately she hugged the young man who'd introduced himself to her by the name Akimoto Shouta and began to cry, squishing her kitty between herself and him, making the poor feline meow in surprise at this action.

"P-Please no! Don't call anyone! I don't ... I don't want the bad people to find me or my friends!" Kusano cried. She couldn't risk Akira and Eri getting caught simply because someone wanted to help her out. The three of them couldn't keep running forever. They had to trust somebody that could help and protect them from harm. She didn't know if Shouta could but she hoped that he would believe her enough to not take her to the security booth and reach out to anyone by broadcasting her name. Risking putting everyone in the mall at risk for harm. Kusano would never forgive herself if that happened.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on August 14, 2022, 05:31:11 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Sho was taken aback by the girl suddenly grabbing him and crying more. He was more concerned when she didn't want him to call anyone because 'bad people' would find her and her friends. So that solved the mystery of why she was alone. Did she come with other people or children perhaps? Sho couldn't be sure of that but the 'bad people' thing naturally had him on guard. There was someone trying to hurt her and her friends? Why? Who'd want to harm an innocent child? Carefully, he wrapped an arm around the child's back to give her a light pat to calm her down. Of course, he was being stared at now by people who were passing by that finally noticed the child was there but didn't seem interested until he approached her. They were staring at him as if he was the cause behind the child's crying and probably wondering if they should call security on him.

That wasn't something he wanted. Nor did he like the idea of unwanted attention being drawn to him. Sho was now conflicted on what to do. He still didn't want to leave her here by herself crying but now he was worried that someone was out to hurt her. That couldn't have been an exaggeration. Granted, children do have largely creative minds that would cause them to make up things but Sho couldn't shake this strange feeling that this child wasn't lying to him. He looked down at her, his gaze softening as he then patted her head and sighed. 'She doesn't want the bad people to find her. What bad people could be looking for her specifically in the mall? She also mentioned she had friends. Did they get separated? I could help her find them and then take them to the bookstore but the important question is where are their parents if I happen to end up finding this child's friends?' Sho thought, conflicted on what to do.

First thing's first, he had to calm her down again. Sho did his best to soothe and calm the child down and now he had to assure her that he wouldn't take her to the mall security booth and have them call anyone. He was definitely going to need some help with this. "Okay, I won't call anyone but I won't leave you here alone either," Sho told the child. "How about you tell me your name and maybe I can help your friends and take you guys someplace safe? Would that be better instead?" he suggested. He wasn't sure of what place would actually be safe to take missing children outside of a police station. If the child didn't want to be taken to the security booth then she clearly wouldn't trust the police either. What other choice would there be? He'll have to map it out in his mind along the way. He was definitely going to have to contact Sadie eventually since he didn't know where this situation was going to lead him.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on August 18, 2022, 06:15:19 pm
(https://images2.imgbox.com/57/58/NMJ2Yy5b_o.png)
Kusano's kitty meowed again between them. Now that it was much closer to the young man offering to help them, the feline carefully leaned forward to sniff him. It'd done that for a few moments before beginning to purr which Kusano took notice of as she finally looked up at the young man named Shouta. She felt a little more at ease knowing that he wasn't going to take her to security and have them call for someone to come and pick her up. Who would he have them call out to besides Akira and Eri? She knew that would put them in danger which is why she panicked like she did and pleaded for Shouta not to call anyone. However, he did offer to help her find Akira and Eri since this mall was huge and she'd never been in it before and had no idea of how to find her way around it much less out of it.

There were multiple exit signs everywhere but they could always lead into an area where she couldn't get back to where she needed to be. So Kusano never tried to leave the mall. But Shouta was also right, she couldn't stay here and be left alone either. Eventually, someone else would've seen her and offered to help and it may have been the wrong type of person offering. She'd only know by her kitty reacting to them and in this case, it didn't. It'd purred instead which to her meant that this young man wasn't working for Yokai Inc or the "bad people" as she called them. Kusano was still taking a risk, even with giving him her name but how else was he going to help her without resorting to taking her to mall security, which she again, did not want?

Sniffling, she nodded her head slowly as she carefully pet the top of her kitty's head as her eyes remained on Shouta. "Um ... m-my name is K-Kusano," she told him, her face tear stricken but her cheeks were flushed pink due to her shyness. "Y-You'll help me f-find my f-friends?" she asked, stammering nervously.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on August 18, 2022, 07:23:38 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Sho noticed that the little girl had calmed down at least which was a good sign. He could tell she was still rather on edge which was noticeable in how she responded nervously to his question. The kitten she held, she felt it sniff him due it its whiskers brushing against his face. He didn't freak out about it since cats can be skittish animals. More than likely, it was trying to get used to his scent so he allowed the little animal to do so. He removed his arm from around the child so he could fully see her and since she was speaking to him. She gave him her name and agreed to allow him to help find her friends.

Outside of taking them all to the bookstore when they were able to find them, Sho was still at a loss on what to do. He couldn't get what "Kusano" as the girl called herself, out of his mind. She didn't want the bad people to find her and her friends. 'Just who are these bad people she's talking about? Would she ... even tell me if I asked?' Sho wondered with a tilt of his head. Since he had her attention, he had to keep it so she wouldn't get upset and run off on her own and get more lost. "It's nice to meet you, Kusano-chan," he replied in a tender tone with a smile. His gaze then shifted to the kitten in her arms. "If you don't mind me asking, what are your friends' names so we'll be able to find them? Also, I see you have a kitty here. Does it have a name?"

Sho didn't know why but seeing Kusano's kitten had briefly reminded him of Yuuto's cat Sarada. Their sizes were different because Sarada was an adult cat of course and Kusano's kitten wasn't but he wanted to at least keep the mood between them as calm as possible for both Kusano and her animal friend. He definitely knew Sadie would fawn over the kitten. He wasn't sure about Yuuto. That imagery seemed so odd in his mind. But he didn't have time for that right now. Right now, his focus was on helping Kusano, which is why he inquired about her name and the names of her friends. If she didn't want to give them then he would be satisfied being given a description of what they looked like. He wanted to start here first, to see what the child was willing to give him in terms of information so he could help her and not wing it the entire time.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on August 21, 2022, 09:01:05 pm
(https://images2.imgbox.com/57/58/NMJ2Yy5b_o.png)
Kusano flinched when asked for her friends' names. She wasn't sure if she should give Shouta their names. She didn't know if the people from Yokai Inc were nearby watching them or not just waiting for her to slip up for them to strike when she least expects them to. The mall was too open of a place. There were even people beginning to stare at them too. Any one of them could be from Yokai Inc. Her kitty seems to trust Shouta as it meowed again before leaning its head up to gently lick the side of her face to comfort her and show her this young man could be trusted. Even so, Kusano had to still take precautions just in case. Shouta wanted to help her but she could only give him so much information. 'I don't ... know what to do...' she thought sadly, biting her lip.

In the meantime, Kusano was being watched by not by whom she assumed would be watching her. From a distance, the very friends that Kusano had been looking for watching her from a distance but staying out of sight. Rather, the one named Akira had been watching while keeping the other one named Eri at his side who clung to him. The young boy had his hand placed around Eri, making sure the two of them didn't get separated since he knew that she wouldn't do well on her own to avoid getting caught but he had faith that Kusano would at least be okay on her own, temporarily. However, he'd seen someone approach her as she sat out in the open crying and he narrowed his eyes at the green-haired young man, watching his body language and more importantly, paying attention to how Kusano's feline friend reacted to him.

It would seem that the feline didn't have a poor reaction to him. To Akira, this usually would indicate that a person didn't have any form of association with those from Yokai Inc that had been after them. Yet, Akira was still rather on guard since there was always the possibility they could mask their scent with something to avoid being caught in a lie. The young man didn't display any sort of indicators that he was a threat which could mean he was really just an average person that had no ties to Yokai Inc. 'Still can't be too sure. Ku-chan is powerful enough to fend for herself but I have to remember that she's just like Eri. Just a child who wants to trust someone.' Akira sighed, not taking his eyes off Kusano or the young man she was speaking with. It was then he felt a light tug of his shirt which made him look down at Eri who was looking up at him with worried eyes.

He smiled down at her, placing a comforting hand atop her head. "Don't worry, Eri-chan. We'll be okay. I promise," Akira assured her.

"Are ... you sure? Shouldn't we go help Ku? She might be in danger speaking to that strange man?" Eri asked.

Akira shook his head. He was always on high alert but he couldn't immediately react as it would otherwise draw unwanted attention to them that they hadn't wanted. Even he hated to admit it but they had to trust someone and it's possible this may be someone they can trust. He had to watch from afar to be sure. He'd only step in if absolutely necessary. "Not right now. That's why we're here watching like we are. To make sure she doesn't need help. We'll be together soon, okay? I know neither of you like this but it's temporary that we keep our distance to avoid all three of us getting captured together. So trust me, alright?" He patted Eri's head once more.

The red-eyed child was clearly scared since living in the Yokai Realm was all she knew. She wasn't familiar with the human world but she had been curious about it. Getting to know Kusano is what allowed her curiosity about the world of humans to grow. She'd been told that humans coexist with monsters here. Very different from everything she'd learned and been told by the people of Yokai Inc. Eri wanted to still believe that was true. That there could be someone, anyone they could trust so they wouldn't have to keep running anymore. As much as the child didn't want to admit it, she'd grown tired of running. She nodded as Akira patted her head, assuring her that they would be okay and they would reunite with Kusano very soon. She hoped so. "Hrn, okay," was Eri's response.

For the time being, Akira seemed to have kept Eri calm but he couldn't help but wonder if Kusano would remain calm before eventually spilling everything out in the open for people to hear. 'Guess I will have to keep watching to make sure this person can be trusted. Can they ... really help us?' he wondered, turning to look back in Kusano's direction to keep a close watch on her and the young man she'd been speaking to.

Meanwhile, Kusano had finally come to the decision that for now, she couldn't tell Shouta her friends' names. At least not right now. Maybe once they were away from the mall and if they found them before then she could tell him everything. For now, she decided against telling him. He did inquire about the name of her kitty which, come to think of it, she never did give the feline a name. It was a present from her parents for her birthday and she'd been so excited about it that she'd forgotten to name it. Maybe she should but didn't think that right now was the appropriate time to do that. Maybe later. "I ... can't tell you my friends' names. I don't want them to get hurt," she finally responded, her lips forming a frown on her face. "My kitty also doesn't have a name. I never got the chance to give it one after mama and papa gave it to me..." she told him, sniffling.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on August 23, 2022, 03:50:22 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Sho noticed Kusano flinching when asked for the names of her friends. He'd expected this, at least partially, so he didn't want to pressure her further to where she got upset and started crying again. He wasn't used to dealing with children on a regular basis so he was really going to have to play this by ear. While also having to be careful because the child did say there were "bad people" after her and her friends. His mind was still on that considering he wanted answers to the questions that he had. Yet there was only so much information one could get out of a child.

'She's scared to give me the names of her friends. These people that's after them must be terrible individuals for her to be so afraid,' Sho thought. She was able to tell him that her kitty didn't have a name while also adding in that her parents were the ones that gave the feline to her. 'So she does have parents. But ... where are they? Why aren't they here? Something isn't adding up. No parent would leave their child unattended unless they didn't care or ... something happened to them ... Did something happen to her parents?' Sho had so many questions roaming around in his mind now at what could've placed Kusano in the situation she was currently in along with her friends. He wondered if her friends had parents as well and if they did ... did something happen to them too...?

So many questions that couldn't be answered or rather Sho wasn't sure if Kusano could answer them. Well, they weren't going to get anywhere staying where they were all day. Carefully, he stood up and then held his hand out toward Kusano for her to take it, his smile still present to show her that she could trust him. "Alright, I'm sure you'll tell me when you're able to. We'll walk around a bit  and if you see them, just let me know, okay? I'll take you right to them," he told her. "While we're at it, why don't we think of a name for you kitty?" Sho offered. It could be something to do in the meantime to distract her from being scared. He did wonder how long she'd been sitting there and if she'd eaten anything.

'This is definitely going to take up time. I'll have to text Sadie-san to let her know. Even though she won't mind it sometimes if I text her after the fact, I know how upset she can be if I don't say anything at all,' Sho thought as he used his other hand to reach into his pocket for his phone. "Let's get going. In the meantime, I'll have to send a text to my boss at the bookstore where I work so she knows where I am and why I'll be a little late back from lunch. At least this way, it'll be okay for me to help you out," Sho chuckled as he'd begun working on sending a text to Sadie.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on September 04, 2022, 01:32:57 am
(https://images2.imgbox.com/57/58/NMJ2Yy5b_o.png)
Kusano was surprised that Shouta didn't get upset with her for not giving her the names of her friends. She half expected he would be upset with her. At least that would tell her whether or not he was pretending to be nice to get the names of her friends or not. Instead, he'd offered his hand to her to take so he could walk around and help her look for them. Her kitty meowed, purring in her arms. He'd also offered to help her think of a name for her little feline friend as well. Shouta seemed to genuinely want to help her despite being still skeptical. 'Kitty doesn't seem bothered by this man wanting to help me. Is he really ... not working with those bad people ...?' Kusano wondered as she reached her own hand out. Hesitantly at first but she took the chance in trusting him.

She did notice he said he had to text his boss that he was going to be late returning to work from his lunch. Inwardly, she was worried this wasn't true but again, she couldn't stay where she was and end up in a much worse situation. But what could be worse than being on the run from other people with powers wanting to use her and her friends for experiments? She didn't know what types of experiments they would be used for but it sounded very scary to Kusano. Akira would never go into detail whenever she asked. He'd always tell her that they were terrible and he hadn't wanted her to be subjected to that like he and Eri were. Kusano didn't like not knowing things but she knew she couldn't make Akira or Eri tell her things simply because she asked based on her own curiosity. Right now, she couldn't worry about that. Kusano just wanted to find where they were and Shouta was the only person willing to help her right now.

She had to take what she could get. She carefully, squeezed her small hand around his own while waiting for him to finish what he was doing. She simply took her place beside him and just nodded her head slowly in response to what he'd said to her earlier. "Okay," was the reply she'd given him. As she'd done this, her stomach started to growl, her expression changing to a straight-faced one because of that. She hadn't eaten anything at all today because she wasn't able to use her powers to grow some vegetables for her and the others to eat because they'd been spotted by someone from Yokai Inc in the early part of the morning and they were once again on the run trying to evade them. They'd all last eaten last night but hadn't eaten anything at all today. Her stomach currently felt empty and the different smells from all the food in the mall wasn't helping her not think about it. Kusano wanted something to eat.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on September 12, 2022, 08:34:21 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Sho had finished shooting a text to Sadie about what was going on, all the while feeling the little girl gently squeeze her hand around his other one which made him look down at her. From what he could tell, she seemed okay. As far as there not being any physical injuries on her. He didn't have to worry about having to ask her questions about that. There was the off chance she wouldn't feel comfortable telling him anyway. Which was fine. He wasn't going to force Kusano to do anything. In the meantime, he waited for Sadie to respond to the text he'd sent to her which didn't seem to take her long to do so. Confirming that it was fine and she appreciated him letting her know while throwing in a jab stating that she won't at least have to go looking for him passed out anywhere which made Sho sweat drop at reading that.

He could only sigh. He knows Sadie means well, especially regarding his health. She didn't give him much of a choice since he did want to keep working at the bookstore but she was insistent that his health was more important than working himself to death. And after what happened when he'd met with Yuuto was the other reason. Rather he was expecting to meet with a complete stranger about his comic story but instead he was meeting with him. There was just too much going on in his life right now. At least helping Kusano find her friends could help take his mind off of it for a little while. Though it would seem he may end up having to spend a little longer wither for he'd heard the child's stomach growling loudly, making him look away from his phone and down at her again. He put his phone back in his pocket as it would seem that Kusano didn't want to mention that she was hungry but her stomach was definitely telling on her. 'When was the last time she's eaten anything I wonder?' he thought.

Sho decided to break the silence between them. "Hey, would you like something to eat?" he asked her, tilting his head to the side. "I can get you some food and let you eat before we go looking for your friends," he offered to her. He didn't want Kusano passing out on him because she hadn't eaten anything. That's dangerous for a child to not eat anyway. He didn't mind buying her food. There was no telling how long she'd been sitting where she was before he'd approached her. If she'd been there all morning, there it's not surprising at all to him that she's hungry.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on September 17, 2022, 03:24:11 pm
(https://images2.imgbox.com/57/58/NMJ2Yy5b_o.png)
"Hm?" Kusano looked up at Shouta when asked if she wanted something to eat first before looking for her friends. She kind of expected him to ignore that her stomach was growling. She'd been doing so for the most part because she didn't know if she'd have a chance to eat anything before those bad people from Yokai Inc would find her again. But as she didn't have any money to buy anything and her powers could only do so much to grow vegetables without going out of control but she did her best so she, Akira, and Eri could eat something. Kusano couldn't lie and say it wouldn't be nice to know what it was like to have some real food that was more filling. And Shouta was offering to buy her food so what was the harm? She looked away and then nodded her head at the man's offer of buying her something to eat.

"I would ... like some food. So would kitty," she told him, her feline friend merely meowing softly in her arms as she held it. It wouldn't be fair for her to eat and not her kitty too. She knew it couldn't eat human food but the furry animal still had to eat something. Kusano wished she could save some food for Akira and Eri too but she didn't know if it would be okay to ask Shouta to do that since he didn't know what they looked like because she was currently too afraid to tell him. 'Maybe ... I could just get some extra items and save them for Aki-chan and Eri-chan? I don't know. I'm not sure...' Kusano thought with a frown. She didn't know how to go about this but one thing she did know was that she was definitely hungry right now. There were so many food choices around, it was hard to pick just one thing. Kusano figured she'd let Shouta suggest something and make a decision based on that.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on September 18, 2022, 08:46:03 am
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Sho smiled, chuckling as Kusano mentioned that her kitten would like something to eat as well. Well, there was a pet shop in the mall so he could always get something for the child's furry friend. At the moment, the only thing from any of the restaurants he could substitute for food would be simply milk. Most of them usually sold whole milk in small cartons and few of them were the exception to selling healthier milk. Sho preferred to drink 2% milk since it didn't leave that heavy feeling in his stomach after having eaten it with something else or just purely drinking it by itself. There was one place that sold that and it was the diner restaurant that was a few places down from the bookstore where he worked. He didn't believe they would allow them to sit in there with Kusano and her kitten but he could always order something for her and let her eat it at one of the tables in the food court. There was no rule against that at least.

He nodded and began to slowly walk in the direction he was going to head back to work. He hadn't eaten lunch at the diner today as he'd eaten at another restaurant in the courtyard that served much healthier food. He only went to the diner after his Heat when he was able to eat a full meal again. That was weeks ago. He didn't know if Kusano would like the food there but he did know they had a kids' menu. "We'll see what we can get for you and your kitty at this diner I usually eat at. It has pretty good food but I don't want you to overeat and make yourself sick so I'll let you look at the menu and see what you'd like to get okay? We can also order some milk for your kitty to drink," he told her. "Hopefully, that will be okay. I don't want you to get dizzy from being hungry so the milk will be temporary for the kitten but afterward, we can visit the pet store and get proper food for it. If you want to. They have other animals for you to look at there while we do that."

Sho was aware, for the most part, that children did like animals, and given that Kusano was holding the kitten when he found her, it only made sense. They wouldn't stay there for very long but he hoped that it would ease her nerves a little bit to see other animals. Outside of a small bag of cat food, he didn't know what else to get her furry feline. 'Well, there is tuna. Cats like tuna too. I don't know if a pet shop would sell that. They usually have products that mimic the taste of it,' he thought as he continued walking with Kusano alongside him. He could only check and side. If not, there was a little discount store across the way from the petshop that sold various items for cheaper prices which included snacks. They can always try there once they tried looking around the pet shop for something. Cats tend to be picky eaters just like human children. He still had to help her come up with a name for her feline friend after all.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on November 11, 2022, 12:00:47 pm
(https://images2.imgbox.com/57/58/NMJ2Yy5b_o.png)
"Okay," Kusano replied, her kitten meowing in response to this as if 'agreeing' in a sense with the child as well. Kusano was happy to be getting some real food in her stomach. She kind of was starting to grow tired of eating vegetables. She didn't hate them but they weren't satisfying to eat and it only made her feel hungry hours later. This nice man was willing to get both her some food as well as food for her kitten. The child honestly believed he wouldn't want to do that but it would appear that she was wrong about him. She still wasn't sure if he wasn't working for the people that'd been chasing after her and her friends but according to Akira, appearances can be deceiving. To trust no one. But that was only going to get them so far. They couldn't not trust that someone would be willing to help them. Kusano didn't know what to think. Kusano did know that they couldn't keep running forever. They needed to be somewhere safe with someone that could at least help them if it was possible. This man named Shouta, while he didn't appear to have any form of powers like others she's seen since being in this country, he was willing to go out of his way to help her. It was something that Kusano appreciated right now as she was exhausted and hungry. She didn't know if she would be able to get away if she were found again and attacked by those people.

While Kusano was walking with Shouta to get something to eat, Akira and Eri were far in the distance following them through the crowd of people. Akira was very vigilant of their surroundings and it also helped that from places outside of this mall, they were able to grab a few clothing items to disguise themselves from being discovered by the people from Yokai Inc. Only the three of them would recognize each other based on these items. They were only a few baseball hats in different colors. Akira was currently wearing a purple one with his hands shoved in the pockets of a jacket he'd also pilfered as well. Eri wore a bright yellow one on her head but Akira made sure to fix it so that most of her hair was hanging out of it. They couldn't grab a whole lot of things. Just small items here and there and ditch them and find replacements when they were able to. They didn't have time to do that and when they split, Akira noticed that Kusano had ditched her disguises. He couldn't be upset with her for that. All of them were tired of running and hiding. It got old fairly quickly. All three of them were exhausted from this.

He thought it best they didn't trust anyone because anyone nice could always be an agent of Yokai Inc trying to trap all of them. They'd gotten quite smart at blinding in with everyone that lives in this country which is why he thought not trusting anyone was the better option. But even Akira began to realize this wasn't helping their case. It didn't matter at all whether they trusted anyone or not, they were still going to be targeted regardless. They just had to be better about looking out for one another. Sighing, he kept walking while holding Eri's hand to make sure they didn't get separated. Though she'd been asking him a lot of questions earlier, she was very quiet at the moment. Akira figured that was possibly due to being able to see that Kusano was alright, at least for the time being. The young boy was still suspicious of the green-haired man that approached Kusano. He needed to be observed more for him to believe that he wasn't working with the enemy. Thus, he and Eri continued to follow Kusano and the man.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on November 19, 2022, 02:39:42 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
''She seems okay. I'm still worried about these bad people she's saying that's after her and her friends. Guess it can't be helped that she is too scared to tell me anything. I can't make her. She's managed to trust me this much. I still can't just leave her here alone. I'll start with getting her something to eat and figure out where to take her and make sure she's safe,' Sho thought as they continued walking. He made sure to keep hold of her hand so as not to get separated from her and to keep her from getting lost again. The crowd of people in the area was starting to pick up the further they went to the dinner he normally eats at. Once they reached it, he looked down at Kusano to see if she was alright. Other than quiet, she appeared fine from what he saw. He proceeded to go further into the diner with Kusano at his side.

Luckily for them, there was no line of people and it strangely wasn't as crowded. Sure there were people there that'd already ordered and paid for their meals and were simply eating and conversing with one another if they hadn't come alone. Aside from that, there wasn't anyone in front or behind them. So that made it a little easier. The cashier at the counter who is aware of Sho being a regular there blinked in surprise seeing him come in with a little girl they'd never seen before. He wasn't sure how to explain that and thankfully he wouldn't need to. He didn't like lying but whenever he didn't want anyone in his business that he didn't know or comfortable sharing things with, he would once in a while tell a lie to them. It wasn't often though. Today would be the first time he'd have to. He tried to appear as unnatural about this as he took a moment and knelt down in front of Kusano again, still holding onto her hand as he gave her a smile. "Remember, we can pick anything you want okay and I'll buy it," he reminded the child while using his other hand to give her a small pat on the head.

He then turned his head to look over at the cashier manning the register currently, his smile remained as he spoke to them. "H-Hi, we'll just need a few moments before deciding on something," he informed them. The cashier smiled and nodded which made Sho feel relieved they didn't ask any questions about Kusano. Outside of lying that she was a relative, there wasn't much else the person needed to know. He himself didn't know anything. And Kusano also had her kitten with her and that was going to draw ire from incoming customers. 'Well, I'm not having her eat here since I don't want them saying anything about her having her kitten with her. I'll take her to the bookstore and see if it's okay if she can eat in the breakroom there.' Sho thought that would be the better option than sitting out in the open. What or who she was afraid of, if he could keep her out of view so she could feel safe and comfortable, that's what was more important.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on December 17, 2022, 05:10:23 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/19-090124100508-8001593.png)
Kusano was quiet. Despite still feeling scared that she would be seen and caught and Shouta getting hurt as a result of helping her, she didn't want to worry him by crying again. She may have felt scared on the inside but part of her was thankful and happy that she wasn't running for her life right now. She was too tired and too hungry to run. She wanted something to eat that wasn't the vegetables she created with her own powers. They weren't terrible but they weren't filling anymore. When the two of them reached the diner that Shouta had mentioned that he goes to, the child was surprised by how big the place was and the smells of all the different meals that were being prepared and coming from the back made her unable to help but drool a bit because everything smelled delicious.

Shouta had given her a pat on the head as he'd reminded her that she could get anything she wanted. Kusano took a second to glance up at the menu. From what she could see from where she stood as she was too short to see the other choices, the green-eyed child thought it would be better to go simple. A burger with some fries. But she can't just eat for herself. She wanted to get Akira and Eri something as well. She hoped they were okay and hadn't gotten caught by those people from Yokai Inc. As she'd decided on a burger and fries, she looked away from the menu and up at Shouta. "Can we get burgers and fries?" she asked him.

And while Kusano was in the diner with Shouta ordering food, Akira and Eri weren't that far behind. Albeit, they remained out of sight where they couldn't be seen but they were right across from the very diner. Akira was very much on guard and watching while Eri stood beside him, rubbing her stomach as she began to feel hungry. "Aki, can we get something to eat too? I'm hungry," the child mumbled.

Akira looked down at Eri, whose hand he was still holding, and frowned. They had no money to get any of the food that the mall had. There wasn't much in terms of human food he could eat outside of ramen but he knew Kusano and Eri could eat anything. Without Kusano with them, she couldn't use her powers to grow vegetables for them to eat. So the two of them were stuck. The young boy couldn't help but sigh. "Just hang in there, Eri. Once we make sure Ku-chan is safe, we'll get something to eat. Okay?" he told her. He didn't know how long that would take but for Eri and Kusano's sakes, he'd remain hopeful that this man that's helping Kusano can be trusted.

Eri nodded her head slowly despite her stomach clearly growling. "Okay," she replied and continued to wait patiently with Akira who was watching Kusano with Shouta.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on January 03, 2023, 05:19:21 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Sho nodded at Kusano's request for a burger and fries. "Of course," he said with a smile. He'd also decided to order a few additional things. It was more or less two extra orders of fries, a juice box-sized milk he could open for her kitty, and a salad he can save for later. The extra fries could be for her friends whenever she spotted them but he'd hoped they weren't young like her with no one to look after them. That and he was still worried about who these "bad people" were that Kusano had mentioned were after them. He could ask Sadie about had she heard anything about suspicious people walking around trying to attack and kidnap children. He knew the blonde would be more up-to-date on that sort of thing than he would be.

The cashier happily had taken the order and Sho had taken out his wallet to pay for everything. He'd been asked by the woman if they were dining in and informed her that the order was to go. Again, given that his life was usually a boring one and he didn't often go to his usual places where he'd hang out alone with friends so he'd liked to avoid being asked any unnecessary questions. There were only so many lies he could come up with regarding why Kusano was with him and who was she. He didn't even know. The child was being very vague in telling him anything and because she was, it was making him quite cautious. Once he'd paid for the order, he stood to the side with Kusano, out of the way just in case any other customers wanted to order.

For now, it was just the two of them but he was being respectful and wanting to avoid causing any trouble. He already knew Sadie was going to have a lot of questions for him and he had no idea how to answer any of them. He did know that the breakroom in the bookstore was safer until both of them could figure out what to do with Kusano. Of course, the main goal was to find her friends and make sure they were okay and then go from there. Right now, they simply waited for their food. Another five minutes had gone by as Sho had taken his phone out of his pocket to check the time. As he had, that's when one of the diner servers brought him their order in a large bag.

"Thank you for stopping by. Hope to see you again soon," they said to him, taking a bow before leaving.

Sho had done the same and thanked them in return as he'd held the bag in one hand and then looked down at Kusano. "Alright, we have the order now. You ready to head to the bookstore?" he asked her.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on February 17, 2023, 06:15:19 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/19-090124100508-8001593.png)
Kusano looked up at Shouta as he'd asked if she was ready to head to the bookstore where he'd worked. She nodded once again. "I'm ready," she replied softly. As unsure as she was about all of this, she couldn't deny that she was very much hungry and wanted to eat something. The food Shouta had bought for her smelled so good and she couldn't wait to eat it. More importantly, she didn't have to force herself to use more of her energy to run away and hide somewhere. This guy was being super nice to her even if she couldn't tell him much of anything without risking him being a double agent or worse, a simple innocent person that would become a bystander in all of this. The young child hadn't wanted that.

She wanted to tell him but she first had to make sure she could trust him. She wasn't sure. It was hard to trust anyone that didn't have an ulterior motive. There wasn't much she could do about that. Not right now. If she'd been left where she was, she'd eventually have been picked up by someone that wasn't nice at all. From what Kusano could tell, Shouta wasn't being sketchy. Thus far anyway. He wanted to help her but as he was going to be taking her to the bookstore where he worked, Kusano had to make sure that his friend can be trusted. Anyone here in the mall could be someone pretending to be a Yokai Inc agent. Plus, she would only know if her kitty had reacted to someone it felt was suspicious.

'Maybe his friend is a nice person like him too?' Kusano wondered as she stood close next to Shouta while trying so hard not to drool over how good the food smelled.

Meanwhile, Akira and Eri were still watching Kusano and Shouta closely as they seemed to not be leaving the diner they'd gone into. Akira thought it strange they didn't eat in the diner but he thought about it and concluded it was probably for the best since that is a place where many mall-goers would migrate to for food and dine in if they so choose. Seeing Kusano leaving with the green-haired young man, he carefully took Eri by the hand and like earlier, they followed them but made sure to stay back far enough to where they couldn't be seen. 'Where are they going now?' he thought.

Eri said nothing but followed Akira quietly. She was honestly very scared and hoped they weren't walking into a trap. 'I hope we can meet with Ku-chan soon. Those bad people know we're here. How are we going to hide if they manage to get us?' Eri tightened her hand around Akira's, her uneasiness showing.

Akira took notice of this and gently squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's okay, Eri-chan. We're fine for now, so don't worry okay?" He smiled warmly at her to assure her.

Eri glanced up at Akira, seeing him smile which seemed strange to her. He was normally so serious so it was rare to see him do it. She'd never smiled herself so the concept was foreign to her. But she took him at his word which helped her a little. "Okay, Aki," she said. She could only hope they would be okay. They weren't in the clear fully since she knew those Yokai Inc agents were still lurking about the mall. For now, all they could do was follow Kusano while they still had an eye on her.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on April 12, 2023, 01:27:12 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Sho could tell that Kusano still seemed a bit nervous around him. He wasn't going to press for her to trust him. But he knew he couldn't leave her alone, much less hungry out in the mall alone. When she said she was ready, he proceeded to lead her out of the diner and head in the direction of the Evergreen Bookstore where he worked. Usually, he would always return from his lunch on time but because of the current circumstances, this had him taking a much longer lunch today. The green-eyed young man was concerned about Kusano's friends and he couldn't help but wonder just why was there "bad people" after innocent children in the first place. There had to be a reason behind it. Obviously not a good one, otherwise Kusano wouldn't be as afraid as she was. He'd hoped that by talking with Sadie, he'll be able to get an idea of how to go about the situation. The last thing Sho wanted was to be accused of kidnapping someone's child.

He continued to hold onto the food he'd bought in one hand and held onto Kusano's hand with his other as they reached the bookstore. It wasn't surprising to him at all that Sadie was near the entrance like always greeting the customers that came in. Sometimes he knew she'd pass out customer inquiry sheets because she valued the opinions of the customers and wanted to know how she could improve the store for everyone to enjoy it. She was her usual cheerful self, compared to Sho who was very neutral in his emotions unless he was put in a situation where he was more expressive than normal. Otherwise, he stayed to himself and minded his own business. However, he knew he was going to need help today so he couldn't just ignore the fact that he was helping Kusano.

As expected of Sadie, she saw Sho enter the store with the little girl he'd mentioned to her in a text and immediately when over to the two of them, her eyes sparkling. "Oh my goodness! She's sooo cute!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Sho immediately shushed her because he didn't want too much attention drawn in their direction. He didn't know if whoever was after Kusano was watching them. "Yes, she's cute but please keep it down, Sadie-san," he warned her. He didn't want Kusano freaking out from Sadie being such an excitable person so he was hoping she'll dial it back a bit.

Sadie chuckled sheepishly as she held up her hands and waved them to show she meant no harm. "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself. She's adorable. Who couldn't resist an adorable child? Anyway, let's go to the back office to avoid drawing any attention. This is after all serious since you said she found her and she was with no one else when you did," she suggested and began heading toward the back of the store.

Sho sighed in relief and nodded. He then looked down at Kusano to make sure she was okay. "We're going to my boss's office okay? You'll be able to eat the food I bought for you in there," he assured the child before leading her to Sadie's office.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on June 13, 2023, 12:18:33 pm
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/19-090124100508-8001593.png)
Kusano walked in silence alongside Shouta. The child had her worries. Wondering if anyone from Yokai Inc would find her with him and hurt him and other people. That thought was constantly floating around in Kusano's mind. She wanted to ask for help, yet she couldn't assume there would be anyone willing to help her and her friends. Shouta seemed like he would, but if he's a human with no powers, he'll die the moment he tries to protect them. So would his friends. 'Does he know anyone with powers or not human? Can he ... really help us?' Kusano wondered as they finally reached Shouta's place of work, a bookstore called 'Evergreen'. It seemed nice and dainty in appearance. There were a lot of customers inside checking out the merchandise that was in stock on the shelves. Kusano even noticed there was a cafe inside of it, too. It was located on the far right of the store. She wasn't sure what type of cafe it was. They were clearly too far away to see it.

Kusano was snapped out of her wandering thoughts and looking over the place when they were immediately approached by a beautiful sandy-blonde-haired woman. Looking up at the woman, she eyed her carefully. Her kitty didn't react to her, so it would seem that this woman wasn't working for Yokai Inc at all. She had squealed in excitement, seeing the child, causing Kusano to hide behind Shouta's legs instinctively. Luckily, Shouta seemed to calm this woman down to avoid drawing attention to them. That made her feel a little better. That's when she'd been informed they were going to this woman's office. Apparently, she was his boss. The person Kusano remembered him saying he would text to let them know he would be late returning to work. She couldn't help but feel bad that she was interrupting his work day. It reminded her a little bit of her parents in how she wanted to play with them but was told they couldn't because they had to work. It made her wish she'd been more behaved and understanding. They'd still be here with her right now, and she wouldn't be on the run. Kusano nodded to Shouta and followed him to the woman, whose name was Sadie, office. At least she and her kitty would be able to eat something filling.

As they went in the back, Akira and Eri entered the Evergreen Bookstore. They waited about ten minutes before doing so. It was Akira's decision because he was still watching and making sure that the people Kusano was interacting with weren't Yokai Inc agents he'd seen before. Thus far, the guy that was helping Kusano seemed legit in helping. He wasn't sure about the blonde woman. Naturally, there was always the possibility of them hiring new agents to seek them out, which was the reason Akira made himself and Eri stay behind and watch from a distance. They needed help, as much as he hated having to admit to that. There was no way they could continue being on the run. Either all of them will get caught at the same time, or one of them will have to get caught to protect the others. Akira didn't want it to come to that. He refused to let it come to that.

'If these people are deemed trustworthy, then I'll ask them if they can help us.' Akira had decided. He held onto Eri's hand, looking down at her to see her still pouting and rubbing her stomach. He felt guilty that they couldn't take a moment to relax and eat something. The problem was they couldn't because they would be seen the moment they did so, and two, they had no money to get any phone. He'll have to figure out how to get some food for them in case Kusano's situation was a one-time thing. "I'm sorry, just hold out a little longer, okay Eri-chan?" he told her. "Once we make sure Ku-chan is fine, we'll figure out our next plan of action from there."

Eri looked up at Akira and said, "We're not leaving Ku-chan behind, are we?"

Akira shook his head. "Of course not. But if these people are willing to help her, then maybe they'll be able to help us as well." This meant they had to follow the small group to where they were going. If it was far in the backroom of the store, he wasn't sure how that was going to work. Stores had cameras these days, and if they got caught, it would cause a problem for the people who worked there. But if they had to do that just to confirm what they needed, that's just what they were going to have to do. They've been running away for this long; it is finally time to stop. With that goal in mind, Akira began leading Eri in the direction Kusano was going with. They were definitely going toward the back of the store, but he made sure to keep them out of open view by switching to different aisles in the bookstore and peeking to make sure they didn't know they were being followed.

Seeing them go further toward the back, Akira and Eri moved to a different aisle. They were four aisles away from where they needed to be as they were in the area where all the science fiction novels were. Akira kept his eyes and ears open while Eri stuck close to him. Her stomach was growling more because she was so hungry. It wasn't loud enough to draw attention, but Akira did get spooked when he heard customers nearing the area they were in and immediately picked Eri up and ran, hiding in yet another aisle but sitting down and holding the white-haired child in his lap. Now, they were where they needed to be. Now, it was just checking to see where they would go from here, whether that was an office he couldn't see or in the backroom of the store where they wouldn't be able to see or hear anything.

Eri squirmed, making Akira realize he was holding onto her tightly, and he released her immediately to rub her head affectionately. "S-Sorry. I didn't want anyone to see us and ask questions." Doing that will initiate it if it's seen on camera. He just didn't want them getting caught up in interacting with curious customers.

Eri nodded in understanding. She knew Akira wouldn't do anything without a reason. "I know. I just want us to see Ku-chan again," she whined softly.

"And we will, I promise. We're almost succeeding in doing that. We just have to be quiet because we have to go somewhere we're not supposed to and make sure she's okay. Bare with me."

Eri sniffled. "O-Okay..." She hoped it wouldn't land them in the hands of those from Yokai Inc. She didn't want to go back there. Eri was willing to stick this out because she was tired of running too. She may not know what it's like to have a place to call home, but it isn't something that's impossible to have, is it? More than anything, she wanted to stay with Akira and Kusano. Drying her face, she turned her head to look at Akira, a look of determination in her eyes. "I'm ready." She was willing to fight through her hunger if it meant making sure they could see Kusano again.

Akira smiled at Eri's determined face, rubbing her head again as he rose to his feet and placed Eri down on hers. "Alright then." He took her hand again, and they resumed what they were set out to do. Following Kusano.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Shouta Akimoto on November 08, 2023, 08:24:49 am
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/6-041023165451-5651114.png)
Sho followed Sadie in the back to her office while holding onto Kusano's hand. Once they reached her office, Sadie opened the door, holding it open for Sho and Kusano to enter first while following suit behind them. She made sure to close the door behind her as well. Sadie's office wasn't extravagant but spacious enough for multiple people to fit in. Her office is where she normally held her interviews when she felt the store was in need of an extra pair of hands. It was decorated with her favorite things, but of course, it was work-appropriate. She had fake plants in her office, but she had a clothing rack set off to the side with her favorite outfits she loved to wear during certain times of the year. All the outfits were neatly organized in order for such occasions. She also had a small round desk set off in the corner of her office with a small fake plant sitting in the middle of it and three chairs circled around it.

Sho carefully sat the food he'd bought for Kusano on the table first and then picked her up in his arms, pulled out one of the chairs and sat her down in it. Gently, he rubbed her atop her head while smiling. "You can sit here and eat while me and Sadie-san talk, okay?" he said to her before leaving her to eat and headed toward Sadie's desk, where he sat down in a chair across from her. He felt a tad exhausted, but that was from the previous activity of his current work day finally settling in and catching up with him. It didn't look like he'd be doing much today since he needed to keep an eye on Kusano. The poor child was really scared, and he didn't want to leave her alone. He couldn't ask Sadie to do that since she had her own work to do as well. That wouldn't be right. The most he could do right now is discuss what to do going forward.

In the meantime, Sadie was already seated with one leg crossed over the other as she glanced in Kusano's direction briefly, then shifted her gaze back onto Sho. "Well, I have to say, you're pretty amazing, Sho-tan, for not leaving that little girl alone," she started but continued further, "But did she tell you anything? Where was she from? Where are her parents?" Sadie asked. As commemorable as it is that Sho found the child and brought her with him so she wouldn't get taken by any strangers, there was still the concern of if they were to reach out to the police, could they really help? They had to give something to the officers for them to be able to help properly. Of course, they would still take the child and make sure she was properly cared for, but Sadie was still worried they'd ask more questions that neither she nor Sho could answer. It's why she was prodding him with questions now because the police would do the same thing.

Sho expected that question, but he shook his head and placed his hands in his lap, sighing tiredly. "A-Ano, she didn't say anything about her parents," he told her, but continued, "But she did say something to me when I found her that has me a little concerned." He frowned. He didn't know how to really explain it, but telling Sadie what Kusano said to him earlier may put her on edge. They might've unintentionally gotten involved in something that has nothing to do with them but everything to do with Kusano and her friends, whom he'd yet to find.

Sadie raised her brow at Sho's words. "Oh? What did she say to you?"

"I offered to take her to the security booth to help her find her family, but she didn't want me to do that. She said she didn't want the 'bad' people to find her and her friends. So, there's more than just here that's alone here in the mall. I don't know how many because she didn't tell me. She clearly didn't want any attention drawn to her." Sho had stopped speaking, taking a moment to look behind him to check on Kusano, who was still sitting at the table where he'd placed her so she could eat along with her kitten. He then turned to focus his attention back on Sadie. "Sadie-san ... I don't like assuming the worst, but I just really think that someone is after her and her friends," he told her.

Sadie listened to Sho and could tell through his words that he was worried about the little girl he found. What he said next surprised her. The sandy-haired blonde didn't know what to say to that. Who could be after children and why? Outside of creepy pedophiles, that's the only thing that came to mind. 'That's such a generic reason to be after children. There's something more going on here, but if she didn't tell Sho-tan much, we don't have anything to go off of to tell the police. Would it even be safe to do that, depending on who is after her and her friends? Hmm.' Sadie let her thoughts ponder, but she had to find out what the little girl said for Sho to come to the conclusion that he did. The expression on her face was serious as she looked at him. "Sho-tan, did this child say something in particular that would make you think that? Also, were she and her friends with any adults before you found her? If she mentioned it that is,'" she asked him.

Sho frowned, expecting Sadie to ask that question, but he knew there was no way around answering it. He only had what Kusano said to him when he first suggested reaching out for help to find whomever she was with. "She said she didn't want me to call anyone because she didn't want the 'bad people' to find her and her friends. I believe ... she was only with her friends. She only mentioned her parents when I asked her about her kitten. She never was able to give it a name after they gave it to her. I don't think they were with her and her friends. I think they were here alone and running away from 'bad people'," he explained.

Sadie would be lying to say she was surprised. She wasn't. There were too many holes and not enough information to go off of, but she knew something was amiss with this little girl. Not only that, but there were other children involved besides her. They needed to be found so she could find out what was happening. After all, they can't just roam around the mall by themselves. That alone would draw attention onto them even if they were running away from 'bad people'. "Give me a moment, would you, Sho-tan?" she finally spoke up after a long moment of silence. Sadie got up from her desk and headed toward the table where Kusano was seated. There was no telling how long she was alone and separated from her friends, but if they were in trouble, they needed to find them and keep them somewhere safe. She knelt down to Kusano's height and flashed her a warm smile. "Hey, sweetie, my name is Sadie, and I want to be able to help you. Sho-tan tells me you and your friends are in trouble. Can you tell me what kind? Maybe we can do something to protect you guys and get you somewhere safe," she said to Kusano.

Sho said nothing. He watched as Sadie tried to talk to Kusano to see if she could get more information from her so they could figure out how to help her and her friends once they found where they were.
Title: Re: Unexpected Encounter (Open)
Post by: Raven Nightwing on February 18, 2024, 11:14:58 am
(https://enchantinglove.createaforum.com/gallery/enchantinglove/0/19-090124100508-8001593.png)
Kusano had begun eating the food Shouta had bought for her while Shouta and Sadie were conversing with one another. She continued to wonder whether or not this was a good idea. Sho appeared to her as someone with no form of power of any kind. Telling him or anyone else like him about Yokai Inc. would only put them in danger. She hadn't wanted that. At the same time, she also knew that she and her friends couldn't keep running away like they had been because they'd eventually get caught and separated forever from one another. Kusano didn't want to imagine that. While eating, the kitten she'd had with her was drinking the milk she'd poured for it. It was then that the woman Sho was speaking to introduced herself to her as "Sadie" and asked her what kind of trouble she and her friends were in. Kusano stopped eating to turn partially and look at the woman. She seemed nice with no hidden intentions. Although Akira told both her and Eri to be aware of anyone being nice to them because it could be under false pretenses, so far, nothing bad has happened since she came in contact with Shouta.

Kusano wanted to believe that there could be someone out there that could help them. Whether they had powers or not and despite her own worries of putting innocent people in danger. 'I don't ... want to run anymore. I'm so tired of running. I have to ask for help even if ... it means I might be revealing who I am to someone that may be working for those people that are after us,' Kusano thought as tears began to fall down the sides of her face. Sniffling, she used the back of her hand to dry her face as she decided to take the risk. Any help was better than none at all. She could only tell them what information she had regarding why Yokai Inc. was after her and her friends. Well, she knew why they were after Akira and Eri but not so much why they were after her as well. Maybe it's because she knew they were responsible for hurting her parents. Kusano didn't know, but she had a feeling it was more than that. Sitting nervously, she began fidgeting with her hands in her lap as she tried to figure out a way to properly explain her situation that would make sense to both Sadie and Shouta.

"Um, there are bad people from Yokai Inc. that are after me and my friends. That's why ... I didn't want Shouta to have someone call them," Kusano finally admitted. "We split up temporarily to find each other later because those bad people chased us here. But ... me and kitty got lost, and now I don't know where my friends could be," she explained. Kusano knew Sadie and Shouta would have more questions for her, and she'd answer them honestly as best she was able to.

Meanwhile, Akira and Eri had managed to sneak into the back of the bookstore unnoticed. They had been following Kusano and Sho in secret, trying to figure out what was going on. It was hard hiding from people who were working in the backroom of the store, but they managed to do so without getting caught and finding the room that Kusano had been taken into. Akira kept Eri at his side as he stood close by the door and did his best to hear the conversation on the other side. Eri stayed at Akira's side as he did so, but after a while, she began to tug lightly on his sleeve, a look of worry in her eyes. "Aki, what are they saying?"

Akira shook his head, frustrated that he couldn't make out much of anything. He could hear them talking, but not exactly what they were saying. He couldn't help but worry if Kusano was telling these people everything about them. He couldn't blame her for doing so. Both she and Eri were tired of running away from the goons at Yokai Inc. However, Akira would only believe someone was trustworthy if they proved they weren't working for the enemy. He couldn't bear to have any of them get captured. He and Eri already experienced what it was like to be test subjects. Kusano didn't deserve such a fate. However, he didn't want to worry Eri any further by not answering her, so he looked down at her and said in a quiet tone, "I don't know. It's hard to hear them. But we'll know if something goes down if Ku-chan is in danger. But we have to be quiet so no one knows we're in here when we're not supposed to be."

Eri nodded, her small hands gripping Akira's arm tightly. They had to find a way to help Kusano and get out of this mess. But for now, they could only wait and hope that the guy who brought Kusano here was truly someone trustworthy. If not, Akira had no qualms about killing everyone here if necessary.