Log: Katsuya Is A Meanie
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou [D4] has posed.
It's verging on 'bitterly cold.' By now, late in the evening, the temperature has dropped well below zero. As promised by the forecast, snow is already falling heavily. Two inches coat the apartment's small balcony. Watching the fat flakes as they billow across the railing under an increasingly strong wind, Katsuya lifts his cup of coffee to his lips. The weather reports suggested that the snowstorm would magnify into a blizzard. At this point, with the city already bearing an even coating of snow, he can't say he disagrees.
The only questions remaining are how badly the city's infrastructure will be affected... or what other things might take advantage of the weather to go on the prowl.
Unfortunately, only time would serve to provide those answers.
He glances back over his shoulder. "If it's as they're predicting, we'll need to go on patrol tomorrow night. I can't imagine the demons would fail to take advantage of a situation like this." Exhaling a sigh, Suou shakes his head. "I wonder if the roads would be clear enough for us to make it to Aoba..." To D4 headquarters here in Sumaru. "We might have to form a secondary base of operations here. I suppose we'll see how it goes."
It's really a worst-case scenario, a situation where the whole city is buried and locked down under a snowstorm of the like not typically seen in this part of Japan. But the shift in predicted weather, while he'd like to believe it's a result of the fickleness of meteorology, had been particularly sudden.
And more importantly, it's taking place here, in this city. He, as a regional chief for D4 and habitual worrier, can't just let it go.
Katsuya turns then, and heads back towards the kitchenette to pour himself another cup. Steam billows up from within the coffee mug a minute later. A little funny, when you thought about a major snowstorm at /this/ time of year. Suou furrows his brow. This time of year, huh... Setting down the lid of the sugar bowl on the counter with a soft clink, he glances up. "By the way... Did you have any plans for the 24th?" There is a bit of a pause. "It /is/ Christmas Eve, after all."
Even he knows the significance of that.
<Pose Tracker> Jason R. Butler [D4] has posed.
With the weather being what it is, Jason decided to close the bar during the night hours. Even if people wanted to drink, it wasn't worth risking his employees lives and health over. So he's been more or less sitting at home all night re-reading the photocopies of the story he 'won' while taking up the armchair he insisted they have or surfing the internet. Glancing up when he's spoken to, the American frowns slightly at the thought of going out there. But...
He sighs, "If you think it's going to be that bad..." He'll have to double check his wardrobe to make sure it's appropriate for subzero midnight patrols. "Good thing I swapped out the tires on the Hilux recently. Even if the roads aren't clear, I was able to get some snow tire chains express shipped from Nagano. We should be able to make it to Aoba with some patience." Thank god he was able to get an underground parking garage for his truck when they moved in.
"But with the two of us here and Leigh Anne... it might work. We'll have to bring in Koinose-san and the interns too if it gets worse and we all end up getting snowed out." The American stretches for a moment and then blinks at the sudden and very off topic question. "Eh? Oh. Christmas Eve... Mmm... Well with the 23rd being the Emperor's birthday and all, I hadn't given it much thought." Jason smirks, "Why? You asking me out?"
He laughs for a moment and hurries on before Katsuya can get too offended. "Don't look at me like that. I was thinking of maybe picking up some KFC if any are still open when it hits and if you're up to it, we can bake a Christmas cake and invite some people over."
<Pose Tracker> Kyo Enda [U] has posed.
They could invite people over... or someone could invite HIMSELF over.
A young man makes his way through the frozen cold outside, restlessness driving him out of doors even in the inhospitable weather and the starting snow. He had gotten a few addresses related to his search for more information about that mysterious book of Eien's, and there was one he had not as of yet hit. These were people he knew were very busy, so he felt the best chance of catching them at home would probably be on a day like this.
Entering the building and ascending to the appropriate floor, the closer he gets to the door the more Kyo cloaks down his Resonance. By the time he's at the doorstep it's no more than a whisper, nothing to suggest who he is before whoever decides to answer the door.
Kyo rings the bell, politely enough. Though if whoever answers the door tries to look through the peephole, they wouldn't be able to see anyone. Kyo has learned that doors tend to stay closed if he is spied through the peephole.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou [D4] has posed.
"It's possible. Demons prey on people when they're vulnerable, and they certainly will be if this storm is as bad as they're predicting. To add to that, I don't think this is a 'natural' storm." Turning where he stands, he looks at Jason. "I don't suppose you've heard any rumors...?"
But at least they have some preparations in place in the event the blizzard situation went from bad to worse. "The Aoba office would be a better place in the event of an absolute emergency. Though, of course I hope it doesn't come to that." Sighing, he readjusts his sunglasses. "This is not the sort of situation we want to go on for any length of time, let alone like that." Perhaps especially not if it leads to him being trapped anywhere with O'Hara... For perhaps as long as a week or more at that.
"Really?" The detective looks nothing more than baffled in the face of Butler's reply. "Then, you haven't asked O'Hara--"
That expression lasts for exactly the space of time it takes Butler to make a certain comment. "/What/?" His expression changes rather rapidly after that. He turns, staring first in a particularly horrified strain of disbelief that descends into muted irritation. "...Why would you even joke about that?"
Katsuya's lingering irritation is best felt in the silence that trails after Butler's suggestions for the holiday.
The silence that is interrupted by the doorbell.
"Can you get that? I wonder who it could even be..." With a slight shrug, Katsuya turns back to the counter to add a few spoonfuls of sugar to his coffee and stir.
<Pose Tracker> Jason R. Butler [D4] has posed.
"Rumors?" Jason shakes his head. "Sorry. Only what I've seen on the news. Freak snow storms /can/ happen but..." His voice trails off and he mms, "You think the Snow Queen is making a comeback? I hope not." Things are busy enough as it is. "But we'll just have to ride this out and take it as it goes along. I'll make a supply run in the morning so we're fully stocked in case things happen. At least a number of us are all in the same place?" If Katsuya is dreading spending a week trapped with Leigh Anne, Jason is.. complicated. He would certainly not /mind/ spending the week with her but at the same time, they'd probably drive each other up the wall with Katsuya having to play go between.
He blinks again at Katsuya's bafflement. "Wh-? Why.." But his teasing comment changed the subject away from that and he just chuckles and shrugs. "Because you're an easy target. And no, I haven't asked Leigh Anne to go anywhere." Pause. "Do.. you think I should?" It's a bit of an awkward question and he feels awkward asking it.
Fortunately, the doorbell rings and thus breaks the uncomfortable air that just settled in.
Jason puts his papers aside and gets up. "And how much sugar are you going to put in that mug? I swear, by this point it's more sugar than coffee." It's his last parting shot before peering out of the peep hole. Seeing no one and sensing no one, the American scowls and readies himself before cautiously opening the door. "Hello?"
<Pose Tracker> Kyo Enda [U] has posed.
When Jason opens the door, it would be to find a young and rather familiar blond smiling genially up at him. "Hi," Kyo Enda says, without preamble. "Butler-san, right?"
Kyo looks innocuous enough. He's dressed warmly against the cold, white coat and white scarf forming a startling contrast against his dark jeans. His hands are shoved in his pockets, his expression mild, nothing about his demeanor suggesting threat. And yet... it's Kyo Enda. What on earth is he doing here?
"I wanted to talk to you if you have a minute," he continues. It's not certain if he knows Katsuya lives here too, but he'll probably figure that out pretty damn soon.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou [D4] has posed.
"So there's nothing. Hmm, I see. It might be nothing, but..." He shakes his head. "There's nothing lost by being careful. Besides, even if it is normal, that won't stop the demons. So if you're going out tomorrow, be careful. We'll do a proper sweep later." It's not just Leigh Anne who lives here, and by proxy it's not just 'being trapped in a building with Leigh Anne' that he needs to worry about, though it admittedly follows at a considerable distance behind the medical examiner. Though Katsuya is unaware, a certain reporter and her best friend also live in this building... and more importantly, their apartment.
It might be some kind of elemental plane of untidiness.
It's a comment that prompts Suou to bristle slightly. "An 'easy target'...? Really..." He sighs, shaking his head, and might have turned back towards the counter right then if Butler hadn't... His expression isn't always easy to read. But as he looks up at Butler, as he tries to meet Butler's gaze in the moment of awkward silence that has tread in on cat feet, perhaps this one /is/. 'Yes.'
Just like that, even this silence is shattered. "That's not true," is Katsuya's only parting comment as Butler goes to answer the door. Sure, it's more sugar than most people typically put in, but it's not as if he's oversweetening it. The sugar still dissolves. Leaning against the counter, he takes a sip. Maybe it's even O'Hara come by to visit.
Which is a thought that ends the moment he hears the voice wafting in from the doorway. Short hairs stand on end at the nape of his neck. Slowly, Katsuya lowers his coffee cup onto the counter, taking care to not make a sound. Similarly, he pulls open a drawer close at hand and slides out one of the knives.
The last time Kyo had paid Katsuya (and Enoha) a visit, his intention had been anything but to just 'talk', he's thought, as he steps into the entrance. "What are you doing here, Enda-san?" Though he doesn't point the knife at Kyo or threaten him with it, the way that he grips suggests the possibility of something other than 'Suou was interrupted while cooking dinner.'
And it's pretty clear that this is the detective at home. There's no jacket or even a tie. Katsuya Suou, in a pale blue dress shirt and grey pants, is perhaps as casual as he can ever get.
<Pose Tracker> Jason R. Butler [D4] has posed.
"I'll keep the shotgun in the car just in case. Hopefully my D4 clearance won't get my into too much trouble yeah?" Jason knows how much of a stickler the cops are about firearms but he has a valid reason to have it. Demons. The American nods slowly, "But I'll play it safe until we do a proper sweep yeah." He begins making his way towards the door, catching the 'yes' look and he scowls slightly.
The American shakes his head and blinks when Kyo greets him once the door opens. "Huh? Oh. You're Enda-san yeah?" The one with the women problems. "Seida told me she's spoken with you." He takes a step back when the younger man asks to have a moment of his time and he nods, stepping back. "It's cold out there. Come in."
He glances over his shoulder at Kyo's questioning. It seems a little hostile. The American suddenly remembers a report about a Kyo Enda trying to eat him. Is it the same guy? Hmm... "He's here for me it seems Suou." He smiles faintly at Kyo, "You're just hear to talk right? About the book? Not here to eat Suou I hope."
If Kyo walks in, he hurriedly closes the door least more cold air comes through. "Rent's expensive up here and I need Suou's help to pay his share. You understand."
<Pose Tracker> Kyo Enda [U] has posed.
It's cold out there, Jason notes. Kyo looks it, to be frank... it wasn't a good idea for him to go walking today, not with his particular weaknesses, but Kyo never was very good at 'thinking ahead.' He's shivering a little, and takes Jason's invitation readily, stepping inside. "Yeah, I talked to Seida-san before I came here, she said it would be a good idea to go talk to some of the other..."
He trails off, because he's just looked up in time to see a very hostile-looking Katsuya. A Katsuya with a knife. Kyo pauses, blinking at the way Katsuya holds that knife, and looks between Katsuya and Jason. "Oh," he says.
He's here for me, Jason claims, and Kyo nods. "I came to ask Butler-san about his story." But then Jason adds with a smile that he hopes Kyo isn't here to eat Suou, because he needs the rent...
Kyo blinks. Then he laughs, genuinely amused. "Nah. If I were trying to eat Suou again, I wouldn't come in the front door like this. Makes it all much harder. But since you need himso badly, I'll leave him alone."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou [D4] has posed.
That look may just have to suffice, it seems. Suou is the last person on the planet qualified to play 'Cupid'.
In that, Katsuya might well commiserate with Kyo. It's at least /slightly/ warmer in the apartment--by virtue of a space heater alone--but like most Japanese apartments, it's rather lacking in the 'actual insulation' department. Tonight and the days following will test the little heater to its limits. Not to mention Suou's tolerance for cold weather.
But perhaps it could be said that Katsuya isn't in a very sympathetic mood right now. If looks could kill...
'He's here for me,' Jason says. Katsuya glances, briefly, over at the American. "Is that so..." His grip on that knife hasn't exactly relaxed. But neither has he advanced. Quite frankly, there's no action Katsuya can take in either direction. Letting down his guard puts him at a marked disadvantage. But to actually attack a visitor...
"About the book? His story. Then, the one he won?" It's only followed by a deepening frown as Jason makes light of the situation... and as Kyo joins in. Or at least one hopes that's just 'joining in'.
This is the man who caused the devastation at the prison, who murdered prisoners... But just what can Suou even do about either of those things? Arrest him to see him placed in a prison alongside more that he would then be free to murder? Sink so low as to attack him, right here?
"I'll be watching you," he warns, before retreating back into the kitchenette. It's followed by the faint clack of something being set on the counter and that of a drawer closing.
A glance into the kitchen will reveal that Suou hasn't actually put that knife away, though...
<Pose Tracker> Jason R. Butler [D4] has posed.
Katsuya knows not what he's meddling with in trying to set Jason and Leigh Anne up. But that will have to come later.
The American follows behind Kyo. He's really not looking forward to it getting colder but that's what blankets and kotatsu's are for. He follows in after Kyo, eying Katsuya's knife. A brow arches but he says nothing about it. Kyo might be a menace but this is as much his place as it is the detective's. That means they play by the roles of American Southern hospitality. When the young blond agrees that he's here peacefully and even plays along with his little 'joke', the American laughs.
"There you have it Suou." He looks over to Katsuya and mms. "Yeah. It seems like Enda-san was one of the winners too." He mmms a little at Katsuya's warning and then looks back to Kyo. "Well, while you're here... Sit down. Let me get you some coffee. So, what did you want to talk to me about? Seida says you've been.. creeped out."
<Pose Tracker> Kyo Enda [U] has posed.
One hopes. The casual, easy way Kyo smiles suggests he really is just joking... but then, there's the way that humor just doesn't seem to reach his eyes, which watch Katsuya hungrily for half a moment...
Then he blinks, and that impression disappears. "I'm sure you will be," he says, as Katsuya makes that short warning and starts to walk back into the kitchenette. "I don't blame you, either. I made rather a mess for you, didn't I? I did try to keep it all contained, as much as I could... but I guess there was still more than enough paperwork to deal with. My apologies."
His attention turns, then, to Jason. He warms to the American, seeming encouraged by the friendliness, and sits when invited. "I've just been getting weird feelings from the pages. Like I don't want to let them out of my sight. Like they're watching me, sometimes. And I saw... strange things when we were first given them. When the lights went out. I talked to Ran Itoh, she said she saw things too."
He shrugs. "Seida is skeptical. But I'm pretty sure whatever it is is hiding from her somehow."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou [D4] has posed.
It's not exactly a look that Katsuya misses. Almost pointedly, his gaze attempts to lock with Kyo's own, almost as if to wordlessly say 'I saw that.'
This has rapidly become an incredibly complicated situation. Between every single action he can't actually do, what Kyo certainly could do if pressured, and Jason's own demands as a host... complex doesn't even begin to cover it. And nothing quite underscores that than Suou's response to Kyo's apology for the chaos at the prison... if in a roundabout way. Halfway to the kitchen, Katsuya stops. He glances briefly back over his shoulder. "...Save your apologies for the people you killed."
It's really rather blunt, even for him.
The rest of the short trip is made in silence. Taking up temporary residence in the kitchenette, he folds his arms over his chest, apparently intent on overseeing the conversation from here.
The knife rests not particularly far out of his reach.
The apartment, as Kyo might notice, is particularly tidy. A little on the spare side in terms of decoration and furnishing, really.
Strange things... His brow lines. And Butler had said he'd felt as if he were being watched.
<Pose Tracker> Jason R. Butler [D4] has posed.
Jason somehow feels vaguely.. awkward. He read some of the reports but it's difficult for him to associate the reports of this man eating snake with the seemingly friendly young man standing before him (who's smile doesn't quite reach the eyes, creepy). He heads into the kitchen to prepare that cup of coffee. He gets a coffee mug and leans over towards Katsuya to murmur quietly to him. "Hey, is this going to be a problem?" He looks back over at Kyo. "I don't think he's going to be a problem right now but..." He'll have his friend's back if things suddenly go to pot.
The mug is filled and he walks over to offer the hot drink to the young man. "I know the feeling. I've got the originals locked up because just thinking of possibly losing them is..." He suppresses a shudder. "But I have photocopies." He gestures to the said copies just laying out on the coffee table. "And you too huh? Is Itoh-san getting the same feeling that she's being watched?"
Already, he's starting to make mental notes. "I didn't see anything but..." He remembers the feeling of being weighed down and the heat from the very fires of hell. "Anyway... Seida is pretty put out that she felt absolutely nothing from the book itself." He leans up against a shelf where he can keep one eye on Katsuya and one eye on Kyo. "Who else have you spoken to?"
<Pose Tracker> Kyo Enda [U] has posed.
Kyo has relied on his ability to affect a very disarming public image for a long time, and so it's no surprise someone new to dealing with him would have difficulty connecting the charming young man with the monster. Still, ever since Kyo embraced his Shadow, the cracks in his publicly-acceptable facade have widened, his real nature peeking through more and more often... and no amount of faking can wipe away the fact that Kyo's affected warmth and friendliness never seem to show genuinely in his eyes. His eyes show his reptilian nature, cold of any real emotions, predisposed to regard other living things only as potential prey.
They turn to meet Katsuya when the detective pins them with a stare. Kyo's expression flickers at the man's blunt answer. There is a pause, and then Kyo licks his lips with a renewed smile. "People? We could debate if those were still people. Whether they deserve apologies. Not the kind of people society would really /miss/..."
A moment goes by. Then Kyo lowers his eyes, as if to drop the subject. "But no, I am a guest. I won't argue with a host. That would be rude, so I am given to understand."
He accepts his drink when Jason returns, seeming suddenly quite docile. He doesn't seem disposed to cause any more trouble. "Itoh said she had those same feelings," he confirms. "She said she had visions of woods, in winter. We had a very pleasant talk about it, despite the subject matter." 'Pleasant,' huh. "Anyway, I guess I didn't really /see/ anything. It was a strong feeling. Like being someplace high, in the wind."
He scoffs a little, though, when hearing Eien is put out she felt nothing. It's the sole comment he has on that matter. "Just Ran Itoh and Seida, so far. And you, now, I suppose. Itoh said she talked to one of the others who had these same feelings. Anyway, I have been fucked over by Sumaru before, and I'm not keen on it happening again."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou [D4] has posed.
"Just be careful," Suou replies, sotto voce. Shifting where he leans against the counter, he twists to retrieve the sugar bowl and offer it to Jason. Whatever he might think of Kyo Enda, it seems he still won't keep Jason from being a good host. He just also apparently wants little to do with it himself. Having someone like Kyo in his house feels almost like some sort of grave trespass to him, no matter what the reason for it is.
Forget if looks could kill. 'If looks could utterly decimate' would be more appropriate here at Kyo's reply. He knows from talking to his brother just what Kyo was attempting to pull, and as someone who believes in the system--the ideal of the system--it's safe to say that he does not approve. Oh does he ever not approve. "In the eyes of the law, everyone is the same," Katsuya says, before closing his eyes briefly and shaking his head at Kyo's apologies. "...But that's not what you came here for. Go and have your discussion with Butler-san." He's being rude, in his phrasing as much as continuing that line of conversation. And that is quite an infuriating thing to be reminded of, considering who is providing it. It does little to improve Suou's already failing mood. Settling in the kitchette, perhaps not unlike some stone statue, he falls silent, watching the pair of men as much as Butler is already watching Katsuya himself and Kyo.
Itoh and Eien. He'd met Ran once or twice, she seemed like a good enough girl. So whatever was going on had stretched that far. Butler, Enda, and Itoh...
<Pose Tracker> Jason R. Butler [D4] has posed.
Jason nods at Katsuya's warning. He knows his friend/roommate well enough that if he's feeling this... belligerent about someone, there's something there. Something that goes beyond 'he tried to eat me'. He gets a hint of this in the discussion between the two men over something that Kyo did. He tries to remember if he read that report. Nothing seems to immediately come to mind though. He'll ask Katsuya about it later. Instead, he just takes the offered sugar bowl and offers it to Kyo as well.
He stands and watches. Sadly, the reptilian eyes is being read by Jason as the same kind of cold calculating half-expression that he saw amongst many of his parents' acquaintances back in America. So really, it's almost like being home. Except not.
He stays quiet as Katsuya reminds Kyo about the law and thinks.. right now would be a bad /bad/ time for that kind of discussion. So he doesn't interject and simply lets it drop when the topic goes back to the book. "Woods in winter huh?" Jason tips his head slightly. "I had the feeling of woods too, then open road and horses..." This is the first time he's voiced what he 'saw'.
He tucks his hands into the pockets of his khakis and mmms. "Sumaru has one of those.. strange ways of messing with people doesn't it? SOmehow I don't think this has anything to do with the city itself and more..." He shrugs, "There's definitely something going on with the books but for now.. all I have for you Enda-san are just.. weird feelings. Like I'm being watched. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. But I'll be chasing down leads myself." From out of his pocket, he fetches a business card. It's got Bar Answer's logo on it along with his name, the bar's number and his cell. "Here."
Jason crosses the floor to offer it.
<Pose Tracker> Kyo Enda [U] has posed.
Having Kyo in your house is pretty much a dirty feeling no matter how you spin it. There's just a wrongness that clings to him, especially ever since he fully embraced his predatory nature. A sense that what you've invited into your home is not a man, but a monster with claws and fangs...
Katsuya's glare of utter death, at the least, seems to silence and quell Kyo before its utter virulence, and he subsides when Katsuya needles and dismisses him. He casts one last wary look at the detective, before clutching his coffee cup a little more tightly and turning his attention back to Jason. He seems to regain a little of his stride once focused on Butler.
He raises his brows when Jason opines he doesn't think it has anything to do with the city in specific. "Maybe?" he says, though he sounds dubious. "I don't know where you get that impression, though I guess there's nothing I can say as to why I think it might be the city. Anyway, I guess it's enough to know this is happening to everyone..."
And he's offered a card. He blinks at it, as if unaccustomed to such gestures, before he takes it slowly with the air of an animal unused to being reached towards. "Yeah... okay," he says, as Jason remarks he'll be chasing leads himself. "I guess that's my cue to go."
<Pose Tracker> Jason R. Butler [D4] has posed.
With Katsuya still sulking about in the kitchenette, Jason has little choice but to try and resolve things peacefully and quickly. That and he.. honestly doesn't have that much to share with Kyo at the moment. "It's just a feeling. If it was the city as a whole, why target just seven people and why be so... subtle about it? My gut tells me there's something else going on." He shrugs, "But while I trust my gut, it's been known to be wrong."
He offers the young man a small smile. Poor kid. He acts like no one's ever been 'nice' to him. Weird. But he knows from experience not to get too close to people like him. You just get used and tossed out in the end.
It reminds him a little bit of his father...
He shakes his head at the memory. "It's getting pretty late and the snow doesn't look like it's going to let up anytime soon. Do you need a ride home? I have a truck in the garage." IT's dark and it's cold and it's snowing. Letting someone, /anyone/ go out in that weather is unconscionable. If Kyo accepts, he'll move to collect his hat, his coat, his phone and his keys.
