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Captured Attention // Dante and Kenji
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Post by Parrot on Aug 1, 2013 13:44:40 GMT
"Here, send this to Mr. Sartini," a pause as the letter changed hands, "no, no! Not the father, the son. Be quick about it!"
The 'Boss' rubbed his eyes, an annoying headache creeping its way back into his head. That's what he deserved for hand writing a letter like some outdated Elemental instead of whipping up an email to the boy. Oddly, that idea never entered Kenji's mind and the Technopath found that notion to be highly disturbing.
Abruptly, the leader of the ESP pushed his chair away from the glass top desk, annoyed with himself for reasons he would never let on to anyone. His office was covered wall to wall in blinking, humming, computers and routers that allowed Kenji to monitor all activity used by every machine in the Skyscraper. He also had logs of who and when someone entered the building as well as data on each ESP's current location if they had a code. Everything else Kenji needed to know was stored in the basement where the towering supercomputer powered day and night. Kenji met his job with an iron fist. Things did not go wrong on his watch and when they did someone paid for it. Kenji made sure of that.
Pacing around the large office, the man's thoughts returned back to the teenager who he had summoned. Dante Raphael Sartini. Nineteen years of age. A brief profile and biography on the kid had been logged into the ESP system ever since Dante raised a red flag in third grade. And, earlier, Kenji had logged into one of the computers, tapping into the scientist's data about Dante's powers to see how that was going. It was at that point that Kenji realized he had never even met this kid in person. All of the children and adults that Kenji viewed as either important or dangerous to ESP were met personally by him. Some even got their codes earlier just so Kenji could monitor them more often. But this hadn't been the case with Dante. Enzo and Theo- yes. Dante? No.
Impatiently, Kenji sat back down into his chair. What was taking them so damn long? The Boss was never to be kept waiting. He had things to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Dante Raphael Sartini,
You are wanted by the leader of the ESP, Mr. Jianyu, immediately. This guard will escort you to the office. Do not waste time.
"C'mon, kid," a guard huffed, as he handed the letter over to Dante, "the Boss wants ya."
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Post by The D.J. C.J. on Aug 1, 2013 14:08:00 GMT
It seemed like it would have just been another ordinary day.
Dante had wanted nothing more, as usual, then to be left alone finishing his book, something about a famous barbarian. Sometimes, Dante wished he could be brave like that, even if it was only for a little while, being able to face down enemies with a steely gaze. Though he'd have preferred to have some clothes on. It must have been cold.
So imagine the young ESPs surprise when a knock came on his door and a rather important man opened it up to ask for him directly. "...y-yes?" Dante asked, nervous at the thought, until he realised the guard was handing over a letter. He looked it over. Something about being wanted by a Mr. Jianyu, leader of the ESP...
"...wait, what?!" The leader of the ESP wanted him directly?! Dante was almost starting to shake. Had he done something wrong? Surely the leader of the ESP would have already received any kind of information about him - the experiments that had been performed on him a very long time ago weren't meant to be hidden away, at least, as far as he knew about it. He hadn't done anything wrong, as he was aware, but this...this was meant to be big. Really big.
"...h-have I done something wrong, sir?" Dante asked, but he quickly realised from the guard's stern look that he probably wasn't there to answer questions but merely to take Dante along for the ride, or so help him God. Well, outrunning a guy this big was certainly not a valid option, and much as Dante would have preferred to at least get his parents for moral support, for once it looked like they weren't here - they'd both been called out on various duties to the ESP, something that Dante had glossed over while reading. "Stupid, stupid!" Dante chastised himself, but clearly that wasn't going to get anywhere.
Dante adjusted his glasses nervously, looking down. "U-um, alright...I'm coming, sir." he said. There wasn't really anything to do but follow the guard. There was no escape from destiny, it seemed. Still, the plan had been for him to head to Mapleport soon, but apparently the city was reluctant to let go of the young Dante Sartini, whom for all reasons should have been an ordinary kid in an ordinary world.
Dante followed the guard, looking back upon the one solid place of protection he had, his home. One day he'd have to leave it, and begin a life of his own. He couldn't rely on his parents forever, he knew that...just, this world was so strange and frightening sometimes...
...sometimes, Dante wished he was brave.
But he wasn't. That was why he couldn't fight fate.
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Post by Parrot on Aug 1, 2013 21:10:45 GMT
The knock on Kenji's door was all that was needed to announce Dante's arrival. Collecting himself, the leader of the ESP paced over to the door and opened it, eyeing his new project with a skillful glance. Though the videos and photos had been some base for Kenji to gather what Dante looked like, the teenager looked even more.... Well, never mind that now. Kenji was well aware that looks could be deceiving.
"Dante," the oriental man nodded, turning around to walk back to his desk, "come in and shut the door behind you."
Kenji was not a man to mess around and while he waited for Dante to do these things he sat down, eyes still focused on the Mind Blaster. Meanwhile, Kenji's mind accessed the laptop that was right in front of him, easily combing through the files to pull up everything he wanted to know, absorbing the information. The master Technopath didn't even blink.
"There are a few things we need to discuss, Dante. Most importantly, we will begin with your future. What are your plans? You are nineteen now and have not enlisted into any branch," the man paused, raising one trimmed eyebrow, "at least none that I am aware of."
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Post by The D.J. C.J. on Aug 1, 2013 23:48:49 GMT
There were a lot of things Dante hadn't expected in his life. When you lived among a bunch of magical humans, whether or not you liked it, it was going to happen.
But standing in front of the leader of the ESP still blew Dante's mind - not literally, of course - as he simply tried to process for a few seconds. Dante was standing in front of Kenji Jianyu, one of, if not the, most powerful ESP in Coho City, if not the world at large. Dante had to resist an urge to start shaking, but to be fair Dante figured a lot of people braver then he would have done the same thing.
Quickly recognising Kenji's command, Dante figured it would be rather unwise to disobey, and quickly shut the door behind him - it just felt nature to follow a command, and only a few seconds later did Dante realise he'd trapped himself within the bowels of this skyscraper. Still, what else could he have done? Run? Even Dante knew running was impossible, at least from this man, a man whom seemed to tower over him even when he was sitting down, though of course that was probably just the atmosphere.
He turned around, facing Kenji. Of course he was frightened, but he did his best to try and stand tall - if nothing else, he could at least try and do his parents proud. "Yes, s-sir. My plans? U-um...well...why I haven't enlisted in a branch, well...I imagine you can find the reports on me..." "They were supposed to get to you, right?" Dante thought to himself in mid sentence, though the leader of the ESP didn't seem like he'd be that fazed whether they were or not. "...most of the scientists with me...they thought I was too weak in general. It took...at least 6 years...just for me to be able to defend myself at will." Dante kept talking, quietly, though things were just seeming to pour out - Dante rarely talked this much with anyone, save maybe his own parents. "...as far as I was aware, sir, they figured my power was...too unstable to be useful in any kind of war. And besides..."
Dante couldn't help but shudder as he remembered a bright summer day, the chirping of birds in the air... The shadows grew closer and closer, so large and so frightening and nobody was going to save him... He didn't deserve this, did he? He just wanted to keep to himself. So why did people want to hurt him? That was why...
Dante shook his head a little, readjusting his glasses and pulling himself out of his flashback - it wasn't going to make much sense to just stare blankly. "I...I don't like fighting." Dante said, looking down and fidgeting with his thumbs. It was honestly pathetic even to his ears, no matter how many times he thought it, but he couldn't help it. Every time he tried to defend himself, he just got too scared and ran. What kind of use was that in a war?
Dante didn't particularly care there was a war, good or bad, New Magic or Old Magic or Sideways Magic or whatever you liked - he just wanted no part in it. Which was why, as much as he tried to, he couldn't help but be nervous in front of Kenji Jianyu - Dante didn't figure there was much reason the leader of the ESPs would want a weak boy like him unless Kenji figured there was a way to use him to his advantage...
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Post by Parrot on Aug 2, 2013 1:08:40 GMT
Go tsao de, Kenji thought to himself, watching as the teenager squirmed in his seat. While Dante was trying to put on a brave face, jutting his frame high in the seat to appear more than himself, it was easy to read how he truly felt. Not that Kenji cared, much. It was wise for any guest of Kenji's to feel afraid, after all, the oriental man had all of the ESP faction on his side. Not to forget the vast amount of knowledge he had at his disposal about almost anyone. Some may not have agreed with Kenji's strict policies but his Skyscraper ran smoothly and the ESP were making more progress with the non-magicals than any Elemental.
Progress. That's what the ESP were about. But progress was such a frail, dainty, thing, easily shattered by one simple mistake. Kenji's eyes narrowed slightly as his brain flicked through Dante's file. A mistake like harming non-magical innocents. The Skyscraper was building a positive brand name for itself, one that Kenji would not seen slander by mistake or purpose.
"No one said you had to be a warrior, Dante," Kenji began smoothly, "the war we fight is nothing like the one that took place thirty years ago. There will be no climaxing battle, no destroying of this Earth, I need not more warriors. But there are other paths for you that are open in the Skyscraper."
A printer shot to life in the corner of room. "You can look over those papers at your leisure, Dante. Read, understand the options available to you if you don't want to be a warrior."
Over time, when the boy grew more confident, he would be a very useful tool for the ESP. Mind Blasting was one of the more aggressive abilities ESP users had and while Kenji himself could not physically defend himself, those like Dante could. The boy could either continue to train and become great, or stay his mundane self.
"When was the last time you talked to the scientists, Dante? Have you been practicing with your powers?"
Kenji's tone left little wiggle room for questions to be avoided.
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Post by The D.J. C.J. on Aug 7, 2013 7:58:44 GMT
The idea of not being a warrior was...surprising. Strangely enough, Dante had never even considered such an option was possible.
The idea warmed him to Kenji...at least, just a little bit. He might be at least able to help as long as he wasn't in the front lines, though he still didn't much care for the idea of fighting. He turned at the sudden noise of a printer blaring out to look at some papers printing out, and even though he considered getting up to pick them up, it seemed unwise while the leader of the ESP faction was still talking to him.
Dante hadn't seen many, if any, people like Kenji before - a man whom, as far as he could tell, was the brilliant Chessmaster, able to put all the pieces in just the right position for the best effect. This worried Dante - while he wasn't exactly going to start trying to out-think a man whom clearly had the power and ability to keep even this skyscraper, let alone the ESP faction alive and flourishing...well, Dante didn't exactly want to end up just another pawn in someone's games. He was no empath, but he felt that Kenji would try to do what was best by both of them, as long as it still benefited him. But just because of that, that didn't imply he could be completely trusted. The amount of secrets this skyscraper alone held would have to be staggering.
"The last time I talked to the scientists?" Dante asked, trying to think. It had been quite a while, and the experiments had been less and less noteworthy as time had gone on...as far as Dante could have told, the scientists that were dealing with him either had all the data they felt they were ever going to get, or all the data they needed, for whatever purpose Dante wasn't certain for, so the last experiments had barely been much but asking questions. Until one day, they simply stopped calling for him. Neither Dante nor his parents knew why exactly, but Dante put it at the back of his mind. To call it up again...
"If I recall correctly..." Dante gripped his chin between his thumb and forefinger, trying to think. "I couldn't give you an exact date, but I think it was about a year ago...g-give or take a month." The memories felt...vague after such a short amount of time. It seemed strange, but after he'd spent so long being tested he'd just taken it for such a normal thing.
"And...my powers?" The idea of using his powers had never entered his mind afterwards. "W-well...occasionally I get a headache, and when I try to use them then it works slightly, but...well...besides that, no." Honestly, Dante had always wished he could just lead an ordinary life. He'd have been happy to give up these powers. They hadn't served him any real purpose - it was always other people who wanted to utilise them. The scientists who wanted to harness the energy somehow, Kenji whom only heaven knew what he wanted them for...even his parents had probably wondered if he would end up joining in the war. All he knew was, as much as he wanted to have something, else for feeling rather alien in this city...not something that got him a lot of attention. "...I didn't want to gather any attention, so whenever I did use them, I made sure nobody was around."
For all the good it did. Dante couldn't be certain, but he'd learnt to notice when people were around and that feeling never truly seemed to go away...
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Post by Parrot on Aug 7, 2013 17:11:12 GMT
The scientists' data scrolled past the computer screen, spikes of information and lulls of progress proved Dante's words to be correct. It had been around a year since he last did any tests and the final few months of his data showed that the scientists were running out of things to test for. Kenji closed out the data, cool eyes flickering back to gaze steadily at Dante. It didn't matter that Dante was making little progress with his powers or if he stopped using them altogether. It was a waste, yes, and Kenji hated waste, but sometimes you had to lose a few things to gain bigger goals later on.
"That is no trouble, Dante, no trouble at all," Kenji reassured the kid, his mind already whirling away to find a way to keep an eye on the powerful teen, "there are many options available to you where you don't have to use your ability." The last part of Kenji's statement was said with a bit of reluctance.
A small smile crept onto Kenji's face, a strange look for the serious man and it certainly didn't fit him. "Very wise of you, Dante, to avoid gathering unwanted attention. If you do plan to continue practicing I would suggest using some of our practice rooms here in the Skyscraper. I could even arrange for you to have a private one for your own use, if you like. They have been constructed to withstand even the strongest types of mental blasts so don't worry about breaking anything."
"There is also something, well, rather someone else I want you to meet," the leader of the ESP informed Dante, "a young man by the name of Theo. He is a lot like yourself, a bit on the reserved side but very bright. You might both benefit from this arrangement."
Yes, yes, Kenji thought to himself, this could work out perfectly. Theo needs an age similar friend here in the Skyscraper, especially since he had been dogging Kenji for more and more freedom. And Dante could focus himself, perhaps find something productive to do in the Skyscraper, with Theo guiding him. And if either of them decided to strike again the ESP or leave? Well, Kenji was not above hostages or threats. A good leader had to have aces in his sleeve.
Pushing on a red button on his desk phone, Kenji said out loud. "Bring me Theo, I want him to meet someone." Kenji let go of the button without waiting for a response, he gave another short smile at Dante.
"It won't be too long now."
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Post by Devi on Aug 7, 2013 21:31:15 GMT
Seen this close, the swarms exuded an unmistakable sense of menace, almost malevolence. Their deep thrumming sound was clearly audible, but intermittently I heard an angry hiss, like a snake. But they did not attack us. Just as I had hoped, the programming deficits worked for us. Confronted by a cluster of coordinated prey, these predators were stymied. They did nothing at all.
At least for now.
"Theo, the boss wants you."
Startled from the increasingly intense scene of the book, Theo looked up from where he was sprawled on the couch to frown at the guard. "Why?" he asked, reluctant to leave his reading. It was getting so good, he didn't want to do any work.
"Got someone he wants you to meet. C'mon, kid, you know he doesn't like to be kept waiting," the guard answered gruffly, looking perturbed that Theo had even had the audacity to ask such a question. Meet someone? That was...different. Heaving a sigh, Theo closed the book and stood up, crossing the common living area he had been habituated and following the guard out the door.
"I don't need an escort, I know where Kenji's office is," Theo pointed out matter-of-factly as they walked down the hall. The guard, whom Theo was not especially familiar with, shot him a "fat chance" sort of look that made Theo roll his eyes. Kenji had some of the guards so on edge, it was nearly laughable. Not that Theo lacked respect for the powerful ESP leader, not in the least; he just lacked the fear many of the ESP had. Perhaps it was because he had spent so much time with Kenji, or perhaps it was because Theo just didn't know any better. He knew Kenji was powerful and not to be trifled with, but Theo just didn't grasp the notion that Kenji could be dangerous.
When they reached the ESP's office, the guard opened the door to announce that Theo was here, and the teenager had a difficult time refraining from rolling his eyes at this pomp and circumstance. He had half a mind to just push his way in and ask what Kenji needed, because he really wanted to get back to his book. The idea of such technology was so fascinating on so many levels, and when he was finished perhaps he would talk to Kenji about the possibilities-
Theo's chattering thoughts died out as he was brought into the office, for the first thing he noticed was another teenage boy around his age. Perhaps a little bit older. Curious. Was this who Kenji wanted him to meet.
Offering a slight smile and a look of curious intrigue to the stranger, Theo turned his blue eyes to the oh-so-powerful, oh-so-frightening leader of the ESP faction. "Tom said you wanted me to meet someone?"
((OOC: Except is from Michael Crichton's book Prey. A little hats off to Parrot's recent reading list, plus I thought it totally appropriate for an ESP to be reading.))
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Post by The D.J. C.J. on Aug 10, 2013 0:06:08 GMT
It had to be a trap. There was no way it could be anything but a trap.
It felt like some burning animal instinct in the back of Dante's mind telling him 'you cannot trust this man'. Whatever his opinions on what he planned to do was, it was a simple animal instinct, that seemed to burn stronger than usual. Dante wasn't sure exactly how much bravery he'd had to withstand simply to keep sitting in the same seat, but he didn't feel he was able to leave yet, and clearly jumping out the window was a bad option.
After all, Dante had no wish to keep his abilities. Whereas it seemed almost certain that the ESP leader would want him to use them, for whatever designs of his nature. But...under this man, like it or not, it would be the only way he could feasibly defend himself. His Mind Blast skills were sub-par at best, ignoring his...mental outbursts.
"W-well, I'm sure it would be v-very nice learning these skills, but...well..." Before Dante could go on, he was interrupted by Kenji's next words. "S-someone...?" he started, a bit confused, and alternately worried. Was he bringing out someone whom would drag him further into the skyscraper, the guardian whom would never let him leave this place. At that point, Dante was just about to think 'to hell with it' and attempt to run for the door but, fortunately, before he even moved an inch, he witnessed the arrival of just whom it was the man wanted him to meet, and it was...
"...huh?" Dante tilted his head, confused. Certainly, there was a much larger man whom made Dante want to stay still out of fear, but that wasn't what he was looking at. What he was looking at instead appeared to be a young boy, a little younger than he was. In fact, Dante failed to realise he was even tilting his head. Why would the leader of the ESP introduce him to a young boy? The idea seemed preposterous.
He looked at the boy. Certainly, he was young, but unlike Dante, he seemed to have a confident look on his face. His eyes seemed to sparkle with a certain...actually, Dante wasn't quite sure what it was, but it was certainly...something. He looked like he'd be ready for anything - almost even to tangle with the leader of the ESP, as much as that seemed a potentially suicidial move. Who was this young boy that even Kenji seemed to want to treat with respect?
Dante probably should have said something, but he couldn't. Half frozen out of fear of someone new whom may or may not want to punch him, and half frozen out of confusion, he just looked at the boy, trying to figure him out, and at the same time too afraid to talk. What exactly did fate have in store here...?
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Post by Parrot on Aug 11, 2013 13:38:13 GMT
Kenji's teeth gritted together, his thin lips twisting up to form a 'welcoming' smile to Theo. There was much riding on the young kid with his powers to glance into the future, to know what was going to happen before anyone else did, and that being said, the ESP could not afford to lose Theo in any way possible. Not to death, not to the FBI or Elementals, and certainly not to the boy's own plans because he was bored. Theo was at that age when boredom bred arrogance and arrogance turned to insolence and Kenji Jianyu did not take either kindly.
Point in case- the way Theo walked in, looking like he owned the place. His gaze, when leveled at Kenji, filled the Tecnopath with an icy anger. There was no fear in Theo's eyes, no intimidation, nothing, not even the slightest ounce of respect that Kenji could see. The laptop screen in front of Kenji flickered slightly, reacting to the man's anger. Then it was clear, not an issue in sight as the Boss smiled again.
He would not lose Theo.
"Yes," Kenji nodded, waving over to Dante, "this is Dante, a member of the Skyscraper. He's still trying to figure out what he wants to do in life, but, then again, aren't we all?"
Kenji stood up, strolling over to the printer as he picked up the packet of papers. "Actually, Dante is a little like yourself, Theo. His powers are...interesting...and earlier in his life the scientists tried tests with him to see what the problem was." The leader of the ESP held his shoulders straight as he walked over to the two boys. "I am sure Dante will want to explain this to you himself but there is something that I want to ask the two of you first."
"Theo, you've been wanting more freedom outside of the Skyscraper and my concern for you, that something bad will happen, has often made me reluctant to grant you this request. I know you have T, and he is the best of the best, but still...I would feel safer if you brought Dante along with you as well. The three of you put together would rest my nerves and, if it pleased you, I would allow for more time outside of the Skyscraper's safety. But you must bring T and Dante along."
Kenji turned to Dante, holding out the packet of papers. "And for you, Dante, this would not be a one sided arrangement. Theo is very knowledgeable about what happens in the Skyscraper," a sly smile, "among other things and I think spending time with him would benefit you as well."
Kenji stared at the two young men equally, waiting to see their reaction. He was not a person to hope- he just knew. And Kenji knew this would work out. And if it didn't? Well, there were people around the two boys that could be 'persuaded' to help make the little arrangement click.
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Post by Devi on Aug 11, 2013 17:46:55 GMT
The other teenager looked totally confused, and to be honest Theo was pretty confused himself. He stood there slightly awkwardly, hands in his pockets at Kenji started to explain things. When he introduced Dante, Theo turned to the kid and gave another smile and a slight nod of the head before returning his attention to the Chief of the ESP. It was a lot of information, a lot of very strange information, and Theo's confusion showed on his face. I mean, it wasn't every day that Kenji shoved a new person into Theo's life; in fact, Kenji had always been extremely picky about who Theo was allowed to form connections to. It always went back to his "Safety" and his "well being." So for Kenji to suddenly offer up somebody Theo had never even seen- in real life or in his visions- well, Theo's curiosity was definitely peaked.
The mention of having more freedom outside of the Skyscraper- the change in Theo was visible. He stiffened slightly, a look of excitement dawning on his face. "Really?"
Grinning, he turned to Dante and took a few steps towards him, offering out a hand to shake. "I'm Theo," he introduced, adding with an awkward sort of laugh, "Though I guess you could have guessed that one."'
Social interaction had always been ungraceful for Theo. He was just a social klutz, and although he wanted to be friends with Dante, he was self conscious about the other boy not liking him or not wanting to be his friend, whether it was because of Theo's "great power" or his "annoying questions" or what have you.
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Post by The D.J. C.J. on Aug 12, 2013 1:45:30 GMT
[A/N: Apologies, not sure whether Theo was still holding onto the book when he met Dante or not so I've made an assumption - if that's wrong let me know and I'll do some rewrites.]
Dante looked at Theo, but not so much with frustration as a little bit of fear. He had no idea how this boy would act or what he'd try to do to him. It was strange being afraid of someone younger than he was, but it wasn't something he was unused to. Dante was typically afraid of meeting new people, but at the same time he seemed...nice enough. Dante wasn't quite sure what exactly it was he was to think.
Then he noticed the cover of the book that Theo was still holding onto. "Prey, by Michael Crichton. I never read that particular book myself, but I do remember reading Jurassic Park, the actual novel, not the movie, I-I mean the book by him a long time ago." For some inexplicable reason, Dante just started babbling and even though he wasn't sure exactly why, he didn't seem to be able to stop. "I remember reading about fractals and chaos theory in there, and chaos theory was really enjoyable to learn about, at least in the general idea of the butterfly effect that there are thousands of potential futures but that wasn't really the relevant case, and besides I'm more of a fan of reading fantasy fiction then the more sci-fi style of Crichton but then again everything's a new experience isn't it and oh god I'm sorry." Dante started breathing heavily, finally managing to gain control of his rather random outburst of motor mouth, much to the probably confusion of everyone in the room, Dante himself included.
"U-um...I'm Dante..." he managed to start again, after he had calmed down and caught his breath. "...D-Dante...Sartini..." he finally started, hesitatingly holding out his hand as though to shake Theo's hand, assuming he hadn't already backed off in terror, with him looking down at the ground in embarrassment and still terror.
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Post by Parrot on Aug 12, 2013 17:15:01 GMT
Kenji watched the introduction, internally judging the awkwardness between the two teenagers. The uncomfortable stiffness reminded the oriental man of his own teenage son, a dismal disappointment. Kenji's son showed limited talent or power growth and while his mother doted on him, Kenji preferred to spend his time with the real future of the ESP- people like Theo.
The Boss watched quietly, mentally typing up a document of the boy's reaction on the laptop via Technopathy. The screen was turned away from both Theo and Dante so neither would notice the action. So far the file read:
August 1st, 2013, 10:45am.
In order to contain and monitor both Theodore Alexander Eylam Belcroft and Dante Raphael Sartini, I have introduced them to each other to form a friendship. Dante appears nervous, as he had been with me before, however, he is far more talkative. Theo is casual, showing leadership skill. He is making more social progress than I had originally thought. This is good.
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Post by Devi on Aug 12, 2013 17:42:18 GMT
When Dante mentioned the novel, Theo looked down at the book he was still holding in his left hand. He had almost forgotten he still had it. He looked back up as Dante continued rambling, not really sure what he should do. Clearly the kid had a lot to say, so Theo stayed quiet, pressing his lips together and glancing briefly around the room to cover his awkwardness. Still, Dante seemed nice and even nervous, and this nervousness actually reassured Theo- it made him feel in charge. Not in a powerful or bossy way, but more like a mentor.
Eventually, Dante seemed to realize he was rambling, and with a horrified apology he finally accepted Theo's hand and returned the introduction. Again, Theo smiled, friendly and more comfortable this time around.
"It's good to meet you, Dante, welcome to the Skyscraper. Where are you from? Are you staying in the Skyscraper?"
And so began the questions. Theo always had questions, and it seemed the answers people gave him only bred more questions. He was curious, and being cooped up in the Skyscraper for most of his life made him something of a glutton for information. At his second question, Theo turned his eyes to Kenji, assuming that answer would lie with him. I mean, Theo guessed Dante would be staying if Kenji was going to let the new kid accompany him on more frequent outings, but still.
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Post by The D.J. C.J. on Aug 18, 2013 6:09:35 GMT
It was strange. Rarely had Dante ever had a case of motor-mouth, and in most normal circumstances it should have made anyone in the room just look away confusedly. At least, that was the experience he had before in the very few cases that Dante got so nervous he just talked non-stop.
And yet, for some bizarre reason, it didn't happen here.
Well, partially that was understandable. After all, Kenji didn't look the kind to be perturbed about anything. He was just looking at his computer, and at Dante, and at Theo, the same face typing out everything he witnessed, nothing seeming to skip his mind. There was a reason he was considered the top man of the ESP faction.
Theo, on the other hand seemed...normal. Well, about as normal as one could be expected to be from being personally trained in the Skyscraper so close to Kenji himself. A little younger, but he seemed to carry himself quite well. Dante couldn't help but be a little jealous of Theo - he seemed to talk to people so easily, just be friendly, not really caring too much that Dante had basically rambled non-stop about completely irrelevant things.
It was more surprising when Dante heard Theo ask him questions. It was a strange feeling - no-one ever really asked him questions. Then again, that was because Dante didn't usually tend to hang around long enough for anyone to ask him questions in the first place. Curiosity was starting to worm it's way into his brain, though nervousness was still outweighing it. However, he certainly didn't have any particular means of escape, so he figured he might as well try to answer Theo's questions.
"U-um, yes...t-thank you." Dante started, taking a breath to calm himself down. "U-um, I'm from Coho City...my parents live in a small house nestled away in the poorer districts." Dante had never had any aspirations to be rich though, and while his parents weren't destitute, they didn't have a lot of money for the latest luxuries, which was probably one of the many reasons that, whenever Dante wanted to do something he would read, namely because that was just about all they had to do there, besides maybe occasional use of television. His mother had always considered that to rot the brain, so she'd argued with Dante's father about leaving it on too long. In honesty, they needn't have bothered worrying - even when given the opportunity Dante hardly ever watched television.
It was the next question that Dante wasn't quite sure how to answer. "A-am I staying h-here...?" Dante asked, a little confused and the worry starting to glisten back up. "I...I'm not sure, my p-parents will...probably want me back home..." he started, but even as he said this, he nervously glanced at Kenji's face. That had been Dante's plan, but it didn't seem like Kenji would let him leave any time soon. "...I...I don't know..." Dante's face looked down at the ground. He had to resist the urge to shiver, feeling much like a moth trapped in a jar. Could he leave?
...should he leave?
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