arsene lupin

"First rule — if you aim to get something more than what you’re proffered, at least try to skip the cheap fast food spots." An instant rectification to what this younger thief possibly had in mind. Fingers tapped against the leather wallet as he scanned the passing visages that created the boisterous crowd before an idea began to form.

"You'd think you'd be happy that I didn't ask for too much. Only would've taken a cheeseburger to make me happy." Still, the amount of money spent on the meal was for the buyer to decide upon. Arguing against it would only be pointless, or in the worst case scenario leave him without anything at all. "Beggars can't be choosers though, I guess." Steps were taken to catch up as there was little choice but to succumb to the wishes of the other, an exasperated expression returning the nonchalance of the elder.  

"H-huh?" He stammered, utterly bewildered at what he just heard.Hearing a little girl of all things should’ve made him more relaxed, but he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Hide and seek? Daddy? Everything was just adding up to be more and more creepy.

“Gah!" Blue shuffled forward some more as he heard more footsteps around him. In his frighted twisting and turning, he wasn’t even sure where the footstep noises were coming from. Behind him, in front of him, it all sounded the same when he was scared out of his wits. It wasn’t until his Squirtle pat at his leg that he finally stood still once more. Taking the small Pokemon into his arms, he yelled out once more.

With a successfully muffled chuckle, there was ruthless continuation. "What do .. you mean? We've been playing all this time, haven't we?" Tone switching to a distinctive hurt one, the disorientation soon became justifiable anger. "Haven't we? I waited all this time for you to find me but -- but you weren't even looking, we you!?" Voice raising in octave, a single rock was kicked out in a way that made it appear as if it'd been thrown by the surely vengeful victim of circumstance.

It had seemed that Miles accidentally inquired an acquaintance that was a teenager. Uncalled for, he was kind of thrown aghast when the snarky adolescent responded. Sometimes Miles didn’t think through every single action. He just went head first, kind of what Phoenix told him to do. Act like Detective Gumshoe some more…right? So it wasn’t his fault for inquiring this kid.

"…Yes," He looked at the teenager with a shift of unease. It was awful talking to kids— They acted a lot different than civilized adults. Apparently it had become obvious that children didn’t really say "Become my friend for the greater justice," like they did in The Steel Samurai. Did they say, "Let me dazzle you and let’s save Little Tokyo together!" Like the Pink Princess?

His behavior payed homage to a sullen child, in all honesty.

A disconcerted expression having been drawn from him, not necessarily an apology would sound, but rather an attempt at boosting morale. "Now, now. You can't be implying that justice is a mistake." Knowing full well what had truly been deemed an error, it was twisted about to work in his favor. "There's many forms of justice out there and each one belongs to a different person. Every one is literal for them, so whatever yours might be is for you. You can't let it get you down when one person doesn't want to go along with yours."

"Really? Sweet!" In a fit of excitement, he fit pumped the air before realization dawned on him, causing him to lower his arm back to his side as the corner of his lips curled down into a tiny frown. He had no clue where everything was; after all, he just arrived not even ten minutes ago and the city itself was larger than the small town of Raimon where he was previously living.

"Er, one more question if you don’t mind me asking: where is sector six?" The question came out as hesitant and thoughtful, as if he didn’t want to keep bothering the other teen any longer.

"Uh .. you wouldn't want me to take you there, right?" It hadn't exactly been inquired, but it had seemed somewhat implied. Providing directions would've been the simplest way to get around becoming more involved, but the possibility of certain details being forgotten would mean that the boy could wind up utterly lost as a result of the young adult's so called aid. Playing escort had not been the agenda for the day, but it wasn't as though he hadn't done it before. As it was, it really wasn't all that bothersome considering the living quarters that'd been assigned to him.

Okay, the last thing this confused-out-of-his-mind trainer needed was to be stuck living in some ghost town until who knows when.

All he knew was: he’s been kidnapped, he’s no where near Kanto anymore, his Pokeballs are missing, and all he has are his clothes and his now-somehow-a Squirtle to his name. No longer is he a former Kanto League Champion, or much of anything really. He’s just a lost little boy and, for once, without a plan.

Taking slow steps into the deserted Distract Gamma, Blue looked around for signs of any other person. Each direction only greeted him with darkness and decaying buildings. He jumped slightly as a loud ghastly moan echoed behind him, letting out a less than manly squeak. His Squirtle leaped forward to his defense, but of course there was nothing actually there. Waving the tiny Pokemon to return to his side, Blue let out a small sigh.

"…Haha, what am I sweating? There’s nothing to worry about, hahaha… haa…" He laughed nervously to himself, all the while backing away from the source of the wail as calmly as possible. He had enough of fake specters in the Lavender Town, but that didn’t change the fact that he was stuck in a very creepy and broken down part of town.

Just then, he heard another sharp sound. Something was moving, and definitely getting closer. As the shuffling neared his body, Blue twisted himself in its direction.

Almost as though completely at home in such a horrifying place, pace was unhurried as if this was but a casual stroll. The belatedly eerie atmosphere had virtually no affect on the unruffled teen just as the broken down home that'd housed the Big Jewel hadn't despite how unsettling both locations where. If anything, the only real concern would be any booby traps like the ones that'd been dealt with before. Remaining vigilante was for the best even though it was highly doubtful that anything would occur beyond the high pitched wail that sounded.

Obviously a terrified outburst from someone that had more than likely become lost, to the mischievous teenager it was akin to challenge. One that'd been unknowingly issued, it was now essential to discover how much it would take for the other to toss aside the last vestiges of his pride to flee in terror. It wouldn't be difficult, but that wouldn't stop it from being fun. Thankful that he had decidedly dressed in apparel befitting the atmosphere, the darkness of an alley was melded into to guarantee that being sighted would not happen. Once certain that the position was more than ideal, throat was cleared as quietly as possible before vocal chords were used. 

Cheetara wasn’t typically a gatecrasher, and definitely not the type to rudely accord her presence to a party she hadn’t been invited to. But in her desperation to locate any of her friends (and what better way to contain a large portion of the City than at an organised ball) she’d managed to slip another citizen’s blue ribbon from their wrist while they weren’t looking and applied it to her own.

By comparison to most people, she was noticeable under dressed for the occasion having showed up in the exact same attire she always wore. Being a recent arrival to Hive City, she hardly had the monetary expenditure to invest in a gown.

Expiring a quiet sigh from her lips as she engagingly observed the dancing couples, one of her hands tentatively shifted towards the large food dish lavished with salmon rolls she’d been regularly dipping in and out. The contact of another guest’s hand grazing against her knuckles as they’d simultaneously reached for one of the entrées prompting her to quickly retract the clawed appendage out of the way.

"Oh!"

A conciliatory gaze was then directed towards the stranger, inclining her head towards the bowl.

Due to that the iconic white suit was worn without extended concern, methods of escape already calculated should a certain inspector magically appear before him. It made for a show, disallowing the egotistic young adult to go unnoticed at the event that been far too easy to sneak into. Sapphire pupils scrutinized, categorized, and efficiently narrowed down the rather large selection of candidates until nary a one remained. Hardly any of the gems were large enough nor authentic enough, nothing of real monetary value present in the sea of attendees. The jewel was not here, unfortunately.

"What to do now?" Mused with a relatively unbothered smile, partaking in the festivities would be less than beneficial, but without the renowned gem present, it would make for good compensation. A date would be needed foremost as it simply wouldn't do to be at such a grand event without one. An opportunity to acquire one was devised without much time wasted, gloved fingers having purposely brushed against the knuckles of a beautiful woman as a way to engage in casual conversation. 

What were the chances? The great Frankenstein, awakening from a deep slumber with a headache. In a white hospital-esque room, nonetheless! The scientist was honestly the last person to wake up as he had now, considering his strength and his history. The blonde sat up, easily shaking off the head pains, and almost instantly, the large television on the wall in front of him flickered to life, showing a gently smiling scientist inside the black plastic borders.

Once the playback had ended, all Frankenstein could do was chuckle. Did he hear that man correctly? He was part of an experiment? The low chuckle that had left the blonde’s lips grew into a sadistic laughter that echoed inside the room, forcing the man to hang his head back as the terrifying noise reverberated on the walls. What a joke! What a great, fucking joke! As if he would allow them to experiment — although it was seemingly quite harmless — on him! A slender hand covered part of his face, his eyes widened, a large, sinister grin beneath the palm. Oh, how he would love to capture these men and slice them open, observing how their beautiful red heart beats, pumping that wonderfully crimson blood throughout their limbs. He would put them back together once he was done, and wipe their memories clean of the experience. Just thinking about it got Frankenstein’s heart pumping excitedly; he could hear it in his head.

However, this excitement stopped short, as he had forgotten one crucial thing: Cadis Etrama di Raizel. Where was he? Had he been ‘spirited away’ here as well? Frankenstein would conduct yet another search for him as he explores the city further. The devotion to his eternal master had calmed the scientist down, allowing him to take note of his surroundings. Namely the ones outside the door to his side. Sighing, he lifted his body off the bed and walked out the door. He found this particular part of the city similar to that of South Korea’s atmosphere, honestly expecting it to be more like Lukedonia. His expectations were not dashed, however, as it wasn’t that difficult to get used to a place like this. Looking at all the people walking past, he felt the extreme urge to experiment on them, no matter how limited his abilities may be if it goes awry.

Gently grabbing the shoulder of a passing pedestrian, Frankenstein put on a gentle, yet completely serious face. He sensed, although faint, that this person had abilities the man probably had never seen before, and he would like to observe them. With consent, of course.

Facial features sporting a look of dubiety, a finger scratched at his jawline as the request was mulled over. A show and tell, was it? Nothing more than showing the results of all his hard work, though a more appropriate choice of word should've been 'talents' in place of 'abilities.' What it really came down to was that an opportunity to put on a show had been given, a chance to astound and mystify in the same manner his father had once. Something of this nature was impossible to simply pass up, but as most of his supplies had been confiscated a more basic performance was all that could be accomplished.

Luckily, simplicity had always been best.

"Not at all! There's no point in doing magic if there's not an audience." It was belief held by most, if not, all magicians. The amazement instilled by their act, the brilliant smiles and peals of laughter, made it all worth it. With a bright smile and an extravagant flourish of a hand, a friendly reminder was given. "Be sure to pay attention. You wouldn't want to miss it." Purposely seeking out how the act was performed contributed to making the magic seem genuine as if one looked too closely they would miss what was right before their very eyes.

Arms were shook out before the cuffs of his shirt were tugged down so that the space between fabric and skin could be seen, these actions taken to clearly demonstrate that there was, quite literally, nothing up his sleeve. Surely at ease, confidence was discernible as hands dropped back to their proper place at his sides. With an intended purpose did the magician tilt his head back in order for sapphire to gaze at the expanse of the sky, silently encouraging the man to do the same. "Looking pretty lonely up there. Let's fix that, shall we?"

Arms lifted to form a cross over his chest before dropping downwards to ascend in an arc, stretched upwards as far as possible. Four white figures no sooner burst free from the confines of sleeves proven to have been empty mere moments prior, two doves escaping from each to flap off into the distance with nothing but a few falling feathers to show they'd ever been present.

HE WAS LOOKING FOR A PERSON. More importantly, a person he had associated himself with in the past. A witness or a defendant would do some justice. Although Miles knew this was merely undoable on a street with so many people, why abash himself? He knew he had to give it a little persistence. That would have done the show some good.

The prosecutor looked, looked and looked. He knew that he had to find a friend first—it was substantial. So he looked, looked, and looked some more on the busy streets. But after cogent reasoning with himself, he knew that the day he would find an associate was not today. He had to make use of every single day. So he was determined to meet an advocator of logic and common sense. He knew that was his type of friend.

But of course, there were always other priorities too. Like getting a job would be for the better— but he had learned that friends also helped out in their situations. So he concluded that he would make a friend. (Amazing for an antisocial prosecutor who condescends everyone he meets.)

"You…" Miles said, tapping a random other, "Become my friend for the greater justice." Was this how teenagers nowadays made friends?

Irony had always been predominate ever since the mantle of Kaitou Kid had been taken up. Most noticeably was that the inspector so very adamant in apprehending him was the father of his closest friend, but what surpassed something as dreadful as that was how the greatest threat to his night raids came in the form of a young child that stood no taller than his waist. Being asked to become an ally of justice when he'd been labeled as a pretentious crook simply couldn't compete with those examples, but it was still fairly ironic.

If the request had not been questionable, the elder man would've been politely declined. As it was, such was not the case. Desiring companionship in the form of friends was normal when one sought to obtain it from people of their own age group, but for an adult to try so with a teenager was almost as creepy as it was pitiful. Proper respect for those older than him was not often given due to how most proved to lack the means to be worthy of it, meaning that the response to be received would be comprised of possibly helpful snark.

Being in a whole new environment him feel both excited and nervous, a bit more nervous since he was away from his older cousin, Aki, and he didn’t have his faithful dog companion, Sasuke. If Sasuke were to be here with him, perhaps Tenma wouldn’t feel the sudden bout of butterflies in his stomach and his heart thumping rather loudly in his chest.

With a soft sigh, the brunet pursed his lips in thought for a moment, he didn’t know what this city had to offer as of yet— other than the fact of many new faces and none he would not recognise.

In attempt to shake away the troubled thoughts entering his mind, he slowly inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth to calm himself down and think more rationally; it was no biggie. A new city and new people, it was like setting off in an adventure. That’s all he had to think about it as, as an adventure.

So, with renewed energy and determination, a smile formed on his lips as he took in his surroundings for a split second then began to wave his arms towards a random stranger, calling out:

"Excuse me! Do you know where the nearest soccer field is?"

The poker face maintained thus far did little to mask the sigh that slipped out without permission, hands burrowing even further into pockets. A foot had idly been kicking a small stone forwards, legs carrying onward without any real objective other than to allow time to properly adjust being away from all that he knew. It did not mean it would be permitted by those in the vicinity though, attention desired by an overly eager teenager that couldn't be much younger than himself. Talking with someone was no big deal and would actually provide a good distraction, but the posed question wasn't exactly one that made for good conversation in his eyes.

To say one might be surprised would be an understatement, especially dealing with the very man known as Neal Caffrey. Small time cons were not a thing above him, nor minuscule thefts to keep him steadily afloat. Thus it was no question as to his intentions when pacing down the streets of the sector of his living arrangements, brushing gently against an unsuspecting mark so that two fingers could reach into the unguarded coat and lift a rather weighted wallet, one that the man did not seem to take note of missing. Waiting a brief moment, blue hues looked down as he opened to examine the contents, certainly pleased at his apparent income.

Closing the leather bound item with a gentle clap, his gaze lifted once more to scout the surrounding crowd in the vicinity. Temptations always tugged the strings at his heart, a natural reaction now that he could be free to quench those thirsts… and today, he felt exceptionally thirsty. Eyes landed upon another — a fresh mark — as he tucked the wallet into his inner pocket once he began to make his way over to engage them with a minuscule conversation. "You look like you could use some company," he commented, a premium smile to accompany the suave words he weaved.

Virtually broke, the renowned magician of the night was once more an ordinary high school student forced to rely on someone else to place food on the table. It was the cause of his bellyaching, a dissatisfied groan accompanying knit brows in his open display of chagrin. Almost as if having gone back to square one, a certain amount of regret flooded him in regards to not have kept a single ornament in case a situation like this occurred. Simply wallowing over that lamentable folly wouldn't bring him any closer to filling his stomach, but the charity of a strange most certainly would.