Still strolling through the shadows, part II

[Shin]

Since they didn't need money, it only made things easier. He was actually pleased that they didn't need money, because he was set on getting the supplies with or without it. Kremnaes slow paced still irritated Shin, but he dealt with it. Instead he took the time to think over a few things.

When they finally arrived Shin ignored the 'Employees Only' sign and walked in. He looked around for a moment, grabbing two bags and tossing one to Kremnaes and one to Isac.

"Lets get the supplies and get out of here." By 'lets' he clearly meant them, because he leaned back against the wall. Isac could get supplies for his crush and Kremnaes could get the rest. Besides, Shin reasoned that he didn't have the slightest clue where anything was.

[Zach Kaiser]

"Sounds good to me."

For all his usual spaciness, Isac knew what to do once they arrived; he perused the supplies without hesitation, knowing what to check for to make sure the food was still good or if it had spoiled.

A variety of things would enter the bag, foods that he liked, foods he knew Usurii liked, foods he thought went together with other foods, etc. Though sometimes it was tough--he could make plenty of meals out of any of it, so choosing was difficult.

Noticing that Shin wasn't doing anything, Isac commented, "You know, you should help Kremnaes, seeing as you're the one that's going to be eating most of that." After all, Kremnaes had his own place (or so he assumed) and he'd be going to Usurii's.

[littlebean]

Kremnaes was unsettled by Shin's presence in an Employee Only area. Since Kremnaes just met Shin he wasn't sure if he simply couldn't read, or if he chose to ignore the sign that was clearly placed on the door. If anyone else who worked here saw this rulebreaking, he was certain he would get the blame for it, since he was responsible for the two of them being here.

Nothing was said though. If Shin had been anyone else he might have told him to leave, but armed with a sword and negative attitude, well Kremnaes wasn't any match for him. Besides his biggest fear and biggest challenge was trying to stay on his good side. It would be much easier to stick around Shin if he didn't mind his company.

Of course it looked like he had a long way to go til that happened.

When the three of them came into the supply room, one of them already had everything they needed, and that was Kremnaes. He didn't suspect that they'd be planning sleepovers and visiting places back and forth, so he didn't pack anything for the others, only for himself. Meeting Isac was a good thing though, if it weren't for him he would never have thought to....

Secretly when the others weren't paying attention he dug into a hidden away box and packed away a camera.

"Okay well...ah!" Shin threw a bag at him, which with Kremnaes's lightning speed slug reflexes, he failed to catch. It landed on the ground with a thud, and sheepishly Kremnaes picked it up. "No it's okay Isac I'm fine really. So are we ready to go?"

[Shin]

Well if Kremnaes wasn't going to fill the bag, then Shin was. But because Shins cooking skills were lacking he pretty much filled it with premade food. Dried goods, nuts and jerky, things that would last without being spoiled.

Surprisingly enough it wouldn't take Shin long to pack, he wasn't sure how much was needed so he filled the bag as well as a few of his own pockets with choice morsels. When he was done, which wouldn't be long after Isac he would motion back towards the door.

"Well, take us to your house Isac." Shin didn't know why he was trusting the kid, he was fully expecting him to not come back for him. Though wit Shins connections to Sturm, and Sturms to Usurii it wouldn't be long till they caught up to one another, if such a thing happened.

Pushing the thought out of his mind he would wait for Isac to lead the way.

[Zach Kaiser]

"Right." He led them out of the building and into the streets of the City of Shadows once more. It was a bit of an adventure, as several times along the way Isac seemed obviously unsure of which direction he was supposed to go, but after an hour or so of walking they eventually reached...well, it was a house that looked like all the other houses, but Isac knew it was his, via a piece of paper he took out of his pocket with a number written on it. Seeing that it matched the number on the house, he knew he was in the right place.

"Here we are!" he exclaimed cheerfully, swinging the door open. "Home sweet--hey, what the hell?!"

Isac would rush inside, and if Kremnaes and Shin followed him they would see why he was suddenly upset: the inside of his house was, while not completely trashed, obviously messed with. There were a few pieces of broken furniture, used dishes...as though someone had been there and haphazardly abused the place just for the sake of it.

After a few minutes of assessing the damage in various rooms, he came out of his room holding garment, one that did not belong to him and could only belong to the culprit. It was garment Shin would find very familiar: it looked nearly identical to an Enigma cloak, the only difference being it had no colored markings on it indicating position.

Kremnaes was more likely to recognize it as the cloak of a Gartel, an organization that their master seemed to have connections with, and that was known for treating the Ersatzshad like trash and getting away with it.

"Those bastards...didn't think they'd stoop this low," he declared. "Bunch'a cowards, sneaking in while I'm away--if they got a problem with me, I'd be more than happy to settle it face to face." He continued muttering angrily, temporarily forgetting why he was there and that he had guests.

[littlebean]

Unsure of what to do with the extra bag Shin threw at him, he simply placed it neatly on the shelf. His eyes were on Shin as he packed, wanting to make sure that he didn't dig into anything he ought not to, seeing as how it was against the rules for him to be in there in the first place. Instead Shin packed his bags full of nuts and beef jerky (very calorie dense food but Kremnaes wasn't going to bother him) and was on his way, with Isac leading.

Not a word was exchanged the entire walk, and he walked quietly as he had been ever since he met Shin. Not a word, not only out of fear, but the lack of anything to say. This was the way Kremnaes preferred it really, he wasn't too great at talking because he was constantly concerned that what he might say would offend someone or whatever other reason he could think of. Isac was leading them. It was clear that in their hour of walking that he wasn't entirely clear on where he was taking them. Kremnaes followed quietly, and didn't utter a peep.


When they reached the house it wasn't until Isac's sudden outburst that Kremnaes even bothered to say anything. "Isac what is it?" He sped walked his way into his home, ignoring the usual manners a guest follows in someone elses house, inviting himself in. "Oh god...oh god." The state of the house was upsetting sure, but his eyes completely ignored the damage, staring instead at the cursed jacket Isac was holding in his hands. A petty robber would be a blessing in comparison to what was happening now.

The otherwise quiet and compliant Kremnaes suddenly started to take the initiative, in a rush of panic, reaching to grab Isac's hand, where he would be dragged out of the house. A gartels cloak was the illest omen, the worst of the worst. Even though Kremnaes hadn't run into one (not that he could recall anyway), just the sound of their name had a sharp and intense feeling of fear attached to it he couldn't explain. "We're going.NOW!"He commanded.

[Shin]

Though the walk took much longer then Shin thought it would he kept his mouth shut, a very quiet walk indeed. He instead paid attention to his surroundings, taking in the very unusual sights. Over the years he had come to many strange lands, this was by far the strangest. There was obviously life in the area, but to Shin it felt like they might as well be the only three in the city, the only sound was that of their own boots scraping across the ground.

Once they finally reached Isac's house he would follow the kid inside, where it was apparent that something had gone down. Though... the Tenken hardly cared, Isac probably deserved it. He stepped to the side, lazily looking over the damage, it wasn't anything severe.

What did peak his interest was the coat Isac had came out with, one that eerily looked like the one he was currently wearing only without any sort of trim. What Shin took the most interest in was Kremnaes's reaction to it, he seemed to be the more panicked of the three.

"Hold on." Shin said, reaching for the coat to get a better look at it. "Whats going on, what does this mean?" Shin was oblivious to it, he knew it wasn't from the same organization his was but it obviously meant something, something not good.

[Zach Kaiser]

"Hey hey HEY!" Isac protested as he dug his feet in, refusing to be dragged by Kremnaes out of his own house. "The hell we are!" He was not about to flee his own house just because it was a little roughed up and there was a cloak there. His reaction was the exact opposite of the slug-man's: whereas Kremnaes obviously wanted to avoid encountering one of the Gartel at all costs, Isac seemed to almost be hoping they showed up.

"The Gartel are a bunch of jerk-asses who think they can pick on Ersatzshad and get away with it," he huffed. Isac had thus far avoided being a victim firsthand (which was fortunate, as such an incident could only escalate) but he had seen it happen before. And it ticked him off.

"You guys want to run and hide, go ahead. I'm fixing dinner and then going over to Usurii's, just I liked planned," he declared stubbornly.

[littlebean]

Even though Kremnaes tried his best to convince the other's to leave the site of the break in he was unsuccessful, and it hardly took any effort to overpower and overrule any suggestion he had or action he ever chose to take, when anything was ever done. Clearly he felt very strongly about leaving, but apparently not strongly enough to stand up for his own actions. A raised voice and some resistance from Isac was all it took for Kremnaes to back down, release his hold and grow completely quiet. The eyes on his chest were downcast and worried, and Kremnaes fiddled uncomfortably with the strap of his bag.

Most of what Isac had said was right. The Gartel as far as Kremnaes was concerned were a bunch of pricks ( he never dared express this opinion) and they did have a tendency to be a bunch of bullies, to put it lightly. What Isac didn't mention was that they were a necessary evil. Whether or not Isac even knew was a mystery, but there was a good reason why them and their behaviour was tolerated. The whats and the whys weren't an important subject right now, so long as they didn't interfere with his task.

In the end, Kremnaes decided he would stay with Isac, because he was at the time a necessity to him as well. Until he got what he needed done, he couldn't part ways with him just yet, even if it meant putting himself at risk in a place that was obviously unsafe. If he remembered correctly, Shin wouldn't be leaving Isac anyway, and since he needed to follow Shin, then the both of them left him no choice.

"W-well....when we're done we should go." Kremnaes barely mumbled to himself, helping himself to a spot in the corner of the room where he would constantly glance about for signs of trouble.

[Shin]

The simple fact that Isac even suggested Shin wanted to run and hide was rather insulting. If the boy could see the outrageous look on Shins face he would have realized his error, though Shin doubted he would have cared. Since Isac gave no resistence to Shin grabbing the coat he looked at it more closely.

"Let them come." He stated coldly, tipping his hood back and leveling his cold emotionless gaze on Isac, then moving it to Kremnaes. "I suggest we get comfortable while Isac fixes dinner."

Shin moved to a tipped over chair, setting it back on all fours he sat down, he pulled the scabbard with sword from his hips and layed it across the lap. He was faced in the direction of the door, the most obvious enterance to the building.

The events that took place here didn't really matter to Shin, but if the chance to fight one of them presented itself Shin would not be the type to turn it down. Unless something else happened the Tenken would remain seated and relaxed until dinner was ready.

[Zach Kaiser]

It's not like either of you two have anything to worry about, Isac thought with annoyance. Neither of them were Ersatzshad, so he reasoned neither would be a likely target for abuse.

"Right, right...though, I thought you guys were staying here," he mumbled. They'd better be--he wanted to go over to Usurii's place, but Usurii had made it clear that she didn't want to be anywhere near Shin...or rather she didn't want Mimi(k) to be anywhere near him.

But it seemed like he was unafraid, so chances were that he'd stay even if Kremnaes was too scared to. Well, Kremnaes had his own house, surely, so it wasn't much of a problem.

Preparing dinner would take a little bit and keep Isac occupied; if Kremneas and Shin wanted to talk without him present, it was the perfect chance.

[littlebean]

Oh ya let them come sure, let's get comfortable! It seemed that Kremnaes was sitting with a bunch of maniacs. The idea of openly welcoming harm instead of trying to distance yourself from it seemed completely unreasonable to Kremnaes, even if the harm wasn't guaranteed, why would you risk a confrontation? The fact that Shin and Isac were both adept and powerful fighters didn't really seem to cross his mind, and he still thought they were stupid more than insanely brave for sticking around. As for Kremnaes, he didn't even have the physical ability to run away, danger made him nervous.

So he continued to sit in his corner, not only out of any fear of being attacked, but also out of politeness. He didn't want to slime the furniture, the house already took enough damage, it was best he kept his slime only in one part of the house. Since he couldn't leave Shin's side, he may as well get some work done while he was there. He fiddled around with his bag in secret behind Shin's back. Perfect since he was facing the entrance, he may not see what he was about to do. Taking out the camera and hiding it behind his back, he placed it at the ready. Ready, aim and ,

"WHOAH ISAC LOOK BEHIND YOU!" He pointed dramatically at Isac even though there was nothing there, ready to take the picture. For someone who wasn't one for taking risks, he certainly was taking one now, but there may not be an opportunity like this again, he had to try.

[Shin]

Shin ignoreed Isac's mumbling. The Tenken had agreed to stay here, even though he assumed he was going to be ditched he was sure that he had the skill to track Isac down if need be. In the meanwhile, he thought to himself, time to get comfortable and enjoy a hot meal....

That was until Kremnaes shouted and pointed, with his back to both of them there was no way for Shin to know it was a ruse, and unfortunatley he trusted in kremnaes own cowardly nature to alert them to danger and not react, which only prompted Shin to act quicker.

He leaped forward, kicking the wooden chair he had been seated on with enough force to shatter against the wall... or to hit an attacker if one were behind him. At the same time he withdrew his Katana with near unmatched speed and spun to face....nothing.

He would wait for a moment, thinking perhaps he just didn't see it... but if time continued to pass the Shiden Blade would be leveled in the direction of Kremnaes, a deadly and serious look crossing Shins features.

[Zach Kaiser]

"Huh? What, where?!" Isac quickly spun around, examining the spot behind him. Unlike Shin, he didn't immediately associate with danger, though given his personality it was hard to tell if ever took anything as a credible threat.

Unlike Shin, Isac had no suspicions that Kremnaes would try and fool him, so even when it would become clear to most that there wasn't anything there, he continued to examine, squinting comically as though the problem was that he just wasn't looking hard enough.

"Hey, Kremnaes, what am I looking for?" he asked at last, still not turning back just yet.

[littlebean]

AND FIRE!

As soon as Isac turned his back to face the imaginary threat, Kremnaes took out his instant camera and quickly snapped a photo of the Aquasoul on his back when neither of them were looking, and put the camera away just as quickly where it would hopefully never be discovered by either of them. He got what he wanted, but now it was time to face the reprecussions of his actions.

"Gah!" The smashing of the chair triggered the usual cowardly reflexes in Kremnaes, causing him to flinch and cover his face. When the chair smashed against the wall and not himself he released his grip and eased up, opening his eyes to find that god damned sword pointed at him again. Isac had been more pleasant about the whole thing, Shin, not so much. It seemed to Kremnaes that he was looking for an excuse to use his blade, and if he wasn't careful he might just end up doing that.

"N-nothing Isac, i-it's gone now..." He told Isac, quivering again from the sword being pointed in his direction. "It's gone Shin. P-please, your sword..."