[Samaritan]

Michael Faraday

Balloon in Hand

Michael was happy that Kioko had put up with the walk over here. He had heard her vocalizations of contempt and disapproval as he had led her to this ramen shop, but it wasn't significantly different from the reactions he had from a number of friends in his later school years. Being a hero was one thing, but Michael's ultra altruism was grating at times... A nicely "contained" reaction like Kioko's was understandable so he just let it go. If it was something personally offensive, he would hope she'd let him know but as it was, Michael wasn't going to expect her to match his sentiment or demeanor about how he interacted with people.

Sitting down in the booth it was comforting for Michael to see her appear to relax more. At least that is how he perceived it. After all, Michael was a very straight forward and open kind of person, so he gave people that kind of benefit of the doubt to share who they were or how they felt. He wouldn't push unless it was necessary for their safety.

"I think so... your parents were into making gear for heroes, right?" Michael said trying to remember as best he could, but it only came to him in the broadest strokes. He felt a little embarrassed to not remember too much more than that.

Notes & Tags: Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

“Close enough.”

And it was. There was no reason to get into the nitty gritty details. At least not about this particular facet of her history. Michael didn’t need to know that her father wasn’t involved in the family business, just her mother. He didn’t need to know that the parent who still drew breath was a Quirkless police officer that her grandparents never thought to be good enough to be brought into their family in the first place. He also didn’t need to know that he had turned into a violent drunk when her mother died. Nor did he need to know about the incident where he broke Kioko’s jaw before he was tossed off estate premises that led to him now living in a slum somewhere. Of the things that had transpired over the last few years, those somehow counted among the less egregious. Still, there was a little nuance that needed to be clarified to set the scene for the story.

“Sovereign Technologies has grown into an international mega-corporation since the advent of meta abilities. As such, it has many satellite locations across the world. These usually have specific areas of focus. The company highlights Hero support gear since that field is in the midst of an economic boom, but it has a hand in nearly every technological development category from common household goods to cutting edge medical equipment.”

A decidedly monotone cadence had ushered out her descriptions thus far began to crack toward the end even though she had yet to scratch the surface of the situation. It was almost as if her voice was so disused in regards to the current topic that it was rusty and every word highlighted the obvious neglect. Handling emotions had never been her forte. Repression was more her style.

She shifted in the booth, as if seeking comfort from a new position. But there wasn’t any reprieve. The only way past the moment now was through. No retreat. So she pushed forward.

“One of these foreign facilities developed a mask to help with sleep apnea. It was tested internally by people within the company from other locations. Including my mother. She died. Along with forty-six other people that participated in the trial due to a malfunction of the prototype. At the time, she was CEO after stepping down from Heroics since my grandfather had retired from the business, as well as the Hero field, and his oldest son, who was supposed to take over initially, died years before from a medical condition. As was common knowledge, I was next in line due to my… intellect, rather than my other uncle who was my mother's youngest brother and my grandparents' youngest child.”

Kioko couldn’t bring herself to say genius when describing the reason she had been heiress to a top position in the tech industry even at such a young age. To boast in the middle of the retelling of her own Shakespearean tragedy seemed garish. The fact was, however, there was no one better suited for leading Sovereign Technologies than she. So why wasn’t she?

The answer and the reason for all of the set up was delayed by their server returning to the table with drinks in hand. She set them down in front of the pair. Kioko reached for her tea and drew it close, letting heat sink into a hand that she had not realized was clenched up until that moment. It matched the tension returning to the rest of her that had restored her rigid posture as she spoke. Once more she sunk into the booth, letting energy leech from her even as she absorbed the warm from her drink.

Notes & Tags: Samaritan

[Samaritan]

Michael Faraday

The Tea over Tea

Michael listened with solemn contemplation for Kioko's retelling of her life since he had last known her. He hadn't thought too much on just how big her family's company had been, though it did make sense. As open and friendly as his parents attempted to be, there was always a social barrier that kept the majority of the world at bay from Michael. His play-dates and friends were meticulously arranged until he reached high-school and managed to convince his mother's side into allowing him to attend public school. So for Kioko to have been able to play with him at all when he was young, it would make sense that her family had to be up fairly high on the social ladder to permit their meeting. Usually that meant noble or celebrity children, but CEO of a successful meta support tech company would definitely apply. Michael only knew that Kioko's family was involved with that kind of product from his father who claimed he used Sovereign Technology back in his active field days.

Kioko's distant tone as she explained made Michael's stomach sink from the emotional detachment. As he continued to listen his stomach churned more in concern and pity for his friend to have dealt with such a life. After all, she had lost her mother faulty equipment and then expected to step up in her place because of her intelligence. But he knew that there was much more to this that was delayed by the arrival of their drinks. Michael watched with tense breath as she clung to the warm mug of tea and drank from it. He didn't want to try pushing her as she would explain what she could at her own pace.

Michael took his mug of tea and despite his balloon coated face, he brought the cup to where his mouth should be and appeared to take a drink. No liquid spilled and there had been a slurping sound in spite of the balloon being an seemingly intact barrier covering the mouth that had made a distinct sipping sound. The cup even appeared less full as he set it back down to the table, ready for her to continue her tale.

Notes & Tags: Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

The oddity of watching someone with a balloon for a head consume, well, anything, was nearly enough to shake Kioko from her morose state. Perhaps if there had been more to observe beyond the sounds of normal drinking and the disappearance of liquid, she might have been inclined to set aside both her dour mood and her tea in favor of curiosity and inquiries of her own. As it were, the silence stretched so long that it seemed as if she might not continue, but after another sip of her own beverage, she shifted to return her cup to the table and renew her poor bardic attempt in a voice so low that only Michael could hear her—and just barely.

“My father took my mother’s death hard. We all did. But he let it consume him and eventually his actions in the aftermath of her passing had him removed from the family and the grounds. He was only related to the core of the Kushiki family by marriage to my mother and by the existence of my brother and myself. My brother wasn’t doing well handling things either. Our father’s expulsion seemed to be a tipping point for him.”

At least part of a tipping point. Kioko could not explain to Michael the second aspect of what triggered the incident forthcoming from her mouth. “He… blamed me for the situation. For reasons that are… unclear.” Unclear only because she couldn’t reveal the full truth. To expose her uncle’s hand in the situation would also unveil the methods she had employed to find out the truth in the last year. She trusted Michael as much as she could given the circumstances, but not enough to risk going back to jail.

“He ended up attacking me. At first I thought it was just a hormonal teenage boy blowup under the pressure of everything. He was younger than me and I was only seventeen at the time. But it became clear that he… he was trying to kill me. So I had to use my Quirk to defend myself.”

Her eyes had shifted away from Michael to the ceiling above where he couldn’t see the shadows of her past crossing over them in the form of unshed tears. “I didn’t mean to hurt him. I just wanted to stop him. However, my Quirk is dangerous to other people even at the best of times. At the worst of times, such as back then, it’s deadly. And so he died and I lived, even if I wish more than anything it was the other way around now.” She was silent after the last line. An admission she had neither been actively conscious of nor willing to reveal had slipped past in the stream of history. She moved on. To linger on it was to allow Michael to linger on it as well, which she did not want.

“Anyway, I was put on trial for involuntary manslaughter as a minor. I was found guilty and served a year in prison. During that time, my uncle took over the company and disavowed me from the family. I got out last year and now here I am. So to answer the question that started it all… no, I’m not fine.”

As her tale ended, their server turned up with food in hand. Or rather, on tray. She transferred it to the table. It was a good thing she had ordered soup. Kioko wasn’t particularly hungry after her confession.

Notes & Tags: Samaritan

[Samaritan]

Michael Faraday

Loss for Words

Michael listened to the heart-breaking story quietly, giving her the time she needed to express it and share what she wanted to from it. As she finished, Michael very badly wanted to reach across the table and hold her hand in support. He resisted the urge because he managed to finally pick up on how little she wanted to be touched, at least without control of the contact. He could only take a silent inhale as he kept his sad eyes on her. With his unreadable face it was difficult to tell where he was looking or what he was thinking, especially now with the solemn moment dimming his reactions and body language. To fight the urge to try placing his hand on hers, Michael gently folded his hands together as he finally tried to speak.

"Kioko... I... I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that." He almost said 'all of that alone' but there was no need to reiterate that. Even if he had known, even if he had been there, what could he have done to help. What could he do now...? "Kioko. I-." The normally cheery balloon man was at a loss for words. What could he say? She was beyond the use for sympathy, but there had to be something he could do. "I- I can talk with my parents. I don't know what pull my mother's family might have for this, but there has to be something we can do..."

Notes & Tags: Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

Kioko eyed Michael’s hands warily as they moved to the table. Her own tale had overstimulated her mind. Physical touch, especially that from a place of kindness, would shatter the battered walls of her restraint. What lay beyond them was anyone’s guess. Would it be wrath lashing out or despair breaking down? Fortunately for them both, they weren’t going to find out. Michael wrangled his hands before himself. Kioko relaxed enough that she leaned forward to begin poking at her soup with a spoon though it was never lifted to her lips in the process. They were otherwise occupied forming her reply to Michael’s kindhearted offer.

“To what end?”

Her gaze shifted from the table to meet Michael’s. She could feel it even if she couldn’t see it. Compassion and pity from others had always weighed heavier on her than the scrutiny and scorn she had become used to in the glances snuck her way over the last couple of years.

“They did what any high society family would do to save face if one of their own turned out to be a murderer. The nature of the circumstances aside, even if your family could sway mine, why would I want to go back to people that clearly don’t want me? If they caved to social pressure, it’d just be to save face again. Not out of any concern or love for me. That died with my mother and brother.”

She ignored the fact that her father hadn’t died in her storytelling. Nor did she include the fact that she hellbent on revenge. To put her in a room with her uncle was to sign either one or both of their death warrants. They might have been socialites, fallen perhaps in Kioko’s case, to the rest of the world in daylight hours, but both lived dual lives with Villain as their alternate identity. So there was no happy ending for Kioko. Her tale could only end where it had started—in blood.

Notes & Tags: Samaritan

[Samaritan]

Michael Faraday

Seeking to Help

Michael was quiet for a long beat. There wasn't any kind of way to ease that problem, that pain she went through. He couldn't count on his bright and can-do attitude to be able to lift her spirits, much less help her with such a problem. So the only thing he could do is focus on making sure she was okay and comfortable now, then maybe they could figure out what to do about all of that.

"Where are you staying? At the very least, my parents might be able to assure you have support for housing and supplies. We could go talk with them right now, I'm sure they would want to help." Michael suggested. Deep down he had a churn in his stomach wondering why this wasn't something his parents had told him. Why they weren't already doing something? Did they know about this? If they knew what was happening they would definitely helped... so why didn't they? Michael didn't want to leave his friend alone.

"I'm sure you can manage on your own... but I don't want you to have to face all of this by yourself... not any more. I can help, even if its just with small things."

Notes & Tags: Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

Kioko could taste the bitterness at the back of her throat that had traveled down from where irony lurked at the edges of her mind. She had been ostracized from a world her time among the underground had proved she was built for. Cold and cunning did as much for keeping her alive among backstreets as it would aid in dominating the boardrooms of old she had commanded for a brief stint even with as young as she had been.

And then there was Michael.

A soft-hearted would-be savior. That world would eat him alive for his compassion. If she had to guess, that was why he hadn’t been told of her situation. He was simply too kind for reality and the nature of hardships outside the safe haven that he had been born into. If Kioko had realized that he had enrolled in UAU, she would have been shocked and warned him away from what was to come to spare him from difficulties that would seek to strip him of everything he was now, but she didn’t know. His path was set—and so was hers.

She shook her head. “I have a place.” It was vague, but place was more suitable a term than apartment for the little loft above a used electronics store that she rented out. “I appreciate your offer, but I really do get by fine on my own. I’m not helpless or a charity case for your parents to write off on their taxes.” Her pride was certainly a roadblock for Michael’s efforts of aid, but so was her need for secrecy. She didn’t need the eyes of the society that had shunned her turned upon her any more closely than they already were. The prospect of such a thing made her remarks about his parents' hypothetical offer a little more barbed than she would have otherwise intended, so Kioko shifted away from that reasoning before her wicked tongue assailed him with something too sharp to take back.

“The whole genius thing wasn’t a rumor or just for show, you know. Billions of people who aren’t geniuses get by every day just fine. So I already have an advantage that most don’t.”

Had Kioko turned her gifts toward honest pursuits, it certainly would have been true. She could have built her own empire from scratch and clawed her way back to the top even if no one wanted her there. Instead, she had chosen to weaponize her mind and talents toward the downfall of her uncle’s empire. Michael had offered her a chance to take the high road, but her eyes were set on traveling its lower counterpart.

Notes & Tags: Samaritan

[Samaritan]

Michael Faraday

Ramen and Tea

"Right... of course." Michael said solemnly. He knew there was nothing he could do, and more nothing that he could offer that would be needed or wanted by her at this point. The world had eaten up the young girl that he knew and it wasn't his place or duty to save her. She had saved herself, at least as best as she could. "Well... Then at least let me treat you to this meal." Michael said with a soft singular laugh.

They had gone down distant parallel paths... but Michael didn't want this to be it. He didn't want to lose her friendship again. He didn't know the full extent of hardships she had to endure and knowing wouldn't change what had happened or what she needed from life now. She didn't need him to try rescuing her, so he could at least be there for her.

"Perhaps, I could treat you to a meal every couple of weeks and we could catch up. I'd like to see you more Kioko-chan." He said gently, leaving behind some of the childishness but still kept some level of familiarity.





Michael smiled as best he could to his old friend. They finished their meals and exchanged numbers before parting ways. It was uncertain if she had given him a fake number or not, but she had a way to contact him, so that was something. Michael wasn't sure if he'd ever see Kioko again. But he'd always leave the door open just in case she ever needed him.

Notes & Tags: Kushiki Kioko

[Jinx]

☆ MISSION SUCCESS ☆

A bittersweet reunion.
Great thread you two!

+ 5,000 EXP!!

Michael: 11,750//16,750 <monthly cap reached>
Kioko: 8,000 // 13,000

tag: Kushiki Kioko,Samaritan