A Day at the Tailors [Open]

CRACK, WHACK, SMACK, WHACK, CRACK, BOMPH, BANG, CLATTER, CLANG, CRACK SMASH, BANG!

Fists rushing at a rate impossible to keep track of, the arms of the pole spinning the moment they were hit. Again and again, every strike like a bomb shell in both speed and power, as Doresu Ayako, the Kunoichi Cloth, trained her martial arts. Her brow coated in sweat, furrowed in deep concentration, she kept her strikes varied and quick, and replied every arm of the pole as it swung towards her with a brutal counter. Whether it was with her elbow, her curled fist, the back of her hand or her open palm, she struck the training pole harder and harder and faster and faster, until she stopped seeing the poles coming and just acted on instinct. That bizarre state of being when one no longer sees the incoming input, when the attacks fall away, when her concious efforts to move her body stop and she just... reacts. Her arms became a blur, the pole became nothing, she was one with her martial art for a few brief moments...

"Wait," Ayako thought, not stopping her training as she looked up to the ceiling in thought. "I'm sure I've forgotten something..." Her gaze danced around the room, hopping from spot to spot, until she saw the clock. Her heart chilled over. "Oh damn it, the shop!"

In her training, she had completely forgotten about running the tailor shop. She danced away from the pole, charging to her towel to wipe the sweat away from her face. The moment she felt half-dry, she wrapped her traditional Aerugese dress over her sports bra and shorts, and over that a blue cardigan. She didn't bother styling her hair appropriately, only patting it into shape as she walked down the stairs from her secretive, small private dojo and into the much larger stall where she ran her tailoring business. Wooden floors and wooden walls, the entire place giving off an age old vibe, as if the customer had just stepped into a film set in the 1400's. She quickly checked the till. Nothing gone, or at least nothing she noticed, so at least her airheaded forgetfulness didn't have consequence. Then she looked up to her shelves.

"Why did I ever put my shelves like this?" She said. She was never satisfied with the way she had arranged her shelves; in fact, everyday she rearranged them... twice. It was part of her compulsive nature, which even the most casual onlooker would confuse for a disorder. She immediately clambered recklessly up the shelves, her grace the only thing stopping her from falling as she stood on the shelves that barely had any room for her feet as she fed a stack of blue wool into her arms. In fact, when she heard someone walk through the door, she nearly fell off in surprise.

"Hi! Welcome to... oop!" Ayako began her greeting, but saw a roll of wool fall. She caught it with her foot, now hanging on some shaking shelves with just one foot. She grinned awkwardly to the customer, before feeding the roll on her foot onto her desk. With that, she leapt onto the floor, not even looking perturbed, before flashing a kind, sort of shy smile to the customer. "Yes, welcome to the Doresu Tailors, where we make clothes, repair clothes, and buy clothes. How can I help you today?"

Ryuu really hated buying suits sometimes. Well, actually that wasn't true. He loved buying suits. Getting them tailored, not so much. He had yet to find a tailors he liked. He had tried a variety of the years, taking one suit as a test each time. Sure, they all came back with the right specifications. Yet they never suited him as well as he hoped. So here he was again, trying out another tailor. He had a simple gray suit laid over his arm as he pushed the door open, hearing the bell chime.

He looked up at the worker who was... perching on a shelf with a roll of fabric on her foot. Ryuu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, concerned for the young lady's safety. Not that he need of worried. She got the fabric and herself to the floor in practiced ease. He smiled and bowed slightly. “I've need to get a suit tailored. Perhaps you can be the one to help me?”




[Sorry it's short. =( ]

“I've need to get a suit tailored. Perhaps you can be the one to help me?” Ayako couldn't deny that, while he was polite enough, he certainly wasn't an imposing figure. Shorter than her, yes, and he certainly looked scrawny, but with the eyepatch and the scar across the side of his face, he had a presence in the room that would've unnerved a lesser woman. Ayako never considered herself lesser though, and she simply took his odd appearance in stride, walking over to him with some tape measure in her hand.

"Ok then, sir. Just need to take some measurements and a few questions and you'll be in a new suit in no time." She said, her voice sounding like a gentle whistling of a kettle. "Did you have anything in mind for the suit? I'm seeing a dark red; velvet if it's for special occasions. Just goes with your black shirt, though your say's the final one." She began by measuring his shoulders; not incredibly broad, not a whole lot bigger than his waist. A narrow body had didn't have a lot of variations in the shape. It wouldn't take up too much of her patches, she supposed.

"So, what do you do for a living?" She asked politely, mainly to pass the time and make things more casual as she took the remainder of his measurements. "If I may say, you look to have been in the wars a bit. Rough work?"

"Ok then, sir. Just need to take some measurements and a few questions and you'll be in a new suit in no time." Ryuu was surprised by the young woman's demeanor. Casual business, though she was rather soft-spoken. Hm... maybe this wouldn't be such a bad tailor after all. "Did you have anything in mind for the suit? I'm seeing a dark red; velvet if it's for special occasions. Just goes with your black shirt, though your say's the final one." He removed the suit from over his arm, resting it on the counter as she wielded her tape measure. He was a little surprised she felt the desire to do measurements in the middle of the store, but... hey, to each their own. He fell easily into a neutral stance, shifting his arms and legs as needed. Clearly a man who has done this before. “Dark red seems a little too dramatic I think. Unless it's a very dark red.” He mused that a dark red suit could be lovely when dancing, but if he could have it be a subtle enough tint of color, he could get away with it work functions as well.

"So, what do you do for a living? If I may say, you look to have been in the wars a bit. Rough work?" Ryuu wanted to shrug his shoulders, but knew that wasn't really conducive to her measurement-taking. “Not the wars, no. Just the streets. I'm a police officer.” He decided to leave the fact that he was a major figurehead in the justice system under wraps. He didn't want to deal with any clash of celebrity or anything. Plus he didn't want to be treated differently just because he was top dog. He gave a small smile as he gestured with a few fingers towards the suit on the counter. “I'll also need the legs on those pants hemmed, maybe the suit jacket taken in.”

Tiny feet beat the pavement. Unheard beneath the thousands of others in unison. So many people were out this morning and ready to go to their day to day jobs. Only interrupted in their web of plans, ideas, and wishes as a little child snakes in between the crowd. The only way that this was any kind odd is that she had stark white hair.

Hair that should be on a much older person's head. So all they did is stare wistfully or in a dumbfounded manner before moving on. Undisturbed by her presence that had left just as fast as it arrived.

Sad to say that her being had not escaped the sights of two men in uniform. As they ran in her wake, they blew a whistle for the crowd to part. As if by moses himself, the sea of suits and finely brushed hair parted before the men.

They were policemen, and their job was to catch NIN.


She searched any way to get as far from them as possible. She ran between legs, slipped past couples holding hands, and even shimmied behind a vending machine and into an alley. They would be sure to cut in front of her on the other side, so she simply hid under a box as they ran past. When they started searching, she bolted out the alley and into another lane.

There was a man who had already entered so she used his wide girth to slip past without setting off the bell. She then tuck-and-rolled to the side, just beneath the window and away from view.

She didn't know if the two knew she was already there or if they were feigning interest, but she remained there all the same.

She had to escape from those policemen. She didn't want to go to the orphanage again, or go to a medical faculty. She wanted to stay with SolSul so she could find her grandfather. Find her grandfather and learn the art of the Yakuza.

NIN remembered the happy memories she had when she was with them, before they disappeared like smoke in the dark. They were one of the happiest memories she had... and the most sad.

NIN ignored what was happening behind her. Their talk and their banter of what to get and what not to get. She was more preoccupied with what was outside. She saw the two men in uniform run by... and pass the shop.

One breath in, one breath out.

She was finally safe. As she relaxed her ears adjusted to the sound inside of the shop and heard something that tightened her right back up.

"So, what do you do for a living? If I may say, you look to have been in the wars a bit. Rough work?"
“Not the wars, no. Just the streets. I'm a police officer.”

NIN whipped her head back to the window. The police officers were retracing their steps. Questioning people along the way. After ducking back down she rolled behind the racks of fabric to get a closer look at the officer. Was he the type she could fool?

Maybe.

NIN flipped open her phone and decided to snap a picture of the man to run against AIKI's database of law enforcement.

“Not the wars, no. Just the streets. I'm a police officer.”

"That's cool. Any good stories?" Ayako played the role of the mildly distracted and casual tailor, asking questions just to keep the customer in a sense of ease, but in the her head, alarm bells were ringing. The Kunoichi Cloth was a very recent addition to the citizenship of Kyoto, but her impact was being felt quickly, and she didn't know whether the police made easy friends of vigilante ninjas. If he somehow worked out who she was, things could be a disaster. Though Ayako reconsidered her situation as she kept measuring; after all, who's to say a police officer in her shop wasn't a chance to find out just how they felt about the Kunoichi Cloth.

"Say, if you're a cop, you'll know this; you heard of that woman running around beating up ninjas and criminals and stuff?" She asked him, sounding more mildly curiously than directly involved. "What are they calling her, the Kon-choo something cloth, I think." As she had got all the measurements she needed, and she idly grabbed a 6-6 patch of fabric and a much larger square of velvet from her desk, a very dark red, not taking her eyes off her customer and not noticing the little girl who hid behind the desk.

"Ok then, sir, this might sound a little odd, but to make your suit I'll need to put your hands on your back; if you could get your back as straight as you can, and when I push you try to stay as still as possible." She explained what she was about to do, throwing the sheet of velvet onto his back, before she cracked her knuckles. The patch she had was a red fabric, with her transmutation circle burning gold against the patch as she put this on his back. She slowly placed this onto his back, then straightened her arms, one fed on top of the other. When she was sure that her customer was ready, she pushed forwards. Her natural strength was fed through her hands, the patch simply melting into the velvet, but the strength was diverted by her force of will and the circle's properties; her alchemy made the velvet move, first with a twitch, then in ripples as it began to conform to her customer's form, and then it moved in grand, dramatic waves, each individual shape wrapping against its brethren. The velvet had become like the sea, constantly shifting and moving as waves, and Ayako's alchemy was acting like a tide. The velvet wrapped around Ryuu's arms and his body, before it finally crawled to a halt. It fit him comfortably, not outsizing him but giving him plenty of room to move and breathe. Sans buttons, the jacket was done. Ayako quickly inspected her handiwork, muttering under her breath about the measurements.

"Right, I'll have to do the same for your trousers, and I'll need to sow on some buttons, but how does that feel on you?" She asked, before she walked back to the desk. "I'll just get the trousers sorted out and then we'll OH GOD!"

Her fist was as fast as a viper's tongue; before she saw just who her intruder was, Ayako's knuckles had already clapped onto the girl's head in a brutal haymaker. The tailor looked again and immediately regretted it, pulling the girl up and making sure she wasn't hurt. "Oh my god oh my god I'm so sorry, you startled me, I thought you was a burglar or something." She fussed over the white-haired girl's head, slightly too distracted to ask the important questions of "Who are you" and "What are you doing in my shop" and simply looked back to her customer with a nervous grin; she didn't want to get arrested for assault on a minor, even if the little kid had startled her.

"That's cool. Any good stories?" Ryuu shrugged his shoulders lightly, knowing the woman was measuring him up. He supposed he had some good stories, but he wasn't sure. Luckily, by the time he had managed to think of one, the tailor had changed the subject. Asking about a woman beating up criminals. Ryuu racked his brain. “I don't think so... hasn't come across my desk yet. But I suppose I could check it out.” This new vigilante must have been active enough for a common tailor to hear about her. He made a mental note to start some research when he returned to the office.

"Ok then, sir, this might sound a little odd, but to make your suit I'll need to put my hands on your back; if you could get your back as straight as you can, and when I push you try to stay as still as possible." A puzzled look crossed over his face but he stood straight as a soldier, as if he was still in the academy. The puzzled look turn to one of confusion and shock as the velvet crawled around his body and formed into a jacket. He would've swore, but he was trying to hold still. When she stepped away, he flexed experimentally. ...Wow. That was... wow. It was a pretty much perfect fit. And the velvet didn't looked too bad, from what he could see on his arms. He was about to compliment Ayako on this when he heard her shout and a crash of fist meeting face.

He ran over to Ayako behind the counter where she was holding a... SMALL GIRL??? "Oh my god oh my god I'm so sorry, you startled me, I thought you was a burglar or something." Ryuu scowled, easily scooping up the tiny girl. “Go get some ice, if you have any. She'll probably have a huge lump.” He sat the girl down onto the counter, leaning her back against his chest. He looked at her face, trying to discern whether or not she was unconscious by the blow. “Are you alright, little miss?” He spoke quietly, not wanting to startle her any further.

She was almost there... she had snapped a picture and was now running it against the AIKI programming. It was already relevant that he wasn't a police officer but someone higher up the food chain. As it was running, she always wondered where the food chain came from. Was it for chains, or a food made out of a chain?

Or maybe-WHACK!

Everything went white for a second and spots started to appear in her vision. She could hear someone speaking as if under water. Did the officer get her? Was she going to that nasty place again? Filled with crying babies and rude kids.

As she got her senses back... she found that she was now on a desk and... AND THE COP WAS HOLDING HER! SHE WAS GOING TO JAIL!!

NIN tried to struggle away, but her latest run-in with a fist had her treading through snow. “Are you alright, little miss?”

wait.

Did he know that she was a criminal?

With the look on his face, no. Maybe this is a good thing to have a cop around her. Or at least within these few minutes.

"I-I'm okay..." She sat up a bit, her eyes still swimming with lights. Her cell phone pinged with the answer from AIKI. NIN's tiny hand bolted to the machinery and scrolled through the info....

The blood drained from her cheeks as she read the results. This man wasn't just a policeman, but head of the police force. Information flashed in her head.

This man ruled over Kaede Soshi. Kaede Soshi was after her along with Osamu. Osamu is apart of the secret family that controls the power shift of Aerugo...

Could this man be with them? NIN started to shake a bit...

“Go get some ice, if you have any. She'll probably have a huge lump.” Ayako made no protest, simply disappearing away. She charged into the private dojo, but she thought to lock the door before one of them became curious and looked into her private space. With that done, she moved across the dusty mat to a small freezer in the corner and pulled it open with an almighty force. The door gave an audible creak, but she pulled out a small ice pack. Atop the freezer itself shook a bottle of painkillers and some bandages. She frowned. The girl didn't look older than six years old; she only took half a painkiller, worried that anything more would cause even more damage to her. She took the roll of bandages, though, deciding to prepare for the possibility of cutting her.

When Ayako got back down to her shop, she saw the girl perched dizzily on the desk, Ryuu holding her close. Ayako placed the ice pack and the bandages down next to the girl, before she placed the half-painkiller in the girl's hand. "If you need some water or juice to get that down, just ask, 'coz it tastes horrible." She explained, before examining her forehead, moving her snow white hair to the side. "There's a bruise showing already, but no blood. I've probably knocked seven bells out of you, but you should be fine. It'll sting a little for a few days, but at least nothing's broken." She placed the ice pack against the girl's head, and secured it in place with a strip of bandaging. "What were you doing in here, anyway? Are you lost? Is someone supposed to be taking care of you?"

A thought occurred to Ayako as she said that.

"Is someone supposed to be taking care of you?" She repeated, more to herself than anyone else. That was a very good question indeed. Why a tailor? Why would a child consciously simply waltz into a tailor's and hide behind the desk? Ayako's brow furrowed deeply as she turned away, looking to the door. It wasn't open. She walked to the door, her mind wandering away from Ryuu and the girl's bruise as she did, before opening it and poking her head outside.

A bustling crowd. Some policemen intermingled in the crowd, but they weren't particularly imposing. No one outwardly suspicious. She closed the door again, her eyes burning as the instincts of a fighter rolled in. She mentally prepared herself for anything to come through that door, be it a school bully, a man in a suit, a swarm of ninjas, a rhino, or absolutely nothing. She then moved back to the counter, her eyes locking with the albino's. "Did they see you come in here?" She whispered urgently.

"I-I'm okay..." He smiled down at the small girl, glad to hear that she was talking. That was a good sign. Ryuu looked up as Ayako came through the door, missing the ping of the cellphone and NIN's reaction to the information on it. He noticed Ayako gave the girl half a pain-killer which was smart, although not safe until they knew how old the girl was. Didn't want to end up poisoning the girl. “Hold off on the pill until we're sure you don't need it. Are you old enough to be taking painkillers?” The girl was still dazed, but Ryuu hoped that she would recall whether or not she had taken pills before.

He watched with mild curiousity as Ayako began to pepper the girl with questions. Some were innocent enough but Ryuu grew concerned as Ayako's tone and manner changed. It was as if the tailor was expecting something to happen. Oddly curious, this one. The Cloth-character that Ayako had mentioned just a little earlier flitted back into Ryuu's mind. Yes, he would definitely be looking into that when he returned to the office. In the meantime, he adjusted the little girl more comfortably, sitting her up a little bit more. He made sure the bandage and ice pack was staying secure on her forehead. “Let's start with your name and if you're lost. I'm Ryuu and I want to help you.” He gave NIN a friendly smile.

NIN took the half pill in her hand, not knowing what it was just yet. She stuffed the machine that made her think her fate was sealed right back into her hoodie. This man was a police officer and not on her side. Those were two very good reasons to cause a gas leak, cut out the lights and pull a fire alarm while on her way to the bathroom to squeeze out the window.

Though there were policemen outside too.

Augh, her head throbbed. She couldn't think straight with such pain in a vital area. She was about to take what was in her hand until the policeman stopped her.
“Hold off on the pill until we're sure you don't need it. Are you old enough to be taking painkillers?”

Blinking quizzically she was about to answer except for the lady that botched her had started speaking too. "If you need some water or juice to get that down, just ask, 'coz it tastes horrible."

She looked down at her tiny hand and saw the little white pill. It looked like a scrubbed tombstone with how it was cut in half. It was a painkiller. " Um.... Juice please?" You know that every kid in their right mind would choose the best.

Even as the lady was rambling she was looking to and fro, searching in her mind on how to get out of this mess. A cop and a seamstress. Not many options at all without showing some skill in something. With how she saw the kids in the orphanage around her age: that would be some difficulty.

A girl who was smarter than she looked, a man who was a police captain, and a seamstress. This is what she had to work with.

The lady caught her ear yet again.

"What were you doing in here, anyway? Are you lost? Is someone supposed to be taking care of you?"
"Is someone supposed to be taking care of you?"

Then she came to the door and poked her head out. NIN grew very uncomfortable with that. She'd attract the two men outside! No!

She bolted straight up and was about to get up off the counter until that woman gave her a look. It looked just like Nakajima, a woman who was skilled in guns and drug trafficking. Like Makoto, the head of the Yakuza that could electrocute a man while eating out of a pudding cup, and just like her cousin Osamu, who was Japan's silent Kunoichi for years with only one sighting of her... said to be a myth. Yet all of those eyes including her cousin's... mirrored inside of the seamstress.

It was what she was used to, and thus relaxed into the policeman's arms. NIN's eyes shone with a bit of mischief and a grin.

A girl who was smarter than she looked, a man who was a police captain, and a seamstress who was the object of war.

"Did they see you come in here?"

The captain messed with something that was attached to her head and began to be comforting.

“Let's start with your name and if you're lost. I'm Ryuu and I want to help you.”

NIN smiled nervously back.

"I-I'm Hikari... it means light. I'm 8 and no one saw me come in." She leaned forward quickly, with a bit of tear in her eye. Mostly because her head still hurt. " But don't bring me to the police! I don't want to go there!"

She looked down as if to be a bit dejected." I can't find Mako-sama. Or Naka-onesan."

A big mess up there. NIN's sense of family was very different from other's and didn't know that having a family of Yakuza... is not normal. Though only people who know Makoto and Nakajima by their nicknames could tell a child was talking about them.

"I-I'm Hikari... it means light. I'm 8 and no one saw me come in." Ayako resisted the urge to smirk. Given her complexion, a name meaning 'light' was pretty suitable, but she thought that sniggering at the name of a little girl she had just punched wasn't a good idea. However, the thing Hikari said next worried her.

"But don't bring me to the police! I don't want to go there!" A pause. "I can't find Mako-sama. Or Naka-onesan." And she said this while sitting in the lap of a police officer. Ayako didn't honestly think that right now was the best time to interrogate a small, distressed eight year old about the possibility of bent cops, but her and Ryuu couldn't discuss in private and leave the girl unattended. Maybe if she focused on the conversation on something else...

"Mako-sama and Naka-onesan..." She murmured, before looking up to Ryuu. "Carers, perhaps? Maybe we could phone them. If Hikari's got their number then you can use my phone to call them, it's just on the desk there. I'll go get that juice." She said this, before walking into the room right next to the shop; it was just around the corner, out of sight, but well in earshot of the shop; if Ryuu made Hikari more distressed, or if Hikari made a break for it, then Ayako would know. She got some juice out of a nearby cupboard, but she was unusually noisy, the glass clinking against the door and every cupboard closing with a slam.

Just enough sound to make sure neither of them could hear the window open.

Ayako gave another scan of the street. Once again, nothing outwardly suspicious. However, with what Hikari had said, the policemen just seemed to pop out. Two of them met, most of the others simply walking by and not concerned with anything else. But these two were up to something. When one of them waved in the vague direction of the shop, Ayako's lazy scan became a thin glare. It would've been a whole lot simpler for her if it was just some school bullies rather than the law. Still, maybe if she asked Ryuu, he might confirm that they had a bad reputation. It was a long shot, but if there was a chance of making sure Hikari was safe, then making sure of who was after her wasn't a bad idea. Her eyes leapt to their shoulders; the identification numbers. One of the two looked her way, but her eyes passed over him, as if looking for someone else entirely. His own gaze passed over her in turn, hopefully thinking that Ayako was just looking around.

She closed the window, finally pouring the orange juice for the little girl. She walked back into the room, placing the glass by her side. "Hope you like orange, it's all I had." She said, before looking up to Ryuu and making sure to speak to him without Hikari hearing. "There are two policemen wandering around outside, and they seem mighty eager to find something or someone. ID's 4E0E and 1G3R. Either of them ring a bell?"

"I-I'm Hikari... it means light. I'm 8 and no one saw me come in. But don't bring me to the police! I don't want to go there!" Ryuu was mildly surprised at Hikari's outburst about the police. Never mind that he ran the whole force. But if she didn't want to go to a police station, Ryuu wasn't going to drag her. Not without a good reason. And being lost wasn't exactly the best reason.

“I can't find Mako-sama. Or Naka-onesan."

"Mako-sama and Naka-onesan... Carers, perhaps? Maybe we could phone them. If Hikari's got their number then you can use my phone to call them, it's just on the desk there. I'll go get that juice." Ryuu looked down at Hikari as Ayako disappeared to get some juice for the little girl. “Do you have a phone number we could call? Or where did you last see them?” He wondered if the girl had been with them and they had gotten lost in the crowds outside. Or was it possible she had run enough in a fit of anger and realized she just wanted to go home. The options were pretty much endless. Ryuu didn't think too much further on it as Ayako returned with the juice.

"There are two policemen wandering around outside, and they seem mighty eager to find something or someone. ID's 4E0E and 1G3R. Either of them ring a bell?" Ryuu looked down at Hikari to make sure she was absorbed in her juice and had not overheard Ayako. He frowned a little. The ID number's that Ayako had rattled off did not seem at all familiar. Then again, he had thousands of people under him and he couldn't memorize them all. Sure he knew the outstanding cops and had tabs on the corrupt ones. But those two were unknown to him. He shook his head, keeping his voice equally low so the girl didn't overhear. “No. But I'll handle them if they happen to come in here.” Ryuu continued to be more puzzled by this young tailor woman who seemed to be extremely nosey and just a little bit off, somehow. Yes, he would definitely being do some more research. In the meantime, if those officers had been looking for this little girl, he would handle it. Being the boss had its perks, after all.

NIN saw this reaction play out. The woman getting her juice for her pain medication, which was dearly needed. She made loud noises in there, a little too much for juice... Then again she could be taking it out of a fruit. This officer was the head of the police operation so it would be unlikely that there would be any fighting with the other two.

If the policemen entered into here, the tables would be completely be turned. She was the girl who had murdered 4 people, two including cops with uncanny accuracy. Though that was over a year ago. Two store cashiers shot in the head with a .45, one officer stabbed in the thigh with electrical burn marks on the palms. The second police officer with wire lacerations around his neck and a bullet in his chest matching a .22. Their blood pools were found near the 9 bus stop, but their bodies found near a popular dump site for the Yakuza.

None of her fingerprints were found except for a police hat, which she wore for a bit. All was found was tiny prints fit for a child, and a strand of white hair which matched none of the databases. This was presumed to be a false trail, common of the Yakuza to do so. Though in the policemen's standpoint: why would they choose children's hair? And who was that child that wasn't in the database?

Good thing the police accounts were digital. If it was analog, she would have a hard time. Though that wasn't why they were chasing her. She was simply a child without a parent and bolted as soon as they asked for her name. Her white hair was simply a reason to not give up on that search. When it came to police officers, they never stop when it comes to a death of their coworkers.

“Do you have a phone number we could call? Or where did you last see them?”

NIN shook her head while closing her eyes tight. " No... I saw them when they were setting up the raid for the people that wanted more power. Naka brought me home and we ate beef-noodle. I fell asleep on the table, but when I woke up she was gone! The house was emptied and Maka's hideout is gone too!" She wasn't going to tell a cop that all she had left of them was a mask that Naka would wear for raids and stealing from banks. It was securely in her backpack.

Hikari was close to tears when the woman showed up with a packaged juice. So it wasn't from the orange fresh? Then what was that banging for...?

"Hope you like orange, it's all I had."

She took the orange juice with a small thank you and sipped it with the headache medicine. She couldn't concentrate on two things at once as her dry throat was instantly relieved. The question remained in her head... will they come in?

Will she get out of here without this man arresting her?

Did he suspect her?

“No. But I'll handle them if they happen to come in here.” Well, it wasn't the response she hoped for, but at least they knew who to get rid of if the police decided to search in the shop. Ayako awkwardly remained silent for a few moments, not really sure what to say and how. Still, there was somewhat of a calm medium now, at least to Ayako, who hadn't heard what Hikari had said earlier nor could she anticipate Ryuu's reaction. She twiddled her thumbs, trying to busy herself.

"How about I just sew the buttons to that suit?" She said, not really expecting an answer. She took the red velvet and began attaching buttons of the same colour to the suit, hoping to finish it and simply pass the time; less of a chance to say something stupid or make something go wrong. Just keep quiet for now, and see how things play out.

(Sorry it's so short)

Hikari wasn't exactly being forthcoming about the whereabouts of the people she spoke of... but then again, she was a little girl. Being unclear was kind of what they did a lot of the time. Ayako had taken the suit coat from him and had begun to sew the buttons on. He was looking over Hikari to see if she was calming down when the bell chimed above the door, indicating new arrivals to the shop. “There she is!” The two officers that the tailor had found earlier had finally made there way to the shop. The two men began moving forward, intent on snatching up the little girl for whatever purpose. He frowned and turned to face them. “Officers, hold.” One of them, clearly newer on the force kept walking forward, while the other stopped at the sound of command in his voice. HE had clearly recognized the man in front of him. Ryuu glanced back at Hikari and gave her a small smile. “I'll protect you from them.”

Moving away from them, he reached a hand forward, stopping the younger cop. “Hey! Move, I need to get that girl!” The older cop moved forward about to say something but Ryuu cut him off. “You'll listen to the Pīsumēkā, or you'll be suspended.” The young man paled considerably and he took a hasty step back. “Now then, why are you chasing this small child?” The younger cop still seemed slightly overwhelmed, so the older man stepped in. “Sir, we were called by the local orphanage. She had run away.” Ryuu nodded his head slightly. Hikari had failed to give that information, but that was to be expected. “And you think chasing and frightening the girl is going to help bring her back? A little kindness, please, gentlemen.”

The two men banged in.

“There she is!”

NIN dropped her juice and launched off of the table to get behind the woman who smacked her. She didn't want to go with the men. They would take her information and send it to the police office. Where they would find out more than her lack of parents. She couldn't hide the scared look on her face, though the man.... Ryuu? Yeah his name was Ryuu. He comforted her with a smile.

“Sir, we were called by the local orphanage. She had run away.”

NIN gripped even tighter behind the violent woman. What was her name? She couldn't remember. It started with a "Do". She could remember that.

As she held the skirts, she looked around for any sign of an escape. There was a window in the kitchen, she could reach that. There was a lightswitch to confuse them so she could run away. There was a back door, but the men and Ryuu were too close to it for that to work. She would have to throw something heavy at the table for that to work.

“And you think chasing and frightening the girl is going to help bring her back? A little kindness, please, gentlemen.”

What should she do? NIN started to mumble. " I don't want to..." She said quietly. " I don't..."

As NIN was hidden, she rummaged in her backpack, still mumbling. She had a router to her phone somewhere. If she hooked it to her phone, she would be able to hack into the water power systems. It would reveal that she was HackerX, known for downing other government systems not only in Aerugo but in Xing. If that's what it took, she didn't mind. Going back to the loud-kid place and getting in trouble again was not on her list of fun-stuff.

She clicked it into her phone as if snapping two legos together. She was ready now. If the two officers did anything that scared her, or if Ryuu let her go to that place, she would turn on the fire alarm and set off the sprinklers in the house. Since it was a business with a house connection, water and safety regulations would make the Do lady have sprinklers in the house.

" I don't want to go..."

“There she is!” Ayako looked up from her sewing, the bells chiming. The two police officers from before. The tailor's initial instincts were to drop-kick them both and demand an explanation, but Ryuu's presence made her think better of it.

"I'll protect you from them.” He had said to Hikari, before he turned to deal with the two intruders. This clearly did not encourage the little girl, who had already leapt off the table and was hiding behind Ayako, holding onto her skirt with a grip that eagle's would envy. The tailor looked down to the girl.

"I don't want to go..." The girl repeated over and over. Honestly, Ayako was sympathetic. She wasn't a runaway as such, but she too was a little girl who liked to go where she shouldn't. If it wasn't for the policemen nearby, then she would probably give the girl hints on how to stay low. Still, at least she'd be going back...

... unless...

Ayako looked down to the floor. Hikari was to the left of it, but... no. No. It was simply unacceptable. The hidden cellar were Ayako kept both her booze and, more importantly, the Kunoichi Cloth outfit and accompanying Kibarashi furiko... no. No one would ever know. They couldn't know. It would be the end of the Kunoichi Cloth, and that wasn't acceptable in Ayako's eyes.

And yet, Hikari seemed so afraid of the police. Had they done something to her? Had she done something to them? Was she a criminal herself, or a victim? Ayako bit her lip, looking back to the three officers. All very engrossed in their own conversation. Not really paying much mind to the tailor who was quietly sewing buttons. So, none of them noticed when she used her foot to lever open the trap door.

"Get in," she whispered to Hikari. "Go when they've left the room. And make sure you don't tell anyone about what you see in there." She gave a quick reassuring wink to the young girl; after all, Ayako herself was a rebel at heart. She might get into trouble, particularly from Ryuu, but the tailor needed to make it up to the girl she had nearly brained. She looked around the room next, looking for something to give the police something to look at for the second needed for Hikari to get into the door unnoticed. The tailor stopped her sewing for a moment, her hand subtly grabbing a small ball of yarn, before she flicked her wrist, sending it across the room. It smacked into a shelf of rolls of fabric, the tubes unbalanced by the impact. They tumbled to the ground one after the other. Ayako's lip twitched irritably.

"This always happens," she mumbled, sounding genuinely annoyed. Nothing suspicious as she got up and walked over to the rolls, away from Hikari, giving some movement for the cops to pay attention to, even if through the corner of their eyes. Less attention on the albino, none of them seeing her descend into darkness and the trap door silently shut. So the first they heard of anything happening was when Ayako dropped the rolls once again in "shock".

"Where'd she go?" She asked, looking to the corner where the girl once was. The tailor's voice was more forceful, more emotional, as if she didn't know exactly where the girl was.

Ryuu was currently involved in a semi-heated experience with the two police officers in the shop. He didn't want to send Hikari back to the orphanage, especially as he heard her scared voice constantly repeat her wish to not go back. However, there wasn't much he could logically do in this situation. Hikari needed to go back to the orphanage, despite her true wishes. The people she had spoken of earlier could be people who had befriended her, but they clearly weren't any type of legal guardian. Ryuu's hands were metaphorically tied. As the upholder of justice he couldn't exactly break it. For the time being, he was calming down the younger officer, encouraging them both to handle a more peaceful approach to bringing Hikari back.

A crash of fabric rolls caused all three heads to turn in surprise. The tailor seemed annoyed as she rose to replace the rolls. The officers dutifully went over to assist, while Ryuu glanced back at Hikari... to see her vanish. Ryuu allowed himself a quick smile even as Ayako let us a question which had the two officers spinning to face the rest of the shop. "Where'd she go?" The younger officer cursed and Ryuu looked at him sharply. “I warned you. She probably slipped out the back. Come on, I'll help you search.” The two officers hurried out and Ryuu paused to look at Ayako. “I'm afraid I'll need to return another time to have the suit finished.” He gave Ayako a slight wink and then followed after the officers. He suspected they wouldn't find Hikari. He did fervently wish that she would find somewhere safe to go and the friends she had would attempt to take her away from the orphanage... through legal means, of course.

NIN fomped inside of the trap door, kicking up a bit of dust. Trying to stifle her cough, she looked through the floorboards to see the situation going around. The shop lady was actually helping her. 

The little slip of a girl looked around in the dark atmosphere, her eyes not seeing, but her other senses kicking in. It was moderately used since it was clean, it looked as if it wasn't altered and was apart of the house. The material felt the same above and below. NIN felt around until her hand landed in something soft. 

Immediately she jolted back at the touch. After calming down she turned on her found that it was a cloth, slightly rumpled by her discovery. 

NIN didn't know how long it would be until she would get back up, so she leaned against the soft cloth, looking at the weave. It seemed normal, except the weights. Though NIN had seen a lot more odd things in her short span.

She had grown bored with the waiting, knowing that staying there until after hours was necessary, she began flipping through her phone. at one of her tabs, she spotted a cartoon drawing. It had the same clothing.

.... maybe this woman was a cos player?

Ayako wanted to be safe. If Hikari hadn't gone already, then she'd get her out of the trapdoor in about half an hour at the least; the police would probably search the surrounding area for that time, and then expand their perimeter of search for the next half hour, which in turn gave Hikari the best chance of slipping by them. However, she couldn't risk letting Hikari walk around the shop in case one of the policemen came back. So she did what she always did when waiting for something.

She trained.

The Kunoichi Cloth couldn't practise her regular routine, seeing as her furiko were in the trapdoor with Hikari, so instead she settled for the punching bag alone. Off with the kimono and shawl, just her shorts and sports bra as she began to get into the rhythm she had cultivated before Ryuu came in. Her fists turned to bullets in their pace, striking the punching bag, each hit bringing a loud CRACK. If the air had bones she would've broken them from the sound alone. She only moved her feet in a steady rhythm as the punching bag shuddered and swung...

DIIIIIIIING!

The alarm clock. Ayako looked to it. Half an hour went fast when one trained. She stepped back from the worn-out punching bag as she rolled her neck, satisfying cracks coming from every motion. She'd probably need to buy a new bag.

She went back down to the shop, not bothering to towel off or change back into her traditional dress; after all, if Hikari could see the outfit and recognised it, there'd be no point hiding it. Ayako lifted the trapdoor with her foot, looking down to Hikari.

"That's probably long enough; the police won't be looking as close to the shop, if you're quick enough you'll slip by them all." She explained. The voice of the tailor, the high-pitched whisper, was gone, replaced with her more natural but less commonly used abrasive drawl. She then reached down into the hole, picking up the albino with one hand and not even reacting, as if the girl was a bag of rice in her hands. The tailor gave the young girl a smile, before ruffling her white hair with a sweaty palm. "And if you ever need to hide again, this shop's one of the best places to come; there's more secret spots in it than any building on Earth."

Light poured down and a hand lifted her out of the darkness. Again with the changing of lights! She could barely see as the lady put her down.

Rubbing her eyes in annoyance, she looked up at the woman. She didn't seem like a cosplayer, though neither did a lot of people until you see them in drag. All the same, NIN was happy that she didn't go to jail.

"That's probably long enough; the police won't be looking as close to the shop, if you're quick enough you'll slip by them all."

How did she know so much about police? Is this what a normal shop  keeper is? Well, a lot of people are wary of them. If she doesn't like police, then she's on the good side.

This is the first time her warped sense of community had caused her to overlook someone. NIN was so used to being around Yakuza, murderers, or bad cops that she overlooked one of the most revered ninjas in Japan.

"Bye cos-play-chan! Sorry I forgot your name!"

NIN nodded, but payed for a small piece of grey cloth so she could cover her head. After paying for the cloth she ran out of the house, waving goodbye.
"I think it started with a D?"

"And if you ever need to hide again, this shop's one of the best places to come; there's more secret spots in it than any building on Earth."

Is the last think she had heard from Doresu Ayako as she ran into the now raining street.