Identification Follow Up (Tomomi / Isabella)

That prior night... Tomomi woke up on a fortunate day off at the recollection of it. Had it been hours since it? Days? It was... Blurry, as the boy processed information after information regarding the event as best he could. Nadia was a terrorist? And Isabella awoke to the power as well? It was all so much to think on. And that Revenant... Why was he there?

Bah, that didn't matter. Nadia and Revenant were fine. And in theory, so was miss Isabella. But, worry couldn't help but cross the young boy's mind. Flipping open his phone, he pulled up Isabella's contact details - the personal ones, before tapping in a message.

Tomomi: hi miss isabella its tomomi i just wanted to check if you were ok
Tomomi: if you are ok with it would you like to have a chat i can get some drinks or something
Tomomi: if you are interested my address is here id be happy to see you and p.s. please tell me what drink you prefer so that i can get it if im of legal age to buy it

A steady droning noise broke the silence as the phone began vibrating on the nightstand, the screen quite visible as it lit up in the dim room. From within the bundle of blanket and pillows that had messily huddled up on the bed, a hand would reach out, feeling for the device that had dare rouse its owner. The hand would snatch the phone and drag it into bundle, the droning of the phone instead being replaced by a muffled drone.

Isabella: Cofee
Isabella: Or. Tea

There was a brief pause in the messages.

Isabella: Anything wit caffeine
Isabella: Or sugar.
Isabella: Nothing too strongly

The blanket bundle seemed to rise up, a violent shaking from within finally releasing the woman from the fabric-y grip. She groaned, again, squinting her eyes as she stared at the screen some more.

Isabella: Sorry.
Isabella: Hardly slept
Isabella: Be there in an hour

With that message sent, she climbed out of bed, the  bare metal of her legs drawing small scratches into the floor as she began shuffling forward. Passing by a mirror, Isabella stopped to look into it. By Isla did she look terrible.

Isabella: Make that two

Tomomi read through the messages as they came in, one at a time. Coffee. Or tea. Or something caffeine. Or sugary. Right... But nothing too strong?

Tomomi thought for a moment, then looked at what could be called his kitchen, scratching his head. Tea and coffee probably wasn't a good idea... Instead, he moved to the mini-fridge, opening it up and looking inside. Lemonade was running low...

Sighing, Tomomi got himself dressed, before grabbing his keys and some money. Then, ready to get going for a bit, Tomomi left his apartment, making sure not to risk any delays as he went out to the nearest convenience store. There, the boy picked up some assorted fizzy drinks, specifically Dr. Salt NEO and some lemonade, as well as a pack of cheap tea biscuits, making sure to get home in time to put them somewhere proper for storage. Then, Tomomi did his best to clear the rooms a bit more, making them tidy. The job of clearing and preparing done, Tomomi sighed, flipping open his phone to check the time. About half an hour until Isabella was due.

Throwing his jacket over his left shoulder, Tomomi stepped outside once more, standing out in the streets. It wouldn't be super fair to assume she knew where to go even with the address. That was Tomomi's mindset, so, for the rest of the time, Tomomi just stood outside waiting patiently.

She'd wait for a moment to see if there was a response, but upon not receiving one in a time she deemed reasonable, she would chuck the phone onto the bed. Peeling away the sweaty t-shirt and undergarments, the same she'd been wearing for all of yesterday, she'd step into the shower.

She'd stand there for a long time, just letting the water pour over herself, the heat managing to siphon away some of the stiffness from her muscles, offering her body some relaxation that her attempts at sleep had not afforded. The droplets of water bombarding her skin seemed to loosen her thoughts somewhat as well, as she'd start trying to process... Everything that had happened. It didn't do Isabella much good, as she hardly even knew where to begin. After what must have been closer to thirty minutes just standing under the running water, she'd finally grab the sponge.

Some time later, The woman would find herself near the address that had been given. Her attire was quite different from her usual trench coat. Instead she was wearing a black wool coat, although with only the right sleeve worn, a t-shirt under that, with her left forearm in a sling, said forearm and also the elbow being wrapped in gauze bandages. Finally she wore dark grey sweatpants that looked very off with the somewhat formal coat.

She was staring into her phone, only to momentarily lift her gaze, to see someone familiar. "Oh, Tomomi." She called out, slightly raising her voice as she then began approaching. She tried to keep her tone positive, but she couldn't hide her exhaustion.

As Isabella showed up and called out to Tomomi, the boy waved with a big smile that belied the concern and the strain and the questions and worry that dragged him down. Instead, he waved, before waiting for Isabella to approach. There, he gestured behind him. "My um, my place is just past here and up the stairs. I um... A-apologise in advance that it's not the most... Um... L-let's just say it's quaint?"

Giving an awkward giggle, Tomomi led Isabella to his "house", a small three room apartment with a single sofa-bed, a separate chair, and walls that show the test of time through how their wallpaper flakes at the corners and edges. There, Tomomi gestured to the chairs with a grin. "A-anyways, um, make yourself at home! Um... D-Dr Salt NEO or Lemonade? I-I have both, so, um, whichever you prefer. I'm afraid I don't really have the expertise to be able to prepare a quick cup of tea or coffee, and I don't know your preference on them so um... Y-yeah..." At this, Tomomi walked over to his mini-fridge, quickly adding. "Oh, I also have some um, tea biscuits if you like those."

Isabella gave Tomomi a wave in return, her left hand staying tucked in the sling. "It's not in my position as a guest to judge. Thank you for having me over." She spoke, in response to his warnings, following the boy up into his apartment.

He hadn't been lying, the apartment left some to be desired. At least the boy had a roof over his head, but this was... She dropped that line of thought. Instead, as he gestured toward the chairs, and asked her what she'd like to drink, she at first gave a nod. "Thank you." She spoke again, voice slightly weary as she would walk over and sit. "I think some Lemonade would be nice right about now. You can have some biscuits if you want but... I don't think I'd care for right now" As she spoke, Isabella finally slipped her left arm free of the sling, letting the gauze-wrapped limb hang by her side.

"You mind if I unwrap this?" She then proceeded to ask, her right hand pointing to her left forearm, before she produced a pair of small packages from her pocket, one of them having a prescription label on it. Judging by what little printing the packages had, they appeared to be some kind of medication.

As Isabella entered and accepted the offer of a drink, Tomomi moved over to the mini fridge to begin getting drinks ready, pouring out a plastic cup of lemonade, and also a plastic cup of Dr. Salt NEO. As Isabella asked regarding unwrapping her arm, Tomomi nodded his head, looking over in her direction while picking up the drinks. "Y-yeah, um, go ahead. I did say make yourself at home and all, so, y-yeah."

Walking back over and setting the plastic cups down on a small little coffee table in the middle. Drinks down, Tomomi moved to whichever seat that Isabella wasn't sat on, and sat himself down, waiting for his guest to get adjusted and comfortable before coughing slightly.

"So um... I-I'm uh... I'm guessing I don't need to say what c-context this is in, but um... How are you feeling?" The boy asked, tilting his head, as the tone of concern was far from hidden in his voice.

After receiving permission from Tomomi, Isabella set the two medicine packages onto the coffee table, and then started unwrapping the gauze around her arm. Foot after foots of gauze soon turned into yards, slowly revealing he bare metal of her arm, but also unveiling something else: Small square plastic bags, each about the size of a post card, that seemed to contain some kind of light cyan gel inside.She simply let the gel bags fall to the floor along with the gauze. Until finally, the whole limb was bare once more. "I'm sorry for the mess, It's just better that I don't go about with this exposed for all to see." She explained, sheepishly.

She'd offer him a small smile as she set out their drinks. With a nod, she took the cup set out for her and took a long sip. A contented sigh escaped the blonde's lips. Then came his question. How was she feeling. "Not fantastic if I wanna be brutally honest. My head has just been a mess of thoughts all..." Isabella would begin explaining, before pausing, as if to find the words. "... Jumbled up. I don't really even know where to begin processing all this."

She set down her cup, now half-empty, and leaned forward to open up one of the packages, the one with the prescription label, popping two small tablets out of the blister and onto the table. She would pick the tablets in one hand, her cup in the other, and proceeded to swallow the drugs with a small gulp of lemonade.

"I admit, I'm afraid. Of... All of this. Of the possibility that what was said in the broadcast might have been true... Of what might happen to me if I'm found out... And..." She'd resume, clearly needing to focus just to keep her voice steady.

At the apology for the mess, Tomomi offered a cheerful smile. "Hey, don't worry about it. It can't be more of a mess than I've already got." The boy suggested with a cheeky intonation.

As Isabella explained how she was, Tomomi leaned forwards, listening intently. Hearing her difficulties processing things was certainly something he could relate to, having had to process the entire thing alone when it happened. Still, he had the advantage of being young enough to be flexible in understanding. For Isabella... Was this throwing all she knew on its head?

Letting her finish, Tomomi took a sip of his own drink, before setting it back down and speaking, voice soft and gentle. "It's... Definitely a confusing and scary thing. I've had my um... Powers, I guess, for a little bit now, but there's still a lot I'm coming to terms with, that broadcast being one... I've met the person that was behind it. That knight that joined us when um... We were attacked... Well, he actually worked with the magician that had declared the broadcast. Even meeting the magician live in person though, I had no idea what to think of him... But, that knight... Revenant, I think his name was? He at least seemed genuine. Supposedly, nobody at the news station died when they went. But... It is a lot to take in."

Sighing, Tomomi took another sip. "As for worrying about getting caught... I... Have no idea what happens if you get caught. But, the prospect is scarier in a way... If they don't say what happens to those that get caught, does it mean that it's something so bad that they can't let the public know?" At this, Tomomi rubbed at his temple. "It's why we have code names. Mine is Ribbon, although that's just because I um... P-panicked and just chose it on a whim based on what I wore... I don't know if the broadcast was true or not. But... There has to be some truth to it. That's... That's why I joined this group of terrorists, the Platinum Playhouse. It's... It's a really selfish reason, but, all I want to know is what's true or false. If I can protect people while I do it, then... Then that's great but... I'm not a soldier or a saviour, just a curious kid that wants to know, I guess?"

At this, Tomomi ran his hand through his hair with a heavy exhale. "It's... A really messy lifestyle, so... I'm so sorry you got caught up in it."

She'd close up the first package, and instead pulled the blister out from the second box, popping a slighlty large pill onto the table as she listened to the other speak. She let out a small, ironic chuckle. I guess I was wrong about this whole terrorist thing after all. I doubt you'd lie to me, and seeing how this Revenant and the girl came to our aid despite the enemy threat having superiority in numbers, I don't think he's a bad person either." She'd pause to swallow the pill with the remaining lemonade.

What he explained about those who caught, or rather how it wasn't really known, certainly seemed... Odd. "I can accept that there are certain things a government may want to keep secret for the benefit of the public, but to keep their mouths shut on the subject of what happens to supposed criminal who are so widely condemned if they are captured... Seems quite suspect. She'd groan, shaking her head at this.

As he then went on to explain about codenames and the playhouse, a small smile came on to her face. "I think that's something we have in common, I became a journalist in part because I wanted to know, and wanted others to know, as well." Another chuckle. "But this... Playhouse. Does this magician from the broadcast have something to do with it?" She'd ask, before setting her cup down and reaching over with her right hand just to ruffle the others hair some.

"You have no reason to apologize for, if anything, I'm the one who shouldn't have dragged you through that construction site."

Tomomi listened intently, hearing her thoughts on what he said, as well as her own thoughts in general, and her own question. First though, Tomomi gestured to her now empty plastic cup. "Um... Do you want more lemonade?" The boy asked. If she said yes, Tomomi then paused, picked up the cup, refilled it, and brought it back. If not, he'd rub at the back of his neck awkwardly for a moment before nodding and continuing.

"Right... The Platinum Playhouse... Um, what to say about that... Well, first, at least from what I saw when I went... It's like, a gathering of Psyche Terrorists. Everyone there has different motivations for doing it, as far as I'm aware. And that magician is a part of it, although I don't quite know what role he plays... Maybe a field leader? He sounded like he was the one running the operation at SMILE which took over the broadcast... A-although, even then... It sounded like that wasn't even their initial goal. Instead, their goal was this lady... Name of Superbia. I think she was running things? I wasn't there for it, but arrived in time for the after mission meet up and debriefing... A-a-anyways, Superbia... From what I know... She had supernatural powers. In fact, they all made reference regarding an angel that emerged from her once they had defeated her. And apparently someone called Invidia died because of a different Terrorist group? I... Don't know who that is, but, um... I-I'll get to what I know about that in a bit..."

Tomomi sighed, taking a swig of his drink as he seemed to grow exhausted merely from the recollection. "It sounds like a lot of the people there want answers too. The head of the Playhouse is a demon named Larsinny. He... He's actually pretty kind, although his accent is a bit thick... And over all, there's this silent solidarity there among each other, even though nobody knows each others names. Although um... D-don't misunderstand... Not every terrorist is a nice person... T-there's actually a splinter group, led by a man named Skelter... F-from what I could gather, they want borderline ge-g-genocide... S-so um... Y-yeah..."

As he quieted down, Tomomi's hands begun to shake and quiver, the stress of being caught in a situation where genocide was a risk clearly taking a toll on the young boy. "Where was I... R-right, um... The Playhouse... From what I've seen, the main goal is to take down the Government, although why I'm not entirely sure quite yet... A-although from the sounds of it, they think an angel might be working with the government... And also, from what I've seen, they don't act against the um... D-district Heads I think they're called? W-without um, without any reason or information on what they're doing that's wrong... It's a... Dangerous line to be sure. It's why we need to be secret... So um... P-please don't repeat anything I've said, or, we're both going to disappear without a trace. It's also not like taking down the government is the only thing the Playhouse has been doing... Fighting demons isn't just a cadet thing, I mean... You saw for yourself that it wasn't cadets that saved us."

Finishing off his drink, Tomomi put his head in his hands. "It's... A lot to think about, so, I'm sorry to bring it all in at once. I just... D-didn't want to forget any details that might be good for you to know about what you've sort of ended up thrust into..."

Her head would nod to the offer for more lemonade. "Yes, please, that would be lovely." She'd say, putting on a smile, offering another nod and a small thanks upon the refill. The blonde took one more sip before the young man resumed explaining.

So the magician was indeed part of the playhouse, and apparently played a pivotal role in whatever it was that happened at SMILE. But then the name Superbia came up. "Superbia..." The blonde parroted as he first mentioned that. That was their goal? And supernatural powers? What? And an angel emerging from her? "Superbia... I'm pretty sure she's the manager of the news studio. My employer. Though I've never met her in person. But please, carry on."

Next came information about the playhouse, and the head of it was a demon? And a splinter group? Invidia, Larsinny, Skelter... So many names, made her wish she'd have a pen. "No, scratch that thought." Writing any of this down wouldn't be a good idea. Seeing tthe other's hands beginning to shake as he'd finished describing Skelter's group, she reach a hand out onto his shoulder, though not saying anything. Isabella listened intently as he continued, eyes going wide when the supposed goal of the playhouse was mentioned. Though she would at least wait for him to finish.

"I think I'm starting to understand why the terrorist label is used. I'm probably just not seeing the entire picture, but isn't overthrowing the government... A bad thing? Her words were more stern than before. "I trust in your judgement, and those of those other two, Revenant, and the girl. But I hope you understand that while yes, there is clearly something not right with what the government is doing to captives, and that the magician did make a number of very serious allegations, I can't just jump to the conclusion that the government is bad and needs to be taken down." She'd sigh, taking a long sip of her lemonade.

"But you don't need to worry, I won't talk to anyone of this. If I did, it's as you said, I'd most likely be seen as a co-conspirator. And after all we've been through, I've zero intent on placing you in harms way. She'd take another sip, and then drew a deep breath, which she held in for several seconds. "This is again... A lot to take in... In fact, I think I might have been left with even more questions than I started with. But... Maybe with all this, I could potentially start sorting some of this out."

With one more sip, she'd again empty out her cup. "Could I have just a bit more, please? Half-a-cup or so. Isabella then asked, her tone much lighter than a moment ago, offering the cup back.

Tomomi continued to silently listen to Isabella's words. It was a lot to take in for the both of them, and Tomomi allowed himself a moment of silence to take in everything. As she finished her second cup and asked for more though, Tomomi offered another warm smile, standing up and taking the cup to refill it, before coming back.

Then, he let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah... It is a... Questionable thing. It's why I'm not personally committing to it until I... W-well, until I know. I don't... Well, I don't care how persuasive an argument or point is. I want to see what's going on with my own eyes, ever since I got my own powers to do just that... And... It's scary, what I've seen. But, even if the queen herself isn't involved... A lot of stuff is going down. The world's dangerous right now, but, if our leader is dangerous, or causing people to be killed... Then, is the inside safer than the outside? That's... That's what I don't know what to think about. I don't want anyone to die though, that's one thing I've decided. I've got a gun, but... I don't want to use it. Especially not on a person. I felt... Odd and uncomfortable enough fighting demons the first time. Especially since... Some demons can talk. And not all of them are violent, like Larsinny... He just runs a bar."

Tomomi ran a hand through his hair, allowing it to get messed up. "I'm with you though. I can't jump to the conclusion that the government is bad... I mean, they do do some good. I've seen first hand, there are many cadets that are very nice people. But, if they are nice people, but don't know what's going on... Then... As a friend, isn't it my job to look after them as best I can, and make sure that they don't get caught up in something bad when they just want to protect people? I don't know... But, one thing I do know is... Whether we like it or not, both of our existences are illegal now. Even if we didn't use it against the government, our other selves are wanted criminals for merely existing. So, since we need to um... Well, live in the shadows and alleys anyways, we may as well make use of it to get prepared for what we need to survive right? And learn. And grow."

At this, Tomomi offered what appeared at first to be a brave smile. But the more he held it, the more it quivered. The more his eyes seemed on the verge of crying. The more he seemed frail. Before finally, he stopped, and instead swigged at his drink to finish it entirely. "To think... I'd spent years just mindlessly picking up litter, unaware of the dangers that lurk... Unaware of what I would end up being." He let out a dry laugh, before shaking his head. "Sorry... I um... I-I agree that it's a lot to think about... I'm still taking it in, and I was already um... Awakened, as it was... It's all... A-a-anyways, um, you're going to want a name as a terrorist. We can't use our identities after all. Since, well, if anyone finds out who we are, we will probably die. Or whatever happens to captured terrorists."

She would offer him a nod ever now and then as he spoke. "That kind of open-minded attitude with the desire to verify is a rare and precious thing. Hold onto it." the blonde would pause to ruffle his hair some. "But you're not wrong, if the people, even just a small portion, who are in charge are hurting your average folk... I don't want to say it's as bad as the outside, but that still doesn't take away from it being... well, bad."

He'd mention about his unwillingness to use his gun, against other people in particular, and Isabella could sympathize. "As someone who's served in military combat situations, trust me, I know that feeling. I'm not gonna say that it's gonna be easy, that it's not gonna haunt you, because I would be lying if I did. But sometimes... Sometimes the situation just is do or die, sometimes the situation won't be able to resolve without someone getting hurt." Her tone was steady, intonation slow and measured. "If it were in my power, I would never  force the pressure of those kinds of decisions on your shoulders. But life is just... Unfair sometimes, I imagine even more so with how precarious a situation we ourselves are in."

And he resumed. The Cadets. Indeed, there were probably a number of good, upstanding people in there, merely fighting for the betterment of the average Joe or Jill. "I can get what you're saying, Tomomi, and whil I want to agree with you, I have my doubts. Now, this is probably just my own bias showing, but how likely would a Cadet, one who believes what they are doing is the right, believe if they heard something like this from who they most likely will perceive as an enemy? Perhaps there are some who would listen, maybe even some that could be convinced, but..." She'd trail off, taking a moment to sip her drink. "Considering how we do not know what happens to our ilk if apprehended, what would happen to Cadets who were found out about having developed these kinds of sentiments?" She left the question hanging in the air, her tone and mannerism showing that she wasn't actually expecting an answer.

That said, she finished off the last of her drink, a small refreshed sigh coming from her lips as the cup once again was set upon the table. He still had more to say. And from both his looks, and his words, this was all getting to him. She'd listen, though at first not answering. Instead, The older woman stood up from her seat, taking a step over toward the other. And then, without saying a word, she lowered herself down onto one knee, leaned forward, and closed her arms around him, the slightly warm metal of her left hand coming to rest on the back of his neck and head.

Isabella was right when she spoke. The idea of the cadets... Yeah, it didn't matter how much they were good people. If anything, probably because they were good people, they would not hesitate or listen to anyone like Tomomi. At the weighted question, Tomomi just sat quietly for a moment, thinking. When he'd finished speaking, Tomomi watched Isabella stand up, completely confused and tilting his head while watching. He had no idea what she was doing.

Then she hugged him. She hugged him. And no matter how bizarre the feeling of warm metal on his neck was, Tomomi found himself frozen for a moment, the tears now properly welled up as he fought back the urge to wail out in emotion. Instead, Tomomi hugged back, arms clinging to Isabella as if a child with a lost mother, his frame trembling and head buried low. And for a time, in silent sobbing, Tomomi stayed like this. Just happy to not feel alone for the moment. Before finally, he muttered beneath his breath. "T-thank you... Thank you..."