Disclaimers: All characters belong to rightful owners.
Story concieved by Lee.


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Lukas couldn't help but laugh at Kisoku's concern over his smeared makeup. Fumbling in his coat pocket, he found - to his surprise - a clean napkin from the pizza place that had somehow gotten stuffed into his pocket. Offering it to his friend, he levered himself to his feet, shaking his head at the other's apology.

"I think we can go halvsies on the jackassery," he said wryly, offering a hand to help Kisoku to his feet. "Which we really gotta watch," he added with a soft chuckle, "Otherwise, Sammy'll accuse us of stealin' his schtick..."

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Kisoku took the napkin, cleaning off his face as best as he could, and once he was on his feet, he dusted off his coat and pants. Slowly but surely, he was pulling himself together.

"Okay, I'll meet you halfway with this. Let's just agree that it is better when we're not down each other's throats 'kay?" He laughed and threw the other a wink.

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"Agreed," Lukas replied, grinning easily. Casually slinging an arm around his friend's shoulders, he turned to the other and asked, semi- seriously, "Is there a full moon or somethin' that I ain't heard about? 'Cause, you know... this's been one fucked-up day so far.."

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"There must be!" Kisoku replied. "I mean, I've just been bouncing from one bad encounter to another, and it's just been hooooorrrrible!"

He gave the other his patented whimpering puppy face, glad that finally there was someone who would pay attention to it. He didn't like when there was tension between him and the Cajun. A friend was something valuable to the young blonde, who found it pretty hard to find people that he could trust. Yes, there would probably never be anyone that he _fully_ trusted, except--of course--for Sam, and goodness knows that Lukas knew nothing about Kein and little about his childhood... still, Kisoku's bandmate was a reliable person when you got right down to it. "Hey Lukes, maybe we should try to find Sammy before he gets himself too worked up..."

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"Really? Y'all don't mind? Cool!" Arvel seated himself next to Lemy, followed by Estelle and Jeremy. "Hey, I don't think we introduced ourselves? I'm Arvel and that's Estelle and that's Jeremy and the dog is Stubby. We're all freshmen at Psyche. Well, except for Stubby. He doesn't go to school. Obviously."

"I might enroll him in obedience school, if it don't cost too much," Jeremy put in. "Then he won't attack innocent mice anymore..."

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Lukas nodded sympathetically, grinning faintly at Kisoku's puppy face, "Yeah... I know the feelin'... believe me..."

Giving his friend a comforting pat on the shoulder, he nodded again at the suggestion of trying to locate Sam. He'd wanted to suggest that himself, but had been afraid of sparking Round Two - and he didn't think either of them were really up for that. "Yeah," he agreed, "Although... if I know him, he's already forgot all 'bout us, an' has wandered off with some pretty..."

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Lem giggled softly at Mousy's squeak and, of course, he found his attention drawn to the cute ball of fur. Smiling softly, he momentarily turned his attention from the three newcomers to the mouse and, as he stroked at the creature's fur, he spoke to the group in general.

"It... it's nice to... to meet the three of you. I'm Lemuel and I'm..." Flushing rather darkly, he let this trail off as he shook his head. No. Really, that wasn't something that could--or should--be casually brought up in conversation like where one attends school. So, letting his words hang awkwardly, he felt his flush deepen as he went back to stroking the mouse.

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Giggling at Mousy's squeaks and Lemy's attention towards her old friend, Sasurai looked down and twiddled her fingers nervously. Realizing that now the introduction time spotlight was on her, she breathed softly and began to tremble again.

"Like-Like-Like Lemy-san said... nice-nice to meet you. I'm Sasurai... Nonenzumi. I'm in my sophmore y-year at New Eden University..." That's all that needed to be known. Looking back at Lemy, she pondered at his trailling off. Was it something he was embarassed about? He was ashamed about? Shaking these thoughts off, she meekly smiled and looked down at her shaking fingers.

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Sui raised an eyebrow at Mune, "Oh, no. I couldn't impose upon you on your day off. I'm sure Nevan will do just fine. And as for your fork- wielding friend... I might be willing to try him later. He _is_ rather cute... but for now, I think I'll stick with Nevan, thank you."

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"You know something?" Mune chuckled softly as he quirked an eyebrow at the elder. "I'm half tempted to just let you go with Alexei; hell, it'd be worth it just to see you covered in bite-marks, fork marks, and who knows what else. Still, I guess even the insane don't deserve such a punishment."

"Then again, I wouldn't so confident about getting the old man, either." He snorted and, perching himself on the edge of the table, he glanced quickly out the window to Nev and Sophia; well, at least it looked like she was having some luck getting through the guy's thick skull, so maybe things would work out, after all. Turning his attention--and face--back to Sui, he smirked softly as he narrowed his eyes. "Looks like you're going to have to cut your loses, Master Barano..."

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"I'm sure they'd appreciate it," Sophia smiled. Just like Mr. Alraune to offer to treat. And it was better for him to return to Shittsui now, when he'd have the support of herself, Dante, Tesu and Alexei, than try to explain his change of plans in private. "That would be very nice, if you wouldn't mind."

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"Not at all, I insist." Nevan smiled gratefully to the child as he offered her his hand. Really, he was a bit reluctant to show his face again after reacting so slowly to what, apparently, had been quite obvious, but, on the other hand, it wouldn't really be fair to keep Sophia from her friends. Besides, in the brief time he'd been inside, the group had seemed extremely nice. "Shall we, then?"

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"Oh. Cool. College must be lots of fun! What's your major?" Arvel queried, grey eyes mirroring his curiousity.

Estelle patted Stubby's head as Jeremy fought to keep the struggling dog in his lap.

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Sui sighed and shrugged, "Perhaps I will. Then again, perhaps not. We shall see, shan't we?"

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Alexei and Erik both wore matching scowls. Or Erik's scowl would have matched Alexei's if cacti had faces. "We would not deign to give our body to _him_. Our body is for Sergey alone. Even if it were not, _that_ one is pure evil and we will only touch it in order to kill it."

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"Uh... Music History... and Music Theory..." Sasurai's eyes couldn't help but glitter as the word music, and her fingers twitched at the memory of her piano. If only she could show them how good she was... well, perhaps someday. Looking over to Lemy, she knew that she would actually be happy to play a song for him, and looking at the three newcomers, it would be nice to have as an audience as well. But that would be for another time... if there was a chance for another time, "College is... okay... not really fun..."

Mousy held his guard against the struggling, excited dog, not wanting to be caught in its jaws again. He burrowed slightly into his new friend's curls in hopes he could go unnoticed.

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"Puppy?" Kisoku finished the other's sentence with a grin. "I _know_ you were going to say puppy."

He giggled, fixing his sunglasses properly on the bridge of his nose. "Well, I guess we really ought to go find him before he wanders off the face of the earth in writhing despair. 'cause goodness knows that he misses us THAT MUCH!"

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Although Lukas had his doubts about that, he kept them to himself. "Yeah, I'm sure he does, Kiso," he agreed. Glancing idly around the street, he turned his gaze back to the other man, "Er... you wouldn't happen to know which way he went, would you?"

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Sophia nodded, took his hand, and pushed open the door to the restaurant, making her way back to the table. But she paused as the animosity radiating from Alexei and Dante practically knocked her down. She glanced at the two with eyebrows raised-- what on earth had been going on?

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Lem listened in deep silence as Sasurai chatted with the three newcomers and, happy enough not being involved, he giggled a bit as he felt poor Mousy burrowing into his hair. Rolling his eyes in a futile attempt to see the creature, he reached up to pet gently at the mouse even as he quietly murmured half-nonsensical reassurances, both for himself _and_ for Mousy.

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