"So, all kids have some sort of psychic power... this is very unbelievable
if you ask me."
"That's what the old man said."
"So what's yours?"
"Ah, yeaown. Like I have any."
"You're ten years old... that's young enough, right?"
"So, all kids have some sort of psychic power... this is very unbelievable if you ask me."
"That's what the old man said."
"So what's yours?"
"Ah, yeaown. Like I have any."
"You're ten years old... that's young enough, right?"
"Well, if I have any power, I still don't know about it."
"Does your irresistible sex-appeal count?"
"Oh, yeaown! Thanks, sis! I almost forgot about it!"
"See?"
"Now THAT'S power!"
"Who cares about moving things around and reading thoughts?"
"Exactly!"
***
Orphanage Light Wings... accused of being just a mask for a pedophile group, it would have been closed, but it burned to the ground before that. Apparently everyone involved with it was killed in the fire. Unfortunately over a hundred children died as well.
***
Cyberia
While the twins were either getting or trying to get shitfaced as the case may have been... Hime saw... an image... of the good doctor Iwakura.
She was actually seeing double...
Like his younger brothers, Nakita was one of three identical triplets (yes, that's what usually happens, three triplets... sheesh... that's up there with saying "Occifer, I only had two beers" while holding up 4 fingers).
One surviving...
One lost in a KIDS-style mishap...
One stillborn...
It appears the elder set was following the younger set's lead - the member lost to the KIDS mishap... wants out of the Wired.
***
"Dr. Noah Bradford. It sounds so much better than Adam Langley, student," Yi-Xue said dryly and then took a sip of the coffee sitting in front of her.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were 'Natsumi,' Dr. Hsu?" Adam said as he sat down across the kitchen table from Muqin.
"Because you, my boy, would tell Eiri that her family doesn't exist. The only reason I'm here right now is that Caomei happened to hear your conversation with Eiri last week," she looked right into Adam's eyes. "You can't let her know what really happened."
Adam glared at her. "She needs to know."
"Not now, not in her condition. Trust me... she seems so normal one moment, then something throws off her world and she..." Yi-Xue grew silent. "Just trust me."
The room grew silent as they both heard the click of the front door opening. Adam stood and looked out of the kitchen door just in time to have Eiri run into him. She looked up at him with watery eyes and then buried her face in Adam's shirt. Her arms wrapped around his hips and her hands flexed and unflexed as they grabbed the ends of his shirt. Adam looked back at Muqin for a second and then put one of his arms around her waist and putting one of his hands on her stomach.
"What's wrong, honey?" said Muqin.
Eiri lifted her head from Adam's chest and looked over at Muqin.
"Mama..." she said, reaching one of her hands out to Muqin as she
moved over to the couple.
"Come here, little Eiri," said Muqin, pushing Adam away lightly and taking Eiri into her arms. When she had a tight grip on Eiri, Muqin looked at Adam and mouthed /something happened to her world/. "What happened, Eiri- chan?"
"Who is Natsumi? Where is she? Why don't I have pictures to show to
Adam?" she screamed.
"Eiri, we had this conversation a week ago. Why are you just now asking about it?" Adam said suddenly. Muqin shot daggers at him.
"Darling, let me give you some of that infusion and then I want you to go to sleep. How is the baby doing?" Muqin said as she led Eiri to a seat.
"I think it's fine. I haven't been to a doctor since I found out I was pregnant," said Eiri softly.
Muqin nearly dropped the glass in her hand and Adam's jaw fell open.
"You said you were going every week to see both Dr. Iwakura and your OB- GYN. Where have you been going?" Adam nearly screamed.
"I don't know. Around," Eiri said, looking down at her hands. "I don't like doctors."
"So... you don't like Yi-Xue... or... Muqin?" Adam said.
Muqin was shaking her head furiously, but Eiri looked up at Adam with a smile on her face. "What do you mean? Muqin isn't a doctor... she's a teacher. She worked with my father at the Daigaku before he died in the car crash."
Adam looked at Eiri in the eyes, his mouth slightly open. "I forgot... what happened to your mother."
"She died of pneumonia a week after I was born... why are you asking me all of this?"
"... Natsumi?"
Her eyes grew clouded. "My older sister... she lives in Vermont. Her husband died a year ago."
Her eyes closed and she let her head fall against the counter. Muqin came around the counter and picked her up, then headed off to Eiri's room with Adam behind her.
"When her world is disrupted..."
***
Unfortunately, they've had to break the kiss. Fortunately, that could be called a masterpiece of timing. Hime got her now running out air, and with a sweet smile, whispered "That... was lovely."
Nakita shrugged... "I try my best." His voice had taken on a weird choral quality... sort of like he was using all the voices he knew at once....
"And now I have to think of a good way to thank you for that..."
"You already have." Nakita didn't seem to notice the riders his voice now had.
"Hey... the gig is over, right?" Hime asked frowning.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing... it just feels weird when you sound like someone else. But it's fun too, so I'm not complaining." the maiden answered smiling.
***
Meanwhile, the twins installed themselves at the bar. No one was game enough to speak up re: possible age problems
***
"Well... it wasn't easy practicing that in secret." Again the chorality. Nakita grinned, "Though I did confuse Kojirou a few times."
"Ah, I'm sure he didn't mind... but you're confusing ME, now..."
"With what?"
Hime frowned. "Hm. Shift back to your original voice."
"I have." But the chorality remained. Hime started giggling at that.
Nakita looked up... and the color drained from his face... Hime kept smiling, and she decided to explain. "You're stuck with the other voices, like that other time..."
Nakita shook his head... "It's not that... I'm... worried... about..."
"Then..." Hime trailed off, an inquiring look on her face.
"Turn around..."
"Alright..." she did.
A dim.... flickering... indefinite image....
... stole what little was left of Hime's wind. She gasped, blinked, and turned back to Nakita, words failing her at the moment.
The good doctor was as surprised as Hime was...
...because the image was indeed...
...Iwakura Nakita... ... ...
...times two...
She was pale. And out of what to say. Or do. So it can only be assumed it was fate that led Hime to walk closer to the images.
Meanwhile... Nakita bailed... at max speed...
The twins looked up from their bar stools... took in the little tableau.... and muttered... "We'll drink to that" before emptying their glasses.
Hime still tried to rationalize what she was doing. Obviously it was useless. But she did reach out to touch the illusions.
They moved back, away from her... ... and Hime could only stare as they did. She didn't think of turning to look back at the real Nakita... or who she thought was the real one... oh. Yes, now she remembered. He had mentioned a twin brother... ONE twin brother. One DEAD twin brother... bloody hell.
Meanwhile, the twins drank to that.
It took over twenty minutes of catatonic state for Hime's mind to shift back to its usual activity. Realizing Nakita was nowhere to be found, and not blaming him, she went for the bar, hoping to get some clarifying from the other twins.
They were doing their damnedest to get shitfaced... we'll drink to that...
"So... do you have any idea where your brother is right now?"
"No idea." Kannai answered. Tak said nothing and emptied his glass again.
"And as for why he ran away like that?"
Tak shrugged... Kannai drank to that.
Hime sighed... kept silent... then started laughing. The twins were pretty damn right. She sat down and asked for a bottle of vodka herself.
***
Something akin to a miracle had happened.... Kannai was passed out, drunk. Of course, given the mood of the previous hour or so, Tak and Hime drank to that.
Tak was a little lightheaded... and annoyed... he'd been imbibing hard liquor at a constant rate for over an our and the room wasn't even spinning yet. The same certainly didn't apply to Hime. She was in the verge of passing out. Excusing herself and avoiding Kannai's body on the floor, she went for the bathroom.
Tak shook his head... he wasn't going to get tanked anytime in the next day...
Hime figured she had to go home. The whole getting drunk enough to mistake the mirror for someone else had been fun, but it was over. She washed her face, applied just a bit of makeup and left, still staggering, but just a little.
Tak had quit drinking..... "Want to head out?"
"Yeaown, but do we leave Kannai here?"
"Nope." Tak bent down and lifted his unconscious twin up and over his shoulder. "Let's go."
Hime paid for the booze and off they went. She checked outside to see if Nakita's car was anywhere near. He'd taken it when he left @ a high dx/dt.
There had been a few stares as Tak threw Kannai over his shoulder like someone would hoist a schoolbag... and seeing Hime's not too steady progress... he scooped her up as well.
She would have said something like "thanks, but you really don't need to do that", but she didn't bother. Tak didn't seem to be making the least bit of effort anyway.
***
There was one question that Tak wanted to ask Hime, so he had waited until after he had dumped Kannai on a couch and set her down rather more gently...
"Can I ask you something?"
"Anything..."
"Yeah... is Nakita... bisexual?"
Hime scratched her head... "Not that I know of."
"Would it bother you if he was?"
"No... not at all. It would be even more fun, I guess."
***
"Wake up, kids. I made breakfast!" Kojirou's voice greeted the trio.
Kannai's balled fist barely missed Kojirou... "Not so looouuud..."
"Hoe.. sorry..." Kojirou sweatdropped. He turned to Tak and Hime. "You two coming?"
"Yeah... he's just hungover..." Tak answered. "He passed out drunk last night... lucky twerp... I drank more than he did."
The kid raised an eyebrow. "What was the occasion?"
"Nakita's and Hime's one year anniversary..."
After espying the look on Hime's face...
"Apparently it was a surprise to Hime to hear all three of us sing... well."
A large grin slashed the boy's face, "Tell me you got that on tape."
"From the bodydumps to the forward flip Nakita did while kissing Hime."
"Alright! Now, then, how about breakfast?"
"You DID make enough for two very hungry 7 foot tall 200 kilo teenagers, I hope?"
"Of course." Kojirou answered confidently.
"Well, let the demolition begin..."
When they got in the kitchen it became obvious that Kojirou hadn't made anything. He had called and ordered food. But either way worked with the giants.
While Tak was eating, Kannai got up and joined him..... by the time that had happened, reordering was needed.
"So where's the doc, anyway?" Kojirou asked while they waited for the food.
"He ... *scarf* left in a *chomp* bit of a *swallow* hurry."
"Oh..." the kid blinked "Was something wrong?"
Tak shrugged.
"Well, that's Nakita... he's full of surprises..." Hime said remembering the previous night.
"You gonna order more food?" the Takman asked.
"Your call... you think you need more?"
"I won't, but Kannai will..."
"Send in, then."
Kojirou stood up, went for the phone. Before he started dialing, "What do you kids want?"
"Just order what you ordered before." Kannai answered.
Kojirou went for Italian food... loads of it... strange enough, it took much less time then everyone assumed. As soon as the receiver was down, a knock was heard. Hime promptly stood up and went for the door. It wasn't the delivery person, but someone much more expected by her. None other than the good doctor himself.
He didn't look too crash hot... torn clothing with some blood stains, liberal application of the bruise palette...
Hime frowned like few times before... she would have hugged Nakita, but she was afraid of hurting him. Instead, she just led him in, asking what had happened. He didn't so much walk in as collapse in. Hime suppressed a scream. The others, attracted by the THUD he had made on the floor, ran for the door to find Nakita, seemingly dead, on the floor.
Tak motored... Kannai kept eating. Seeing as the Takman had already scooped his brother up, Kojirou and Hime just lead him upstairs. They figured he needed a good cold bath, which Hime was more than happy to give.
As Tak carried his brother up, he called up the stairs, "Better make that bath a warm one."
***
Two men walked down the halls of Tokyo University academia, one tall, Caucasian, and in a black suit and mirrorshades. The other was Japanese, shorter, and wore the same outfit. Their hands were planted firmly in their pockets, and a cigarette was held firmly between the lips of the tall one, dangling a ragged silent trail of smoke behind him like a phantom trailer.
It was strangely quiet, nothing moved besides them. As they went, they saw a student hurrying to class. For someone in a hurry, he was remarkably graceful, moving quickly and smoothly. He shot the pair only the most passing glance, but the short one made a gesture for him to stop. The student slowed to a stop.
"Something you need?" he asked pleasantly. The tall one pulled a worn photo from his pocket and held it in front of the student.
"Ever seen this man?" he asked. The student peered hard at it, his eyes narrowing in possible recognition before he finally answered.
"Nope, sorry. He do something wrong?" asked the student.
"Not at all." said the short one. "It's just that he's an old friend and we've been looking for him." The student shrugged.
"Sorry." he said, and made ready to resume jogging.
"Wait!" called the tall one. "What's your name?"
"My name?"
"Yeah, in case we meet again."
"Call me Yousuke." he shrugged. "I've gotta go, excuse me please." he replied, brushing past the pair. Once he turned a corner, the tall one spat out his cigarette, crushing it beneath his shoe.
"That's what the old man said."
"So what's yours?"
"Ah, yeaown. Like I have any."
"You're ten years old... that's young enough, right?"
"So, all kids have some sort of psychic power... this is very unbelievable if you ask me."
"That's what the old man said."
"So what's yours?"
"Ah, yeaown. Like I have any."
"You're ten years old... that's young enough, right?"
"Well, if I have any power, I still don't know about it."
"Does your irresistible sex-appeal count?"
"Oh, yeaown! Thanks, sis! I almost forgot about it!"
"See?"
"Now THAT'S power!"
"Who cares about moving things around and reading thoughts?"
"Exactly!"
***
Orphanage Light Wings... accused of being just a mask for a pedophile group, it would have been closed, but it burned to the ground before that. Apparently everyone involved with it was killed in the fire. Unfortunately over a hundred children died as well.
***
Cyberia
While the twins were either getting or trying to get shitfaced as the case may have been... Hime saw... an image... of the good doctor Iwakura.
She was actually seeing double...
Like his younger brothers, Nakita was one of three identical triplets (yes, that's what usually happens, three triplets... sheesh... that's up there with saying "Occifer, I only had two beers" while holding up 4 fingers).
One surviving...
One lost in a KIDS-style mishap...
One stillborn...
It appears the elder set was following the younger set's lead - the member lost to the KIDS mishap... wants out of the Wired.
***
"Dr. Noah Bradford. It sounds so much better than Adam Langley, student," Yi-Xue said dryly and then took a sip of the coffee sitting in front of her.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were 'Natsumi,' Dr. Hsu?" Adam said as he sat down across the kitchen table from Muqin.
"Because you, my boy, would tell Eiri that her family doesn't exist. The only reason I'm here right now is that Caomei happened to hear your conversation with Eiri last week," she looked right into Adam's eyes. "You can't let her know what really happened."
Adam glared at her. "She needs to know."
"Not now, not in her condition. Trust me... she seems so normal one moment, then something throws off her world and she..." Yi-Xue grew silent. "Just trust me."
The room grew silent as they both heard the click of the front door opening. Adam stood and looked out of the kitchen door just in time to have Eiri run into him. She looked up at him with watery eyes and then buried her face in Adam's shirt. Her arms wrapped around his hips and her hands flexed and unflexed as they grabbed the ends of his shirt. Adam looked back at Muqin for a second and then put one of his arms around her waist and putting one of his hands on her stomach.
"What's wrong, honey?" said Muqin.
Eiri lifted her head from Adam's chest and looked over at Muqin.
"Mama..." she said, reaching one of her hands out to Muqin as she
moved over to the couple.
"Come here, little Eiri," said Muqin, pushing Adam away lightly and taking Eiri into her arms. When she had a tight grip on Eiri, Muqin looked at Adam and mouthed /something happened to her world/. "What happened, Eiri- chan?"
"Who is Natsumi? Where is she? Why don't I have pictures to show to
Adam?" she screamed.
"Eiri, we had this conversation a week ago. Why are you just now asking about it?" Adam said suddenly. Muqin shot daggers at him.
"Darling, let me give you some of that infusion and then I want you to go to sleep. How is the baby doing?" Muqin said as she led Eiri to a seat.
"I think it's fine. I haven't been to a doctor since I found out I was pregnant," said Eiri softly.
Muqin nearly dropped the glass in her hand and Adam's jaw fell open.
"You said you were going every week to see both Dr. Iwakura and your OB- GYN. Where have you been going?" Adam nearly screamed.
"I don't know. Around," Eiri said, looking down at her hands. "I don't like doctors."
"So... you don't like Yi-Xue... or... Muqin?" Adam said.
Muqin was shaking her head furiously, but Eiri looked up at Adam with a smile on her face. "What do you mean? Muqin isn't a doctor... she's a teacher. She worked with my father at the Daigaku before he died in the car crash."
Adam looked at Eiri in the eyes, his mouth slightly open. "I forgot... what happened to your mother."
"She died of pneumonia a week after I was born... why are you asking me all of this?"
"... Natsumi?"
Her eyes grew clouded. "My older sister... she lives in Vermont. Her husband died a year ago."
Her eyes closed and she let her head fall against the counter. Muqin came around the counter and picked her up, then headed off to Eiri's room with Adam behind her.
"When her world is disrupted..."
***
Unfortunately, they've had to break the kiss. Fortunately, that could be called a masterpiece of timing. Hime got her now running out air, and with a sweet smile, whispered "That... was lovely."
Nakita shrugged... "I try my best." His voice had taken on a weird choral quality... sort of like he was using all the voices he knew at once....
"And now I have to think of a good way to thank you for that..."
"You already have." Nakita didn't seem to notice the riders his voice now had.
"Hey... the gig is over, right?" Hime asked frowning.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing... it just feels weird when you sound like someone else. But it's fun too, so I'm not complaining." the maiden answered smiling.
***
Meanwhile, the twins installed themselves at the bar. No one was game enough to speak up re: possible age problems
***
"Well... it wasn't easy practicing that in secret." Again the chorality. Nakita grinned, "Though I did confuse Kojirou a few times."
"Ah, I'm sure he didn't mind... but you're confusing ME, now..."
"With what?"
Hime frowned. "Hm. Shift back to your original voice."
"I have." But the chorality remained. Hime started giggling at that.
Nakita looked up... and the color drained from his face... Hime kept smiling, and she decided to explain. "You're stuck with the other voices, like that other time..."
Nakita shook his head... "It's not that... I'm... worried... about..."
"Then..." Hime trailed off, an inquiring look on her face.
"Turn around..."
"Alright..." she did.
A dim.... flickering... indefinite image....
... stole what little was left of Hime's wind. She gasped, blinked, and turned back to Nakita, words failing her at the moment.
The good doctor was as surprised as Hime was...
...because the image was indeed...
...Iwakura Nakita... ... ...
...times two...
She was pale. And out of what to say. Or do. So it can only be assumed it was fate that led Hime to walk closer to the images.
Meanwhile... Nakita bailed... at max speed...
The twins looked up from their bar stools... took in the little tableau.... and muttered... "We'll drink to that" before emptying their glasses.
Hime still tried to rationalize what she was doing. Obviously it was useless. But she did reach out to touch the illusions.
They moved back, away from her... ... and Hime could only stare as they did. She didn't think of turning to look back at the real Nakita... or who she thought was the real one... oh. Yes, now she remembered. He had mentioned a twin brother... ONE twin brother. One DEAD twin brother... bloody hell.
Meanwhile, the twins drank to that.
It took over twenty minutes of catatonic state for Hime's mind to shift back to its usual activity. Realizing Nakita was nowhere to be found, and not blaming him, she went for the bar, hoping to get some clarifying from the other twins.
They were doing their damnedest to get shitfaced... we'll drink to that...
"So... do you have any idea where your brother is right now?"
"No idea." Kannai answered. Tak said nothing and emptied his glass again.
"And as for why he ran away like that?"
Tak shrugged... Kannai drank to that.
Hime sighed... kept silent... then started laughing. The twins were pretty damn right. She sat down and asked for a bottle of vodka herself.
***
Something akin to a miracle had happened.... Kannai was passed out, drunk. Of course, given the mood of the previous hour or so, Tak and Hime drank to that.
Tak was a little lightheaded... and annoyed... he'd been imbibing hard liquor at a constant rate for over an our and the room wasn't even spinning yet. The same certainly didn't apply to Hime. She was in the verge of passing out. Excusing herself and avoiding Kannai's body on the floor, she went for the bathroom.
Tak shook his head... he wasn't going to get tanked anytime in the next day...
Hime figured she had to go home. The whole getting drunk enough to mistake the mirror for someone else had been fun, but it was over. She washed her face, applied just a bit of makeup and left, still staggering, but just a little.
Tak had quit drinking..... "Want to head out?"
"Yeaown, but do we leave Kannai here?"
"Nope." Tak bent down and lifted his unconscious twin up and over his shoulder. "Let's go."
Hime paid for the booze and off they went. She checked outside to see if Nakita's car was anywhere near. He'd taken it when he left @ a high dx/dt.
There had been a few stares as Tak threw Kannai over his shoulder like someone would hoist a schoolbag... and seeing Hime's not too steady progress... he scooped her up as well.
She would have said something like "thanks, but you really don't need to do that", but she didn't bother. Tak didn't seem to be making the least bit of effort anyway.
***
There was one question that Tak wanted to ask Hime, so he had waited until after he had dumped Kannai on a couch and set her down rather more gently...
"Can I ask you something?"
"Anything..."
"Yeah... is Nakita... bisexual?"
Hime scratched her head... "Not that I know of."
"Would it bother you if he was?"
"No... not at all. It would be even more fun, I guess."
***
"Wake up, kids. I made breakfast!" Kojirou's voice greeted the trio.
Kannai's balled fist barely missed Kojirou... "Not so looouuud..."
"Hoe.. sorry..." Kojirou sweatdropped. He turned to Tak and Hime. "You two coming?"
"Yeah... he's just hungover..." Tak answered. "He passed out drunk last night... lucky twerp... I drank more than he did."
The kid raised an eyebrow. "What was the occasion?"
"Nakita's and Hime's one year anniversary..."
After espying the look on Hime's face...
"Apparently it was a surprise to Hime to hear all three of us sing... well."
A large grin slashed the boy's face, "Tell me you got that on tape."
"From the bodydumps to the forward flip Nakita did while kissing Hime."
"Alright! Now, then, how about breakfast?"
"You DID make enough for two very hungry 7 foot tall 200 kilo teenagers, I hope?"
"Of course." Kojirou answered confidently.
"Well, let the demolition begin..."
When they got in the kitchen it became obvious that Kojirou hadn't made anything. He had called and ordered food. But either way worked with the giants.
While Tak was eating, Kannai got up and joined him..... by the time that had happened, reordering was needed.
"So where's the doc, anyway?" Kojirou asked while they waited for the food.
"He ... *scarf* left in a *chomp* bit of a *swallow* hurry."
"Oh..." the kid blinked "Was something wrong?"
Tak shrugged.
"Well, that's Nakita... he's full of surprises..." Hime said remembering the previous night.
"You gonna order more food?" the Takman asked.
"Your call... you think you need more?"
"I won't, but Kannai will..."
"Send in, then."
Kojirou stood up, went for the phone. Before he started dialing, "What do you kids want?"
"Just order what you ordered before." Kannai answered.
Kojirou went for Italian food... loads of it... strange enough, it took much less time then everyone assumed. As soon as the receiver was down, a knock was heard. Hime promptly stood up and went for the door. It wasn't the delivery person, but someone much more expected by her. None other than the good doctor himself.
He didn't look too crash hot... torn clothing with some blood stains, liberal application of the bruise palette...
Hime frowned like few times before... she would have hugged Nakita, but she was afraid of hurting him. Instead, she just led him in, asking what had happened. He didn't so much walk in as collapse in. Hime suppressed a scream. The others, attracted by the THUD he had made on the floor, ran for the door to find Nakita, seemingly dead, on the floor.
Tak motored... Kannai kept eating. Seeing as the Takman had already scooped his brother up, Kojirou and Hime just lead him upstairs. They figured he needed a good cold bath, which Hime was more than happy to give.
As Tak carried his brother up, he called up the stairs, "Better make that bath a warm one."
***
Two men walked down the halls of Tokyo University academia, one tall, Caucasian, and in a black suit and mirrorshades. The other was Japanese, shorter, and wore the same outfit. Their hands were planted firmly in their pockets, and a cigarette was held firmly between the lips of the tall one, dangling a ragged silent trail of smoke behind him like a phantom trailer.
It was strangely quiet, nothing moved besides them. As they went, they saw a student hurrying to class. For someone in a hurry, he was remarkably graceful, moving quickly and smoothly. He shot the pair only the most passing glance, but the short one made a gesture for him to stop. The student slowed to a stop.
"Something you need?" he asked pleasantly. The tall one pulled a worn photo from his pocket and held it in front of the student.
"Ever seen this man?" he asked. The student peered hard at it, his eyes narrowing in possible recognition before he finally answered.
"Nope, sorry. He do something wrong?" asked the student.
"Not at all." said the short one. "It's just that he's an old friend and we've been looking for him." The student shrugged.
"Sorry." he said, and made ready to resume jogging.
"Wait!" called the tall one. "What's your name?"
"My name?"
"Yeah, in case we meet again."
"Call me Yousuke." he shrugged. "I've gotta go, excuse me please." he replied, brushing past the pair. Once he turned a corner, the tall one spat out his cigarette, crushing it beneath his shoe.