[ CLOSED ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD-_oLjmCGY

[rollin]

Who: the idiots who think this will actually amount to anything
When: IC 11/23 onward
Where: Various!
What: The rescue mission Yata, Sheba and co. discussed at the citywide meeting!
Rating/Warning: at least PG because some people swear like sailors

---

[ Once everyone arrives at the agreed meeting area, the CERES Metro-rail Station at the Residential District, Yata briefs the group on what to do. As discussed in the citywide meeting yesterday, the group will split into six teams that were decided by drawing lots. Everyone should know who they're teamed up with by now. Yata's instructions are simple enough: don't work alone (buddy system!), and if anyone finds anything, report to him. Should the missing arrivals be found, don't wait on anyone's orders. Yata admits that he's not smart enough to call the shots, but if he found who they were looking for, he believes that taking action should be the team's first priority. Anyone is free to protest, but he won't go back on his word.

Then he makes a special shout out to Hiccup and Toothless because look look guys it's a dragon how cool is that okay back to business.

By 9:15 AM, all teams should be on the move! ]

RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT | SHOPPING DISTRICT | ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT | TECH DISTRICT | PLEASURE DISTRICT | VIVID

Comments

OTA, before district split-ups!

[perfectstrike]

[Along with Yata's briefing, Peko has something Extremely Important (to her) to say. She has her electronic student ID out and open to a certain loser's profile. It's written in Japanese, but Peko is more than willing to explain what it says.]

His name is Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, in the Western order. He is approximately this tall, [she holds up a hand just below her shoulder level to indicate around 5'1",] and likely wearing a suit and an eyepatch. If you do see him, please inform me immediately.

[rollin]

[ Yata didn't expect this this announcement from Peko, quiet as she is, but he listens to what she has to say. Kuzuryuu is an awfully fancy name. He's a rich kid—that much is obvious—but he has no clue what his relationship with Peko is.

He squints at the profile. ]

He hates milk...

[perfectstrike]

He does.

[Stated as if this isn't something weird at all?? Apparently it is totally normal for a teenager (if he is really a teenager, look at that baby face) to hate milk so much it was included on his student profile. Along with his like for karintou. Amazing.]

I would strongly recommend not even mentioning it around him.

[BUT. But. She is smiling a little thinking about it, though she doesn't seem to realize.]

[rollin]

Gotcha.

[ Yata doesn't even question it as he crosses his arms and nods. Even if he's at 5'6 and has already learned how to drink milk (unlike some gangsters), he understands the feeling all too well. ]

It can be rough for that kid... [ He's not a kid, though. ] He your brother?

[ That's why she's smiling, right? ]

[perfectstrike]

...I do not recommend you call him a kid, either. He is in high school, after all.

[SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR FINGERS IF YOU CALL HIM A KID, YATA... But urk--! Not her brother, not even a little bit. How does she want to describe this...]

But, that is...

[Hnngh. There's a bit of a strange, strangled noise as she tries to figure that out.]

He is something like a... childhood friend.

[Your childhood friend is the Super High School Level Yakuza according to this ID card? Maybe that kind of explains the weird way she was approaching the tea shop.]

[rollin]

High school?

[ Yata mutters under his breath while having absolutely no right to judge when he looks like a junior high dropout at age twenty. He should also learn how to finish reading things before commenting on them, because after the line about milk, he spots another important detail. ]

So that's why you were being weird at the shop. [ ... ] Wait, you're friends with this guy?

[ YAKUZA. He's not translating it for Peko's sake. ]

[niceguypose]

[Luckily, Lee presumably can read the Japanese, and he nods as he takes in the information. Such a formidable-looking and tiny man...]

How strong is he?

[perfectstrike]

That is...

[WHAT A TRICK QUESTION. She knows what Lee is asking for, and the correct answer would be 'not very.' This boy is a twig. If Lee could beat Peko, he would annihilate Kuzuryuu.

But she has so much faith in him. And he's the heir to the largest yakuza family in Japan, in spite of his kind nature, and he's the Super High School Level Yakuza, which is clearly printed beneath his name along with his somewhat weak-looking height/weight stats.]

He is not a martial artist. But I think... he is much stronger than I am.

[niceguypose]

[Rock Lee nods in determination.]

I see. I will find a way to challenge him, then! After we find him... I promise you, Peko-san, I will do everything in my power to find your dear comrade!!

[perfectstrike]

Please do not challenge him.

[NO LEE. Peko does not want to see Kuzuryuu literally decimated.]

But... I will thank you for letting me know, if you do find him.

[niceguypose]

I will honor your wishes, Peko-san, even if that would be the best way to measure our bond as young men!

[He nods.]

If I find him, your name is the first I will cry out. He must be very important to you.

[harepiece]

[Looking at the screen when she flips it over! This sure is weird-looking... Why is the future so fancy?? Of course, Oz doesn't actually need to look at the picture when it's shown, but it would be pretty strange if he didn't.]

All right! Is he a friend of yours?

[perfectstrike]

[It's just the electronic student ID... it's not her fault you guys are Ye Olde.]

In... a manner of speaking. He is very important to me.

[harepiece]

[being a megagramps is a struggle and no one but the other nursing home collective members understand...]

I'll keep a close eye out for him, then. [Looking over the rest of the card, which of course he can't read.] Is there anything important to remember here?

[perfectstrike]

[Can she get him a cane or something... maybe some nice prunes...?]

Ah... he is the Super High School Level Yakuza, so please treat him with the respect the heir of the largest criminal syndicate in Japan is due.

[AKA DON'T... COMMENT ON HIS BABYFACE...]

Also, Kuzuryuu is his last name, so please do not make the mistake of being overly-familiar with him.

[LAUGHS]

[harepiece]

[Both, please.

BUT GOSH all of that information is definitely shocking and new and boy it can be hard meeting people you know a lot about that suddenly don't know anything about you.]

Is there some sort of title that goes with it, or is it just Kuzuryuu?

[Do criminal syndicates even have titles?? Duke Kuzuryuu just doesn't sound right...]

[allthreefourths]

[ haha wow hiccup's first unrelated thought: that is short, was he that "tall"--before he shakes that off and realizes he should probably focus on the task at hand. don't mind the viking with the dragon beside him as he leans in slightly to commit that picture to memory, given he can read absolutely nothing on the rest of that ID. ]

Me and Toothless here were going to scout around before we searched on the ground, so we'll touch down if we see someone like him.

[ he could also act like a visual cue that the new people thing was true... he's not too sure what toothless and him should look for, besides people who don't blend in, with confused expressions on their faces. ]

We'll... mention you're looking for him, too, maybe we can bring him to you. What's your name?

[perfectstrike]

[Kuzuryuu is so small but please never point that out to him. Peko's admittedly a little more distracted by the dragon than by Hiccup himself, not really paying much attention to the ID.]

Toothless...

[Dragon... it's not fluffy by any stretch of the imagination, but she still kind of wants to try petting it. Surely a dragon can't be intimidated by her fierce stare. If Hiccup had seen her from behind at any point, he'd have seen that her sword bag actually has an (Eastern) dragon on it.

But he'd asked a question, hadn't he?]

Ah, forgive me. My name is Pekoyama Peko, Pekoyama being my family name. I will be searching the residential district, so I should not be difficult to find if need be.

[allthreefourths]

[ she'd seemed a little stern and all business, but it looks like even that's no match for the power of large, scaly dog-cat dragons. scaly dog-cat dragons that are currently returning peko's fierce stare… though in the dragon's case this is more a look of curiosity, mixed in with a low exhale that blows hiccup's hair forward a tad.

as he's done inspecting that ID not-so-tiny viking will straighten up, fixing the hair that toothless had so kindly messed up. ]

Then, Peko it is. I'm Hiccup, and we'll keep both of you in mind while we're searching. [ said with a smile, because he has no clue about first name familiarity.

a pause, before he also adds in: ] And slightly random question, but I couldn't help noticing your bag and that wistful repeat of Toothless's name you had there. Fan of dragons?

[ do you have a moment to talk about our saviors, dragons ]

[perfectstrike]

Pekoyama, [she corrects, albeit a little distractedly. The ID slips back into her pocket, all but forgotten, and she raises one hand as if to try to pet him. Her hand doesn't come up much past her waist before she thinks better of it and instead crosses her arms tightly over her chest, forcing herself to look to Hiccup instead.]

But yes, I... suppose that would not be inaccurate. Dragon symbols are very important to us. The name "Kuzuryuu" refers to the legendary nine-headed dragon...

[Fan of one particular dragon. One particular tiny, baby-faced gangster dragon.]

Can I...?

[She starts to ask before she sharply stops herself and shakes her head as if to try to dismiss the question. She wants to pet it, but it's a dragon, not a housecat. That's probably not allowed.]

[allthreefourths]

[ oh. now that's interesting, and hiccup seems to very much perk up at that. dragon nerd? dragon nerd. ]

Nine heads? The most number of heads on a dragon that I've seen is two, on the Hideous Zippleback. That's impressive... [ a pause. ] Or, well, exhausting, when I think of all the arguing those nine heads probably go through.

[ not really a name reference you expect on tiny baby-faced gangster dragons that are 5'1" but... he's not one to judge on appearances, for obvious reasons.

ah, wait, she's asking something. enough dragon nerding, hiccup, snap back into attention. a gesture towards toothless. ]

--Uh, if you want to pet him, go ahead, Peko...yama? [ at least, that's what he thinks she wants to do? that's what most people want to do, really. she's shyer than he thought she'd be, with all the directness she has in the beginning. ] He doesn't bite. In fact, he loves that stuff.

[ actually, basically housecat. ]

[faestra]

Sure, no problem!

[And then she takes a look at the info card. It's convenient that she has something like that, huh... although she stares a bit towards the end.]

He's got an unusual title...

[What kind of word is "super high school level?" Not to mention yakuza.]

[perfectstrike]

Thank you.

[Is it unusual...?? It just makes sense to her, but she has no problem explaining it further.]

Super High School Level is the title awarded to those accepted to Hope's Peak Academy, meaning he is the top in his field at the high school level. He is the heir to the largest yakuza syndicate in Japan.

[This tiny baby-faced loser is the literal best yakuza... amazing...]

[faestra]

[it is indeed even more unusual because of his looks, so she was hoping that was some kind of typo... now she definitely doesn't want to say something to offend her, but.]

Wow. ....I didn't know being a yakuza was considered a 'field.'

[YOUR SCHOOL ENCOURAGES THIS???]

[perfectstrike]

Why wouldn't it be?

[At least Peko doesn't seem offended by Yuzu's statement, though she does add, after a quiet pause,] One must be possessed of... an incredible strength to even be considered a worthy successor. The school itself is meant to foster that talent.

[It's hard to tell, but her lips twitch. She was going to go on to talk about Hope's Peak more, but with what she knows about what happened to Hinata there... it kind of leaves a sour taste in her mouth.]