Mato Kuroi (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kotoritori) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
pti2018-01-12 06:02 pm
kotoritori) wrote in pti2018-01-12 06:02 pm
Entry tags:
Action - West Burbank Middle School Gymnasium - Jan 10th (backdated)
[Mato may have Phantom Thief business coming up soon, but she's still got her other responsibilities in the meantime. Middle school students are busy, okay? So tonight, she's out with the girls' basketball team trying to help them qualify for the finals. She wears lucky number 13, which might be an omen for the way the night is going to go. The team does well enough in the first half, holding a slim lead over the visiting team, but it's after halftime that things start to look a little concerning.
Mato's been hustling pretty hard out there, and despite being the shortest member on the team, she's quick and accurate. Besides the other students sitting in the home section, there's also a small gathering of the faculty that have come out to cheer for the team. Phantom Thieves in attendance may or may not notice an extra attendee sitting with the other teachers near the beginning of the second half - a young, unassuming woman with a soft smile. She's watching Mato rather intently as she plays, and as she dribbles the ball down the court and past her field of vision, she lets out a loud cheer followed by the slightest sinister smile.
It's very easy to miss for someone who isn't watching for it, her cheer blending in with the rest of the crowd, but Mato turns her head for just a split second. And as soon as she sees that smile, her eyes go wide and she misses the dribble and trips over her own feet, taking a hard spill on the gym floor. It doesn't look like any bones are broken, but she's limping enough when she stands up that the coach calls for a substitution. Mato is helped to the bench by her fellow players, and while she waves it off with a smile, she's clearly looking a little disturbed as she ices and rests her ankle.
For anyone who missed it earlier, the same woman - only several rows back - leans forward to call down to her.]
What a shame, Mato. Come by tomorrow if you want to talk about it.
[Mato simply shrinks into herself even further, staring at the floor. She remains like that for most of the rest of the game, glancing up only occasionally to watch. Her team loses by a single point.
After the final whistle blows, she does her best to smile for her teammates as they tell her it wasn't her fault. The woman from earlier walks by and places a brief comforting hand on her shoulder, echoing the sentiment. Finally, her parents come down to check on her, but she tells them - again with the same smile - that she needs a minute, but she'll catch up.
If any of her fellow Phantom Thieves want to check on Mato as the crowd finishes filing out, now is probably the time.]
Mato's been hustling pretty hard out there, and despite being the shortest member on the team, she's quick and accurate. Besides the other students sitting in the home section, there's also a small gathering of the faculty that have come out to cheer for the team. Phantom Thieves in attendance may or may not notice an extra attendee sitting with the other teachers near the beginning of the second half - a young, unassuming woman with a soft smile. She's watching Mato rather intently as she plays, and as she dribbles the ball down the court and past her field of vision, she lets out a loud cheer followed by the slightest sinister smile.
It's very easy to miss for someone who isn't watching for it, her cheer blending in with the rest of the crowd, but Mato turns her head for just a split second. And as soon as she sees that smile, her eyes go wide and she misses the dribble and trips over her own feet, taking a hard spill on the gym floor. It doesn't look like any bones are broken, but she's limping enough when she stands up that the coach calls for a substitution. Mato is helped to the bench by her fellow players, and while she waves it off with a smile, she's clearly looking a little disturbed as she ices and rests her ankle.
For anyone who missed it earlier, the same woman - only several rows back - leans forward to call down to her.]
What a shame, Mato. Come by tomorrow if you want to talk about it.
[Mato simply shrinks into herself even further, staring at the floor. She remains like that for most of the rest of the game, glancing up only occasionally to watch. Her team loses by a single point.
After the final whistle blows, she does her best to smile for her teammates as they tell her it wasn't her fault. The woman from earlier walks by and places a brief comforting hand on her shoulder, echoing the sentiment. Finally, her parents come down to check on her, but she tells them - again with the same smile - that she needs a minute, but she'll catch up.
If any of her fellow Phantom Thieves want to check on Mato as the crowd finishes filing out, now is probably the time.]
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"Right. So what does the bitch in the audience have on you? You need us to take care of her?"
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[Again: bad liar.]
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[She shuffles her legs awkwardly.]
...you saw that?
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[There's only a liiiiittle implication that she should probably be able to pick up on that stuff too]
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[She's spilling it, but slowly.]
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[Mato rubs her arm, letting out a sigh. It takes a little while before she continues.]
...She causes fights between the students.
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[Right, middle-schooler]
Are you kidding me? She sounds like a pretty bad counselor. What's her angle?
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I don't know. But she's got a Palace.
[Which should fill in a lot of the rest of the story here.]
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[Another sigh. Another pause.]
...there's so many worse people out there. Like that white supremacist guy. People have been hurt at his rallies. People have had their houses burned. People might even be killed. How...
[And now the tears flow in earnest.]
...How can I ask the Phantom Thieves to help me with this when there's people like that out there?
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[There's the faint glimmer of a smile forming.]
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Anyway I think I promised you Cold Stone, c'mon. No point in letting that lady get to you. We'll take care of it.
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[And theeere's the smile. Ice cream is always a good bet.]
And thanks, Locke. For everything.
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