eidetic_savant (eidetic_savant) wrote in advent_princes, @ 2010-02-02 15:53:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! log, - rating: g, kajimoto, sakuno, tachibana a |
[log] Kajimoto, Sakuno, An
Date:Day 018
Rating:G
Summary: The Hanamura 'siblings' Takahisa and Sakuno.
Hey, Pigtails, guess who's here? ♥ Mom sends love and kisses.
Takahisa Hanamura clicked a button on the screen of his phone and the message blinked off, sent on it's way through the system to wherever his younger sister had squirreled herself away. Strange, really, he thought, that she hadn't been tooling around in her pride and joy -- the terrarium that she'd set up in one of the private areas of the Nibelheim research center -- but then Sakuno probably had her own work to deal with beyond her 'secret project'.
And it wasn't like Takahisa had told her that he'd be in the area either.
He wasn't going to be for long, either, but it was more than enough time to stop by and see his younger sibling. It'd been easy enough to make his way into the research center. His ID and levels of clearance, coupled with a friendly smile and a bit of flirting, got him into building without so much as a raised eyebrow in the direction of the package that he had cradled under his home. "Present for my sister," was all he had to laugh, playfully, at the security guards, and they let him pass without so much as a cursory scan of the box.
Then again, he wasn't lying, exactly. The six lab mice tranquilized and sequestered in separate compartments in the sound-proof box were a sort-of present for Sakuno.
Not that he could really call them 'mice' anymore: Tiny wings, three tails, lengthened claws, miniature bodies twisted with the genetic material of something other than 'mouse.' Despite their gruesome appearances, though, the creatures were fairly harmless. Still, as he carefully moved them from the box to the cages that would be their home while his sister continued her studies on them, it was best that they'd been sedated for the trip.
No sooner than he'd arrived at her official lab, than Sakuno burst through the doors carrying her cell phone.
Her very wet cell phone. When she saw him, she blinked in surprise at first, the smile of delight immediately springing up as she rushed to throw her arms around him. "Takahisa! What are you doing here?"
Takahisa gave a small grunt at the impact, arms dropping around her to hug the younger girl tight. "Surprising you," came the easy answer. "And I brought you a present from back home." As he spoke, he motioned to the caged mice on the table behind him. A couple were just rousing, growling and shaking off the last of the sedation drugs that Takahisa had slipped into their food before the trip.
"I'll take it you didn't get my message," he smiled, pulling back from her and taking a glance down at the phone in her hand.
"Uh...well...I was trying to! But see, I dropped it accidently into the watering can while I was filling it..." She trailed off, cheeks pinkening at the amused look on his face. "I know," she managed after a beat. "I killed another phone. I'm sorry."
Her eyes slid to the table, observing the box, alternately anticipating and dreading the inevitable look inside. She enjoyed her work, and was, of course, only too happy to help in their mother's work but...sometimes she really didn't like thinking about what all those poor rats had had to go through, even before they got to her. "How, ah, many this time?"
"I think maybe we should look into getting you a waterproof phone, 'Kuno," Takahisa chuckled, and reached out to tug the tip of one his little sister's pigtails. "They have them now, you know? Impact proof too."
So, in theory, they'd be Sakuno-proof as well.
Though… Theories were only useful if they held up to practical application. Takahisa would only believe the phone was Sakuno-proof after he saw it. His little sister, brilliant as she was, was sometimes a walking accident waiting to collide with something. At one point, he'd even surmised that she'd had her own gravity field and was drawing objects into herself.
Of course, further research had disproven that theory…
As she glanced back at the mice, Takahisa could only sigh and run fingers through ashen brown hair. "Just six," he told her softly, his gaze more on her than the still-waking mice. Sakuno had always been more… Uncomfortable, Takahisa supposed, with certain aspects of their mother's research than he had been. Of course, she didn't have to deal with any aspect of it, beyond her plants -- and even that was Sakuno's own choice; Aoi Hanamura had never cajoled either of her adopted children into following her into symbiotic research or the experiments on the creatures created from it.
The fact that they had a low survival rate, even before they were brought to Sakuno to do the final stages of the research, didn't make his sister any more comfortable, and Takahisa was well aware of it.
It was why he avoiding telling her that the experiment had started out with two dozen.
Batting his hand away lightly from her braids--an automatic gesture born of years of having them tugged--Sakuno shook her head. "Maybe I'll try one of those then," she agreed, tearing her eyes away from the box. She'd see all too soon what had been done to them. Takahisa, however, she didn't get to see nearly as much as she'd like to.
Or hug. Her arms wrapped back around him for another one, smiling up at him. Her big brother had always looked good, and now was no exception. "How have you been? How is Mother? Are you both getting enough rest?" Sometimes she regretted striking out on her own, however much. She couldn't take care of them as well so many miles away.
"Mom's fine," Takahisa laughed, not all surprised by the barrage of questions Sakuno pelted him with; it was like this every time he stopped in Nibelheim. "She said to tell you that she is resting as much as can be expected, and that she loves you, misses you, and is still very proud of you."
Not that the older woman hadn't told Sakuno the very same things the last time that she'd called. Speaking of…
One-handed, Takahisa pulled his own phone back out of his pocket and switched to the messaging function to send their mother a quick note to let her know that Sakuno's own phone was, once again, non-functional. "I'd offer to go with you for the new phone, but I'm afraid I'm only here for a couple hours," Takahisa answered, wrapping the other arm around Sakuno to squeeze her close as he gave her a peck on the forehead. "My airship to Edge leaves later this evening, and if I'm going to take my baby sister out to dinner, I'd better do it soon after she shows me how her plants are doing, huh?"
About to bite her lip uncertainly-- because she would love spending time with her brother, but some of her work needed very exacting watering schedules--Sakuno brightened visibly and spun to pick up the box. There was a faint squeak of protest coming from it, but she wasn't about to leave it sitting out where anyone could wander in and peek into it. She finagled it under her arm and grabbed her brother with her free hand, leading him into the other room.
"There isn't too much that you haven't already seen, Takahisa. I've been busy with the 'other' work...but I did make a breakthrough with those empathic-sensory plants I was telling you about before!"
"Well it doesn't mean I don't want to see it again," Takahisa assured her, rooting them to the spot just long enough to pick up his own travel bag. The same as Sakuno wasn't about to foolishly leave their latest test subjects out in the open, he wasn't about to abandon a bag with his -- secured -- netbook or the other equipment that he would supposedly need while in Midgar.
And besides, he was trying to get her mind off their 'other' work.
"Ah, right. You mentioned those the last time I was here," he chuckled as she led him farther into her private workspace.
After returning from dropping off the box into her secret lab, Sakuno quickly took him on the tour, updating him on the scientific progress. She could have gone on about more interesting things about the plants, but she knew her big brother appreciated the science first and foremost. When she dragged him in front of a small, sectioned off area, she let go of his hand to actually wade in with her watering can.
"These are it," she smiled. "Come closer, you'll see their petals change when they sense your mood, 'Hisa!" Around her, the flowers had already begun to suffuse their petals with a bright sky-blue and a vibrant pink.
Takahisa followed along behind his sister, nodding thoughtfully at every word she said. It wasn't that he didn't like plants -- he did, honestly, and had helped Sakuno care for small gardens even in their home north of Icicle Inn -- but the long-term implications of her work had always held his attention more. Being able to create botanical life-forms that were adapted to survive conditions outside their norms had strong implications, from the possibility of revitalizing areas like the Wastelands around Midgar to creating farm crops that could have a higher yield while using fewer resources overall.
As they approached the empathic-sensitive plants and Sakuno took up her watering can, Takahisa set down his single piece of carry-on luggage. At her prompting, he stepped carefully into the cluster of ankle-high flowers. After a few steps, however, Takahisa came to an uncertain halt.
"Uhm, are they supposed to be doing… This, pigtails?" he wondered, glancing at the ground around him.
The flowers were hovering in closer to his legs, the same as they did his sister's. But whereas the flowers around Sakuno were bright pink and blue, the ones that brushed up against him had taken on a sickly yellow-green shade. Takahisa frowned, and the flowers darkened a shade.
Looking over at the flowers first, Sakuno frowned thoughtfully at the color, then giggled when she straightened and glanced up at her brother. "Don't worry, big brother," she smiled at him. "They can't hurt you. I'm not sure yet why they do that but...I have a theory that they may just be attracted to emotional states and it draws them physically too." She tilted her head, watching the flowers around Takahisa shift in color rapidly. "Or maybe they're trying to comfort you...there's not empirical reasoning that says they couldn't be feeling empathy themselves."
"And its so cute when they cling to your legs, too," a new voice popped up. Sakuno was momentarily startled, the flower petals around her shifting to a bright yellow before fading a bit, mixing with the blue and pink. "An! You scared me again," she laughed brightly, one hand pressed against her chest. "Takahisa, this is Angela Takeda. She's temporarily supervising this section of research. An-chan, this is Takahisa Hanamura, my big brother. She smiled sweetly, making introductions. An stepped over the path to where they stood, one hand held out to shake the very pretty man's hand, the other clutching a clipboard under her arm.
"I didn't know Saku-chan had a big brother," she said amiably.
"Sort of like plants following the sun then?" Takahisa mused, more to himself than anyone. "Interesting… But I was more concerned about the col--" He cut himself off at the sound of an unfamiliar voice and Sakuno's surprised squeak, casting a glance his shoulder at the unfamiliar young woman heading their way.
The name was unfamiliar; Sakuno hadn't mentioned a temporary supervisor in her sector in her last email and their mother hadn't mentioned one the last time she and Sakuno had talked on the phone. So, this was a recent arrangement then, Takahisa reasoned, as he stepped out of the flower bed and took the young woman's proffered hand. "Most likely you've gotten her talking about her research then," he smiled, charming enough. "She forgets everything else once she starts discussing botanical symibiotics."
An laughed and had to agree. "She does a fine job of explaining it all, though. We're very impressed with her work." All of the flowers around Sakuno flared into a bright pink. They'd done that the last time An had come in here too, she recalled. In fact, whenever she mentioned 'Mr. Sable' to Sakuno around the flowers they burst into that very pretty and vibrant color.
Quite unlike the myriad of colors that were at her brother's feet. An couldn't even warrant a guess at how he was feeling just by looking at the petals. Which was interesting. The two didn't even look a thing alike; another interesting point. She might have to look into that. This Takahisa sure talked like someone who knew what he was talking about when he talked about symbiotics...
Takahisa glanced back at his sister, the bright pink petals swirled around her, and decided that this aspect of her work was, perhaps, not well-suited to someone more reticent than she. He slid out of the flower bed easily, the petals slowly returning to their natural colors as he did; no sense prompting unnecessary questions from someone he didn't know.
Least of all about an answer he didn't already have.
"Well, she is brilliant like that, Ms. Takeda," he assured, reaching down to pick up his bag and sling the strap over his shoulder. "And the long-term ramifications of her work--"
A loud, somber melody suddenly erupted from the front pocket of Takahisa's jeans, the solemn tune drawing an annoyed scowl to his face. "Ah, sorry," he apologized to both girls, pulling out his phone and flipping it open. He didn't need to actually look at the phone number the text message had originated from; the music was enough. But still, he couldn't help a soft and cranky, "Why yes, I know we have an all-lab meeting tomorrow morning," at the phone's screen. "I'm not likely to forget."
Recognizing the ringtone, Sakuno pushed a hand against her mouth to muffle her giggling. No one else ever bothered her brother so well as Mr. Kite. It was almost cute how they got on each others nerves. What was even cuter was the riot of deep colors swirling on the petals of the flowers at the edge of the plot closest to Takahisa.
"How is Mr. Kite?" She asked innocently when her brother turned back towards them.
"Still breathing, unfortunately," Takahisa replied, tone dark as he slipped the phone back into his jeans' pocket. Admittedly, he'd not mentioned to the man that he was going to Midgar. But then, if he had mentioned it, it would have only started another barrage of questions about what he was doing and why he didn’t work more with the rest of the lab.
And really, Takahisa maintained that he didn't work for Eishirou Kite.
So the fact that the man had taken it upon himself to hound Takahisa endlessly only made Takahisa more annoyed by his persistence. Well, he frowned, if Kite wanted to remind him of the meeting… Then maybe Takahisa would have to remind him that he wasn't there the following day.
Without bothering to mention just where, exactly, he was.
Childish, he knew, but the man had texted him on personal time and on his personal number. Retribution needed to be exacted in some form. And since mother wouldn't let him injure the other man…
"Ah, anyway," Takahisa paused and glanced down at his sister's flowers, the array of purplish-reds, murky greens, and muddy yellows making him quirk an eyebrow. "I don't really think your flowers like me that much, pigtails."
"I think they're just saying you really don't like this Kite person," An snickered, pulling a pencil from behind her ear, seemingly writing down the flowers reaction. And she was...as well as jotting down the name of Sakuno's brother and this Kite person, as a cross reference, in her own personal code.
Sakuno finished watering the plants, giggling quietly. "I'm not sure if that's true. That the flowers don't like you," she added, seeing her brother frown. "The next crop of them I grow I'm going to have to use as a control group, and put them on an automatic feed and water cycle. So that they're not touched by human emotions," she explained when An raised an inquiring eyebrow at her. "Then I can start growing more and experiemnt with how emotions affect its growth and cellular structure, and whether positive or negative emotions matter. I could always send one back with you, Hisa. For Mr. Kite." Her eyes twinkled a little, thinking that the poor flower would either wither under their animosity towards each other, or it would just burst into flame from all the--what had her mother called it?--sexual tension.
"They're understating," Takahisa replied, tone dry, as he glanced down at the flowers still bending out of their bed to brush up against him. He didn't just 'didn't like' Eishirou Kite; Takahisa was quite certain that he loathed the man and only tolerated him because he was one of the more trusted scientists in his mother's lab.
Otherwise, he'd be just as satisfied to leave 'Kite-kun' on one of the northern most glaciers.
As if sensing the darkening of his thoughts -- and they most likely were -- the flowers closest to him turned a purple-black at his feet.
"So you want to see how your flowers endure systematic torture then? Or if they can survive a frigid environ? Because really, you'd be better off if I simply planted one in the middle of the tundra if that's the case." It would certainly increase the poor plant's odds, Takahisa decided, stepping fully back from the flowers. Once he was out of range -- ah, five feet then -- their petals slowly faded back to their original color.
"They look like they survived you," An pointed out, oh so helpfully. With a little smile at him, she then turned to Sakuno who was picking her way carefully out of the flower patch. "Well, I don't think I need to ask how your work is going today," she commented, tucking her clipboard back under her arm. "You wouldn't have happened to see Konrad around today have you, Saku-chan?"
Just the mention of her partner's alias caused a cute little blush to start up in Sakuno's cheeks. Tezuka had mentioned looking around more closely at the labs, so it couldn't hurt to ask if the petite scientist had run into him yet. Though she had to admit privately that a small percentage of the reason was Sakuno's reaction.
"I...he...no, ah, I haven't," the girl stammered, bobbling her watering can but not dropping it. "Is Mr. Sable supposed to, ah, come by today?"
"They've not had to endure prolonged exposure," Takahisa shrugged casually. Especially not if he were in the presence of Kite…
Then again, he wouldn’t want the flowers around him if he were near the other researcher. Cute though they might be, Takahisa personally found them a bit too telling. Case in point, he thought, watching the flowers that had been trying to lean out of their bed to rub against him do the same to her -- and their petals explode in bright colors. Sliding a glance at his sister, and cocking his eyebrow at her reaction, he frowned. "Who?"
"Mr. Sable is our budget supervisor," An interjected smoothly when Sakuno blushed brighter and had difficulty answering. "He's been looking over the research here to help understand what we need funded here. He's been very interested in Sakuno's work."
"I see…" Takahisa answered, arms crossed over his chest as he examined his blushing little sister critically. His frown was sharp, eyes narrow. "Anything else I need to know, 'Kuno?"
Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "I...well...that is...no?"
An tipped her clilpboard up, hiding her grin. Definitely a protective brother vibe coming from the elder Hanamura. It was cute how they interacted.
Takahisa held his look of marginal disbelief and slight annoyance at his sister for about half a minute longer, enough to watch the younger Hanamaru fidget uncomfortably under her sibling's caustic gaze. But he couldn’t maintain the stoic look long; instead, shoulders shaking, he broke into laughter and reached out to tug one of his sister's braids.
"Silly Pigtails," he chided.
"I..." Sakuno looked up at him, flabbergasted. He always managed to trick or tease her. "Oh...you!" Her lips pursed for a moment, her foot coming down in a tiny, ladylike version of a stomp before she broke out into a smile again. She couldn't stay mad at Takahisa for more than a handful of seconds, never could.
An laughed softly at the sight and decided she wasn't going to get much out of this anymore. She had some marginal notes that she could look up later; for now, she thought she'd let the siblings catch up. "I should be going. More labs to visit. Sakuno-chan, I'll see you later. And Mr. Hanamura..." She smiled engagingly and held out her hand to shake his. "It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope I have the pleasure again someday."
"Goodbye, An-chan," Sakuno waved after her as the older woman left.
"The same," Takahisa smiled, shaking Ms. Takeda's hand in return and watching quietly as the woman walked off.
In truth, he doubted that they would meet again; even if she came to Icicle, Takahisa had a healthy disdain towards the upper elcheon of ShinRa's R&D department and tended to make sure he was far away from home whenever an inspector came calling. His mother was better with dealing with bureaucrats.
Shifting the strap of his bag on his shoulder, he smirked and glanced at his sister. "So… Mr. Sable, huh?"
Although she blushed terribly, Sakuno's back straightened in a moment of rare challenge. "I'm allowed to like someone. I'm nineteen, after all!"
Takahisa was not-quite taken aback by his sister's challenge; shy though his little sister could be, she had not been raised to be spineless. "Oh, I know you are, Kuno," he laughed and reached out to ruffle the hair atop her head, reasoning, "I'm not saying you can't. But I'm still your big brother, so I'm allowed to be a little protective over my baby sister.
"Especially when it comes to potential boyfriend material," he added with a grin.
"He's not my boyfriend," she corrected quickly, her hands moving to her hips. "And Mother would say that's not a very liberated behavorial model. I can take care of myself." Or so she continuously chose to believe after fifteen years or so of her mother being an excellent role model of a strong, independant woman.
"Potential boyfriend material," Takahisa corrected in return, arms crossed loosely over his chest and grin smug, "and Mother would also say that even though you can take care of yourself, 'Takahisa is Takahisa', and is therefore going to be protective of you, like or not. It has nothing to do with you being a girl, 'Kuno, or my not being 'liberated'."
And everything to do with the fact that she was his little sister.
"Besides," his expression sombered, "if he's upper R&D, you should be careful."
"Mother really needs a new excuse for you," Sakuno sighed, but she smiled at hs insistence of taking care of her. It was so Takahisa, even if it was annoying sometimes. But what he said after that made her blink in confusion. "Why? What's going on?"
Takahisa shook his head. "Nothing is going on," he assured her. Or at least, nothing that he knew about. "But you're not at the Icicle facility anymore, and you know Mother has always told us to be careful around other facilities." Or, indeed, to be careful of anyone from R&D outside of their own facility. Perhaps his mother was a little more frank with him… But, no. Aoi Hanamure warned her children equally of some of the less-than-well-intentioned people that worked throughout ShinRa.
And he didn't want to see his sister taken in by one of them.
"I just want you to be careful, is all," he finished with a shrug.
"I promise," she nodded, then leaned up on her tiptoes to give him a warm hug. "You worry too much oniichan. I'll be okay." Sakuno pressed a kiss to his cheek and sank back on her heels, smiling up at him.
"We need to feed you before you have to run off again," she insisted, taking his hand and leading him from the terrarium.