Final -V- IC

The dude, Jameson, finished his business by being super-rude. If anything, Kyouko felt like it was precisely because he was distant family that he dared to talk to them like that! Not that the title of Hero went to Kyouko's head, but, either way, he could have been nicer to them. "What an asshole... and excuse me? My voice is super awesome! Hmpf." The brunette whispered, giving voice to the thoughts of others. All in all, the hero girl was disappointed, she had hoped to get quickly back into action. Wasn't being a vigilante part of the superhero business anyway!?

It was then that a new face introduced himself, or rather, treating like he always belonged to the group of five. Well, not entirely new, Kyouko recognized this person; his face at least. For a moment, the girl considered the possibility but denied the thought the second it entered her mind. Yup, he must have clearly been a fan!

"Hai, Hai, I'll gonna give it my best~" Kyouko nodded towards Iphie. As much as she missed school, talking about school at a party they were supposed to have fun felt so wrong.

Either way, as the handsome male got awfully close to Kyouko, she took a small step to the side. Not one that made him stay completely out of her comfort zone, as her father made sure that she'd treat fans properly, but there was too close and then there was too close.

"Hey, hey!" Kyouko greeted the stranger with a big, friendly, but expecting smile as she offered a handshake. Clearly, he would state his business soon, wouldn't he? If this was months ago, then the brunette would have put him on the spot right here, right now.
 
There was a saying in the Jian family: Never trust a fuckboi.

And though that'd be rather rude to someone who may just be over enthusiastic about meeting Kyouko, the darling mascot of the Final Five, Tian-Gui had to consciously suppressed the desire to step forth inbetween Kyouko and the slimy lad. There was something malicious about him, even if it wasn't anything as brutal as a hidden desire for violence and subjugation.

Also, trying to drag Kyouko away from worrying about her abysmal grades was the sign of a true mothfucker. She certainly couldn't Neufang her way into a Master's Degree at Stanford, after all.

Still, the others were asking the questions and such dark thoughts were unbecoming of a hero, so Tian-Gui grinned instead, giving the boy a nod. "Aren't you a popular one, Kyouko? He one of your suitors or something?"
 
The blonde-haired boy chuckled at Jin-Sun's suggestion. "Aha, no such thing. Well, perhaps I have a fondness for the appearances of some idols. My name is Munetone Ogyu," he introduced himself, giving a curt and decidedly non-eastern bow. "Worry not for being unfamiliar with me. This is indeed the first time any of us have met." Munetone's eyes flickered at Tian-Gui before he feigned searching about the room.

"Well I suppose I am a suitor, though given I've yet to see any of the other faces Mr. Hiruma had considered here, me being the only one invited gives me confidence I may have secured that spot past the stage of 'suitor'," he said, casting a smile down upon Kyouko beside him. The girl had offered him a handshake, but he took the chance instead to plant a delicate kiss upon it.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Hiruma. I imagine this will not be the first time we interact," he began, "I think your father had certainly made the right decision in choosing to mend our families together... potentially, of course. Nothing is so set in stone yet. But I must say that it would be quite the potent marriage, given my own history, and your exceptionally notable powers. Some believe the supernatural within us may be genetic, but who knows?" Munetone shrugged. He paused, turning back to the group.

"My apologies. This must be very confusing. Your teammate here has been the subject of a good amount of matchmaking on her father's part, if you were not yet aware. I am of course, then, one such candidate," he explained, "My own family, the Ogyu, have their own repertoire of magic-inclined individuals, believe it or not. Nothing so powerful as your own abilities, of course, but notable to be sure. I believe your father took a vested interest in that facet of us, not merely for our money," he smiled.

"Alas, even if your father is so interested, a deal probably isn't in the stars until our personal plights are solved," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
 
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Munetone Ogyu. A curious name, certainly, one that reminded Tian Gui of...nothing in particular. At least, the Ogyu family had no claim to fame on the streets of Shanhu, where mystics of all sorts could be found. But Munetone didn't seem like he was lying, at least, the spark of power within him resonating with Tian Gui's osentatious Flamestone suit.

"Mm, can't say I personally approve of a eugenics experiment like this, but as long as it's Kyouko saying 'yes' on the altar instead of her father, I suppose there isn't much to be objected to. Best of luck with your family problems, Munetone," Tian Gui said, smiling as he offered a firm handshake.
 
Wait, what? Kyouko's dad was already rigging up potential marriages for her? What the hell was this? What century were they in? It was fortunate that Jin-Sun hid his face behind a mask, otherwise he would have had a hell of a time keeping his emotions off his face.

He glanced to Iphie, activating his telecomm chip in his systems as he did so and tuning in to the team's usual frequency. Hopefully, Iphie had hers on her person.

"Iphie, is this normal rich people stuff? Still arranging marriages between their kids?" He questioned telepathically, his gaze turning towards this Munetone guy and Ogyu.

"Matchmaking, Kyouko?" Jin-Sun put on a jovial tone, his body language open and expressive. "Considering you're still in high school, you sure that's what you want? You're a famous heroine now, you know. You've got the pick of the litter. Might wanna weigh your options before you make a decision." He glanced to Munetone, his eyes unreadable beneath his faceplate.
 
Iphigenia frowned. While she didn't recognize the name, she could hardly claim that she knew every wealthy and famous family in the city. Still, the subject of his talk left a particularly distasteful feeling in her mouth, one that couldn't be helped by the drink that she once again brought to her lips. As an heiress herself, she greatly valued her own agency both at Kyouko's age and now. The archaic idea of a forced, arranged marriage were concepts left to the ancient past and dying monarchies.

The familiar voice of Jin-Sun echoed in her head, as she briefly shifted her eyes in his direction. Less inhibited from the private channel and the alcohol, she replied in kind. "Fuck no. I haven't heard of anybody doing that for at least decades. Probably more common with the wealthy Indian types, but I already don't like her father. She's too young. And if she was my age, I'd tell them all to go sodomize themselves with a broken beer bottle."

Her piece said, she once more looks at Kyouko, her outward demeanor unchanging. "Kyouko, I can't stop you if it's your choice, but you're barely fifteen. Where I come from, the legal age for marriage isn't for another three years, and you've yet to truly experience the world. While I don't doubt that Mr. Ogyu is a good man and means well, I feel as if I should have words with your father." She makes a wry smile, meeting eyes with Munetone.
 
Runa was more confused than anything by the direction the conversation had taken. Suitors? Marriage? The hell was that all even about. She scratched her head as she spoke. "Uh, I don't really get it, but...yeah, not sure this makes any sense. Your dad sure he's got your best interests at heart? Whole thing just seems weird."

She was, however, perceptive enough to see some hints. "What do you mean, personal plights?" Might as well invite a change in conversation. She didn't think Kyouko was in any trouble, but Mr. Ogyu clearly had something he'd like to bring up. She was also curious about something else he'd said. "And, like, what sort of magical talent? I haven't heard of your family before, sorry." Her ahoge swished around a bit as she waited for an answer.
 
"Eh...?" Kyouko, a tad confused, didn't like this. She didn't like this at all. The so-called suitor, as he confirmed her thoughts she tried to push away, spilled all the beans in a rather casual manner. "Eeeeehhhhhh...?" Proclaimed it to the world, so to say. And each of her team-mates decided to chip on it. Mainly boiling down to that clearly Kyouko's consent was the most important part in this.

This was too much. Too fast. The implications. Marriage. Her age. Everything. Too much.

"I..." The brunette stammered silently between Tian and Jin-Sun. She couldn't help but actually feel flustered as her face took a slight, red, hue. He was handsome, after all. "But..." Her second attempt was even more pathetic as the girl's voice was more like a dry whisper. So unlike her. But what was she even supposed to say? Neither No or Yes were an option.

It was, however, when Iphie talked about Kyouko's father that the Idol finally became a tad louder. "No!" Kyouko said rather firmly. "D-Don't talk to my dad... please?" Then, there was silence. A few, but long, seconds of awkward quiet as Kyouko could feel the eyes of her team members on her. Everybody expecting to take a stance of her own. Under normal circumstances 'the Star' would have loved the attention, but right now? Why couldn't she just turn invisible?

Luckily, it was Runa who came to Kyouko's rescue, asking something apparent serious that hopefully would put everybody's attention elsewhere! "Yeah!" Kyouko chipped in. "Personal plights?!" She simply repeated Runa's words. Turning more to her casual self, although still in a dress, as they hopefully started talking about something that was not her.
 
The crowd directly around them fell silent and stared for a brief moment after Kyouko's outburst, halting their conversation to offer a unified look of concern. The collective stares returned by the Final Five and Munetone dissuaded them from more than a few seconds of curiosity, and the party returned to its collected but energetic state. Munetone accepted Tian-Gui's handshake with a pleasant smile.

"I'm not particularly vested in whether or not a super baby can be made. I'm far too young to be interested in children in the first place, but Miss Hiruma's father does appear to have a marked curiosity for such things. Considering his... past profession, I can understand why. Though this move seems not unlike an attempt to regain former honor, I'm at the whims of my own family, and they too are willing to see things through. I can only hope I'm more than just another piece of the experiment to Miss Hiruma," he smiled. "It is, ultimately, at the discretion of Miss Hiruma, of course. We thankfully live in a time and a place where young adults can decide things like marriage for themselves, right?" Munetone visibly shifted, his gaze upturned in thought as he considered the inquiry into his own family's plights. Folding his arms behind and leaning on one leg, he explained somewhat quietly.

"Being aware of each of your own familial histories, I can't imagine you would truly understand the nuances of it, but my family is currently experiencing some issues with maintaining its own internal security. Accusations are thrown left and right with increasing frequency. Ultimately it comes down to an issue of theft, the culprit of which we all have our own theories about." Munetone shook his head and smiled, as if trying to shake something from his thoughts.

"I don't wish to guilt any of you into thinking on it, much less outright accepting it, but being heroes I can only help but ask for help, even knowing you're pseudo-probation." Gesturing here and there, he continued, "I have a strong conviction that the individual who had stolen an arcane spell of our family's making is none other than my elder cousin, Karas Ogyu. Similarly, I'm led to believe he has other family members helping to cover for him, hence the deadlock amongst the others. I think I know where I could find him, but I highly doubt I could confront him alone." Munetone rubbed the back of his head.

"Miss Hiruma is, truthfully, not the only reason I'd come up to you all. Were I in no such dire straits, I'd have much preferred to speak with her alone, rather than embarrass her amongst others," he explained.
 
Don't talk to her father?

Tian-Gui raised a brow at that outburst, before a wry smile formed on his face. Kyouko should know very well that such words wouldn't be heeded, not by a bunch of people who specialized in being a bunch of nosy do-gooders. He turned his gaze towards Iphie, silently giving her support in regards to knocking some sense into Kyouko's father, and then faced the Ogyu scion once more. This time, what was said had much greater weight upon the Final Five than mere marriage proposals, but still…

…the information was lacking.

A family dispute, in which one individual stole a spell with the support of other family members, thus forcing a situation where neither could act. Munetone, then, was here to request that the Final Five act as free mercenaries, more or less, to help with settling the dispute. Certainly an odd situation, one that brought more questions than answers in the end. "Normally I'd say yes, but as far as you've explained," Tian-Gui said, scratching his chin, "It is an internal problem, isn't it? Is this 'arcane spell' something that can be used for great evil? Is 'Karas Ogyu' someone with malicious intent? Or does this remain the power struggle of the main and branch family, with no damaging repercussions on society as a whole? A case of theft is usually what you'd call the police or a private investigator to check out normally, so what's the difference here?"

After all, the Final Five where here to punch people and bring combative justice down unto villains. Specialist tasks like this sounded closer to Mia's line of work.
 
Iphie's feelings could only mimic Tian-Gui's. It very much sounded like an internal, personal problem on Mr. Munetone's side, and she already did not like the man to begin with. Like her more muscled counterpart, the purple-haired girl was far form interested in this man's personal affairs.

Frowning, Iphigenia shook her head. "Like Tian said, that sounds like a internal affair. You're well aware of my own upbringing, and I believe you and I both are rather familiar of how delicate family affairs are when dealing with our sort." She swirled what little remained in her glass before continuing. "On my part, it would be almost a conflict of interest for reasons you could likely guess at, even without the quasi embargo we're beholden to. He's right. We're going to need a proper reason to compel us other than your elder cousin committing some sort of grand larceny."

It already sounded like a hot mess, and she did not want to get involved at all, societal threat or not.
 
Runa didn't have much of a differing opinion from her seniors on the team. Didn't sound like something they'd need to get involved in, and if it ended up that way, they'd get involved in it then. Things didn't add up to something actually serious, at least as far as she could tell. The Five didn't always go for sheer world-ending threats, despite recent press. But they didn't exactly just go into family matters, either. Getting back to the everyday grind of White Coats, rogue mages, and smaller threats around Shanhu would be a nice change of pace anyway. They also still needed to rebuild, what with the fancy penthouse base of operations getting blasted by the Thremont private army earlier.

"Don't we kinda have an agent already anyway," Runa added. "Or at least, someone else who'd be better to send this to as a tip. I dunno, I'm not as up on all the actual organization side of things. But, like, does seem like an internal family problem. Sure, if they end up doing something really bad we might end up butting in, but I don't think we do pre-emptive stuff without a really good reason. I'm not against cool adventure or anything, but doesn't seem like anyone's really onboard with this."
 
If Jin-Sun's eyes could narrow any more from beneath his faceplate, he'd be squinting. What was this guy playing at? He had to have known they wouldn't have stepped in on what seemed to be an internal family matter, right?

"The others have already summed it up, but unless he's an actual threat to society, we don't exactly have the authority to step in. Seems more like a job for the police, and I don't think they'd appreciate us muscling in on their turf."

Privately, Jin-Sun nodded at Iphie, switching back over to the telecomm channel and transmitting to only Tian-Gui and Iphie.

"Think we need to have a talk with Kyouko's dear old dad. Don't let her know."
 
"Eh- sure, my discretion ha... haha...!" Good. Very good. Matters truly seemed to shift from marriage problems to actual(?) problems! Although, just like the others Kyouko, too, shared the opinion of it not really looking like something to budge in or... did she really? Maybe she just made excuses to not get closer to him?

Kyouko was thinking for a moment before finally speaking up, too. "Urm,..." Although more timid than usual yet again. "My friends aren't exactly wrong but... theft is theft! A crime! Heroes punish criminals! Be it the terrible Doctor Wahwee with his world-destruction plot or just your friendly neighborhood store robber! Innocent peoples live are at stake! JUSTICE. SHALL. BE. SERVED." Yeah, you go Kyouko! Don't lose your groove now over some silly relationship nonsense.
 
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