Bad Luck: It's NOT a Date! (Nik)

[Hatsuharu Kenjutsushi]

Hatsuharu was stressed out. He'd planned an incredibly important meeting with the overtly frustrating Recruiter who kept getting assigned to his cases. Apparently they were a good team. And they handled the more difficult cases like prose. So what, they were partners now? Not likely! He was sure as hell going to sort that out before it became a permanent, definite thing.

Earlier that day he'd been doing some yard work at his new place - keeping himself busy made the stress of the whole ordeal easier to deal with. Of course, as the time dawned on him he realised he'd better get ready. No use giving the woman the ability to fire off pot shots at his exterior as well as his apparent terrible personality.

But when he went to take a shower, he found that the water was turned off.

Complaint calls were made, and he found out that on his street, a pipe had burst. So what else could he do? He was not showing up like this. So Hatsu did the first thing he thought of, he headed over to his sister's house. Walking up to the front door, he knocked rather erratically on the frame until she answered.

Before she could take a shot at him, he piped up; "Shower's broken." He was stressed. When he stressed, his sentences were deformed and grammatically abhorrent. "Can I borrow?"

He only hoped she wouldn't remember the fact that he told her about this little meeting earlier in the week.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

Nik was proud of her brother for finding a new place as quickly as he had, though he was always welcome to stay whenever he liked. The girls adored him, and having their only uncle back in their lives after being apart made them feel more at home. It made her feel more at home, too - Hatsu had never been far before they moved to the US, so when he showed up unexpectedly on their doorstep she was ecstatic.

Granted, not so excited as to keep from teasing him whenever she heard about his little "adventures" with another certain recruiter, but she did try and keep the teasing to a minimum. Even though she personally thought it was cute that the woman could get under his skin so easily.

Having the day off meant catching up on her novels and unwinding, though the doctor's phone was on in case there was an emergency at the school that required her attention. So, when the pounding on her door came, blue eyes looked up from the couch in surprise. She wasn't expecting anyone today. But the sight of the disheveled blonde man made a grin break out over her face, even if he did look about ready to strangle someone that was not her. If his expression didn't do a good enough job of that, the deteriorated sentence structure more than made up for it.

"Of course, come in," Nik answered, her tone amused. "Will you need some clothes, too? I've kept a set just in case."

Because having a spare set of clean clothes on hand was always a good idea.

[Hatsuharu Kenjutsushi]

Hatsuharu looked at her with narrowed eyes when she gave him that grin. She knew how important today was, and he knew in that moment that he really shouldn't have told her. Couldn't he just have a simple day before meeting such an insufferable woman?

He looked down at his hands then and realised that no, he did not in fact bring his own clothes.

"Yes." Hatsu said simply, breezing past her and into the house. He had every intention of making a straight bee-line to the shower, but he stopped and turned to look at her. Hatsuharu raised a hand, pointing. "Not a word about today."

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

Well, about that. Nik knew that today was important, but really that important? She didn't think it'd gotten so serious already, but that was all right. Finding someone her brother could banter with and get anxious over outside his blood relations was nice. And honestly, she secretly hoped this worked out for him; Hatsu needed to care about himself and his own personal life, too.

Still, that didn't mean she couldn't tease him about mishaps. After all, it's what sisters were for.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she stated, closing the door and pushing the blonde further into the house with a smile. "Now go on, then - I'm sure you're running late for this date as it is." (Okay, maybe she'd say a few words about this. But not that many.)

[Hatsuharu Kenjutsushi]

Hatsuharu was offering his very best, mildly threatening eyes. Like he wasn't a man to mess with today. Of course, he should have known that if he wanted it to be seen as something simple, he needed to act accordingly. But the concept of a broken shower had muddled his senses and ruined his ability to maintain a level head.

"Good." He replied, taking a deep breath and exhaling. He really needed to calm down.

But he stopped dead in his tracks and turned when she spoke again. It was like a shock up his spine. "Nakia..." He all but whined. She basically just promised she wouldn't. "It's a-" He paused, waving his hand about as if it'd somehow help him find the right words. "It's a business lunch. Talking business. We work together. That is all it is."

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

The near-whine made her grin more broadly, and pale woman let out her throaty chuckle in her mirth. Such a small thing, but always so amusing. Her brother, still learning this language, grew easily flustered when he couldn't find his words, and that little flail gesture was too irresistible to pass up. Walking over, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, showing that there was no harm done.

"I know that, and you know that," she answered, mischief still in her tone. "But it's just so much fun teasing you." Patting his chest smartly, the albino stepped back and gestured off. "Go on, then, Mr. All Business - I'll find your clothes while you clean up. And don't forget that mop of hair you've got."

Flicking her fingers through said white-blonde locks, she pushed her brother's arm to turn him back down the hall, towards his initial goal in the first place. He was probably only irate because he was running late in the first place.

[Hatsuharu Kenjutsushi]

Hatsuharu wanted to shy away when Nakia came in closer, but he couldn't. He just couldn't resist the simple kiss on his cheek, and that somehow frustrated him even more so. "Fun for you, perhaps." He interjected a little sharply. But it was difficult to feel overly negative towards her anyway. With a low, gruff grumble, the recruiter wandered away towards the bathroom.

"Nothing too fancy, Nakia!" He called out towards her from behind the closed door. He knew he had a few of his clothes left behind. The last thing he needed was to make the wrong impression.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

"Perish the thought, Hatsuharu!" she called after him, smiling as she walked into the back bedroom. Hatsu's spare clothes were left in the closet when he moved out, just in case. Of course, his more formal attire had all been taken with him to his new place, so she couldn't have offered up anything particularly amusing in his size, but the fact that he was grumbling about it was entertaining enough.

Idling through the clothes, most of which were casual wear, the fair woman did manage to find a neatly folded pair of dark-wash jeans and a button-up shirt. There - less than casual, a bit informal. She even added a white t-shirt to the mix, in case her brother needed it, then rifled through the set to find socks, underwear, and a pair of newer shoes in the bottom of the box that had apparently been forgotten about. It was a bit of a scramble, but it all fit decently well together. Who said she couldn't be a nice sister when she wanted to be?

The shower already going, Nik took the clothes back to her office and set them on the desk, shutting the blinds. It was the closest room to the bathroom, and the one her brother had stayed in when he was still living with them; he'd know the way.

[Hatsuharu Kenjutsushi]

Hatsu was relieved to have moved out and taken a majority of his important clothes with him. He left a few things behind, just in case he ever needed to stay, and he was glad for that too.

Once finished in the shower, he'd gone out to find the neatly arranged clothes for him. Despite how frustrating this whole situation was, he could at least appreciate that she was giving him a bit of leeway. He made the move to get dressed, taking careful time with his buttons and ensuring not a single crease found the fabric of his shirt. He took even longer in the bathroom perfecting his hair.

But it wasn't important. Not at all.

"Nakia?" He started when he was ready, trailing through the house to find her again, "Can I ask you for your advice on this situation?" He sounded cautious. As much as he didn't want to ask, he felt he needed to. Plus if he overloaded the situation with questions, she mightn't make too many comments on just how long he'd taken to look so nice.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

While she waited for her brother to make himself more presentable, Nik brewed some hot water and steeped a bit of tea for herself, leaving the machine on in case Hatsu wanted something to drink when he got out. Beverage retrieved, the pale woman went back to her novel, listening idly to the water flowing through the pipes. When it fell silent again, she glanced up, but went back to her book after a slightly squinted glance at the clock on the DVD player. She wasn't worried about how long he took - water was far less expensive here than in Japan. She just wanted to keep an eye on the time just in case.

Of course, when he came out and called her name, the older sister finished the sentence she was on and looked back up, almost amused at how much time had passed. And didn't he look nice and presentable! "That depends on what kind of situation it is," the doctor replied, looking to her sibling with a cryptic smile. "Have a seat and tell me what you need."

Patting the long couch, the ghostly woman pulled her legs up to make room close by, putting her book down on the armrest and holding her tea in both cool hands. She'd give Hatsu her full, undivided attention, whether he really wanted it or not.

[Hatsuharu Kenjutsushi]

Hatsuharu studied her face with purpose. What kind of situation? The situation was perfectly explained!

After a moment of clear hesitation, where the Power Identifier stepped forward and stopped, Hatsu decided it was best to sit alongside her as per her request. This was going to be okay. Not awkward in the slightest. "This woman," He started, glancing down at his hands as if somehow they held the script for the words he wanted to express, "Is so frustrating, Nakia." Quickly, he glanced back over towards her.

"When we are in the same room, she does things. To annoy me. I know it sounds childish, but she is childish." He raised his eyebrows to the fact, going so far as to scoff lightly. "How do you resist the urge to... Argue?"

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

How did she resist the urge to argue? Nik chuckled softly, bringing her tea to her lips to drink. She was hardly the person to ask that, considering that most of her arguments with her husband she started. Not to mention how stubborn and forthright she was with other members of the staff or certain parents where her students were concerned. But, she supposed she was level-headed enough, especially when it came to dealing with the most stubborn people of all; children.

"Remember your professionalism," the older sibling offered. "If you're on assignment, there are people that need you calm and collected. Think about them, if nothing else - how would you feel to be picked up by a pair of people who are supposedly more interested in arguing with each other than helping you understand this strange new power you have?" That was her advice in the situation - think of the kids.

However, that wasn't the root of the problem anyway. "Though, if you want to avoid that issue altogether, perhaps you should talk with her about it when you haven't been paired together on assignment."

[Hatsuharu Kenjutsushi]

Professionalism. Right. Got it. Hatsuharu knew he could do that, but the woman he worked with was impossible. She didn't have a professional bone in her body - there wasn't an ounce of her that emitted the poise required for a job like this.

He recalled their first instance - running the streets of Chicago. Getting stopped by airport security. The police offering him a faster drive than her cab. Getting into the same cab as her. Being forced to walk through traffic. Honestly, if she could have used her powers openly she would have destroyed him completely.

Whatever. He still counted it as a win. Since he handed her a draw.

"Have you ever seen this woman?" He asked, genuinely. "She's impossible to ignore once you see her. If I try to speak to her, all she will do is take offence." He didn't point out that more often than not, he came at her with a defensive tone and harsh words. Nakia didn't need to be told that. She probably already knew anyway. She was Nakia. "I suppose you are right. Talking should help. I hope to achieve something today."

Not something personal. Something professional.