Shenanigans (Vincent Meian)

[Suekeichi Minamori]

Settling in at Pilot Ridge was fairly easy, albeit a drastic change from the cities he'd lived in prior. And settling himself in at Hammel wasn't all that hard either. Suekeichi was having a really easy week.

But now it was time to find Vincent. If only just to mess with him. That was what Fox did. That was pretty much the foundation of their friendship. No amount of time could change that. It was ingrained in Suekeichi's personality. So here he was, crouched down and balanced on the balls of his feet, picking the lock of Vincent's office door. He wasn't crouched for long before the door gave an audible click and he made his way inside.

The office before him was classic Vincent. Simple and very...

"Bland," Suekeichi uttered, pushing his hair from his face and closing the door behind him. "Seriously Vincent, you need to invest in some color." Whether he wanted it or not, Suekeichi had already begun thinking about colorful things he could bring his trainer friend. Grin on his face, he turned on his heel, thumbing through the books with Japanese on their spine, chuckling a bit to himself.

He'd contemplating taking a book that surely wouldn't be missed. Until his eyes came to Vincent's katana. Yep. That was now the intended target. It was perfect. It'd be noticed. A book might have gone weeks without Vincent paying much mind to it's disappearance. His friend would most definitely notice the katana's absence.

And probably beat him for taking it.

If any contemplation over that particular thought tangent happened, it was brief as he made his way and plucked the katana from it's stand. It was a beauty, as he could remember telling Vincent the first time he saw it, and he handled it with the utmost care. Well, for a man that was planning to borrow it without explicit permission to do so.

And with that, he made his exit, silently and as unseen as he possibly could. He found his way to a tree outside, climbed it, and perched himself on a sturdy branch. He could almost see inside Vincent's office from there. It'd do nicely. He sat the katana on the branch to his right out of sight of anyone below and waited.

He'd remembered to re-lock the door, and generally left the rest of the office alone. But for laughs, he decided to leave a note --scrawled in hurried Japanese-- on the middle of Vincent's desk.

"Your office is dreary."

[Vincent Meian]

Something had been rather strange for a few days now.

First, ever since Ash Wednesday (which the Japanese man did not celebrate but knew of regardless), Nakia had been receiving flowers daily. Lilies, in fact; her favorite. They had been organized in a traditional Japanese flower arrangement each time, accented with different smaller flowers that she also enjoyed - lavender, forget-me-not, one even had foxglove and another a plum tree branch in full bloom. This was highly unusual, considering that Vincent rarely gave his wife flowers, considering she was much better with the fragile pieces than he was. And he had no memory of ordering these or making them.

Secondly, there had been talk that the old biology teacher had retired and had been replaced with someone from the Swiss metahuman academy, though the tall trainer had never met the person personally. Appoline did not know, considering that she was a year beyond that class, nor did Cassi as she was too young to have taken it. Still, other mutterings and statements reached his ears anyway (as these things always did); the man sounded like he'd come from Kocher, but looked as if he'd come from Eisai. While travel out of Japan to Europe was common, he doubted there were many Japanese people who learned "the King's English", proper accent and all.

But the most interesting thing of all was the fact that he'd been warned to lock his office door by another member of the staff. Considering that he always did after a certain incident with one of his students, this normally would have left him nonplussed. Instead, it bothered him greatly - why would he need to lock his door more than usual? Was there a thief at the school?

Whether there was or not, things were certainly becoming strange.

After his last morning class, Vincent returned to his office to eat his lunch; a boxed lunch packed that morning by his own hands. The trainer was a very good cook when he put his mind to it, and he'd grown accustomed to eating his own food regularly rather than purchasing it from the cafeteria. Though the walk had cooled him slightly, the session had left him hyper-alert and still breathing heavily even as he reached the solid wood door of the room - physical powers tended to be a bit of a workout. Out came the key, the lock flipped its bolt, and as he entered the room he slipped the key back onto his belt. Before he was even fully in the room, however, he saw something that gave him a vague sense of deja vu.

Once again, his katana was missing from the wall.

Frowning deeply, the tall man quickly surveyed the small area, noticing that nothing else was out of place. Closing the door and locking it was followed immediately by a cursory search of the desk, simply to make sure that the antique simply hadn't fallen off the wall by accident. That, however, yielded a much more important clue - a note, sitting very simply on his desk, written in scrawled pen. The ex-soldier picked up the page and looked closely at it, reading the words carefully and recognizing the handwriting as the message settled home.

["Gods curse that damn fox!"] he growled, his deep voice slipping into his native language without pause. Crumpling the paper, the man made for the door and almost opened it before he stopped. No; he wouldn't have left by the door. He never did. Looking towards the window, Vincent crossed the room in three strides, unlocking and throwing open the portal completely in one swift movement. The scent of snow and the chill of February assaulted his senses almost immediately, but the tall man seemed not to care. He looked about towards the ground for a moment, but as he saw no footprints or anything of the like, he turned his view to one side and then the other.

Catching his long-time friend's grin and meeting it with a scowl of his own, Vincent greeted the new teacher, ["Give it back, Minamori, before I break your legs and send you to my wife."]

[Suekeichi Minamori]

["I've not a clue what you're talking about,"] he replied, shifting his weight a bit and continuing his trademark grin. Despite his dislike for the colder months, it gave reason to wear colorful things like scarves and mittens. Of course it made hiding in the trees that much harder.

Not that he was really trying to hide. Had he wanted to, Vincent would have his work cut out for him. Suekeichi had a knack for hide and seek. This was purely for the amusement factor, as most of his antics were. The younger Japanese man had never quite caught hold of the ability to "grow up". Though that wasn't something that appealed to him. Growing up sounded boring. He was, essentially, a twelve year old trapped the body of a forty-one year old.

["You're going to get wrinkles,"] he motioned to his eyes and gave a playful scowl back. He didn't move as if to comply with Vincent's requests. Nah. The Jolly Japanese Giant could come to him.

["Besides, I really don't think Nik wants to see me."]

[Vincent Meian]

It was actually kind of shocking that the trainer hadn't spotted his old friend immediately upon looking outside. The fox-like man loved dressing in bright colors, and though he wore a relatively conservative (if well-tailored) suit, the bright lavender and pink of the mittens almost screamed against the snowy branches. Even one with as little taste for color as he could see that in the muted afternoon light.

["I think you know exactly what I'm talking about,"] he grumbled, and though his voice still held a dangerous warning there was a hint of a smirk on his lip and flash of buried mischief in his golden-colored eyes. ["I don't care much about wrinkles, and I'm not sure you want me to chase you, Fox. I think we both know how that ended last time."]

Stars above, he'd missed his friend. Even if he aggravated the Hell out of him.

["Last warning, Fox - give it back, or I follow you out there."]

[Suekeichi Minamori]

Suekeichi shrugged, still not moving from his place. He did, however remove his blossom pink mittens, and take hold of the branch beneath him. He knew that Vincent would come after him. And that's what he wanted. He was looking for some fun, and perhaps that fun included a snowball fight. If Vincent could get him out of the tree. Suekeichi wouldn't make that easy.

["Yes, and last time was quite a while ago, my friend,"] he finally replied. Vincent still had five inches of leg on him. Stride wasn't his friend, but Suekeichi was still fast. Again, that was granted Vincent could get him out of the tree. But he resorted to the fact that he'd won if he got Vincent to storm out after him. Snowball fights were a plus. Well, anything aside from that was a plus. Even a well deserved beating.

His voice took on a sing song tone. ["Really, I'm just hanging in a tree. I do that, you know."]

Somewhere it was written (if such records were kept) that Suekeichi was one of the most obnoxious friends one could ever have the pleasure of meeting. He liked to think that was part of his charm. No amount of annoyance kept Vincent away for long, and that spoke volumes. Kept the plant manipulator around. Made him travel all the way to the United States to see him again. Vincent really was his best friend.

["Turn up the thermostat, it's freezing out here."]

[Vincent Meian]

It had been a long time ago, yes. Far too long, actually; over twenty years, if memory served. He hadn't seen Suekeichi since before the wedding, before his "incident". Certainly, he'd spoke to his friend and written him, but the two hadn't even been on the same continent in over two decades. However, even though it took the long-legged ex-soldier a few moments to catch up with people, he caught up fast.

Now all he had to do was get the damn prankster out of that tree.

["I noticed that,"] he answered dryly, shifting his hands so that he could launch himself from the room with less chance of stepping on his own fingers. ["Perhaps you could've chosen a better time to 'hang in a tree' other than the middle of winter. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you're a tree spirit and not a fox."]

Nothing would make Vincent refuse to see his friend, even if silliness had to ensue in order for them to meet after a long while. Their lives had taken different courses, and while they had moved farther away, they had never truly grown apart. When they were together, it was almost as if they were teenagers again. It helped that Suekeichi never seemed to mature past that at all, though he'd never voice that opinion.

With a flash of a smirk as his only warning, Vincent pushed himself through the window, planting his foot into the sill and jumping from the second-story office into the nearby tree. Minamori would have the advantage for a minute or three, but things would turn around at some point - they always did.

[Suekeichi Minamori]

In the moments before Vincent vaulted into the tree, Suekeichi had managed to move a branch around the katana. His reasoning was sound. He didn't want it getting damaged or himself getting hurt on it.

As soon as Vincent moved, Suekeichi responded. He didn't have lightning fast reflexes, but he'd learned a thing or two over the last couple decades. He moved to a higher branch, and perched again. He grinned like a cheshire cat now.

"Your office is still rather dreary. I think we should go shopping for some wall hangings," he remarked. As he'd learned the majority of his spoken English while attending Oxford, his accent was British tinged.

[Vincent Meian]

The movement had been less effective than the trainer had anticipated. Granted, he hadn't expected to catch the plant manipulator that quickly - that would have been too easy. Still, moving through that window was more difficult than he'd expected, and even though the taller individual had cleared its frame, the branch was a bit further from it than he'd realized. He caught it, surely, but he was already thanking the stars that he still practiced with a sword; the callouses saved his palms from the rough bark. His elbows were less happy, being strained as they were, but before they could complain too loudly he pulled himself onto the recently vacated perch and readied for another go.

"I think not," he answered, climbing after Minamori easily as he switched (a little less easily) back to English. "Unlike you, I understand the necessity of professionalism in my workplace." There was a jibe there about the florist's personal taste in color, but it was a small one with no real barbs. It was too early in the game to be throwing true insults at each other.

[Suekeichi Minamori]

"Since when did 'professionalism' and 'only neutral colors' become interchangeable?" The grin remained even as his eyes scrunched at his jab back at Vincent. Suekeichi would have preferred his own office to have been the greenhouses. He wasn't a fan of desks and chairs. He liked being able to prune and chat. Felt more productive to him.

On the subject of productivity, dancing from branch to branch (while a fun idea) wasn't sounding like fun. Suekeichi took hold of the branch below him and maneuvered his way off of it to the ground. It was only a moment before he'd gathered some of the snow and begun making a snowball. Vincent would obviously see it coming, but Suekeichi didn't care.

He lobbed it into the tree anyway, and proceeded to put some distance between the Jolly Japanese Giant and himself while composing a second shot. He disliked the cold, but he'd make the best of it. The sky was a clear bright blue and while that was enough to make the air crisp and cold enough to chill him to the bone, the sun was still out and that was just enough to drown any signs of miserable out.

[Vincent Meian]

"Let us say that it is a personal comfort, then," he argued, noticing with a bit of annoyance the branch curled about his antique weapon. Suekeichi's control with his powers often made the dimensional metahuman a bit jealous, but it gave him a sense of relief; neither the blade nor the lacquered sheath would be damaged from the prank. Dirty, perhaps, but not damaged. Turning his attention back to the other teacher, he managed to see the snowball in time to move. The action nearly knocked him from the branch, but Vincent caught himself and dropped to the ground in a slightly more controlled manner.

The sun had come out as this interaction occurred, making the tall man wondered if there was a weather manipulator training today (it would make sense - there were more than a few at the school). In any case, the glare on the snow made him squint and raise a hand in subconscious defense. He had left his sunglasses in his jacket indoors, and it was now too late to go back inside and retrieve them.

"I thought you disliked snow, Kitsune," he stated dryly, noting through the shade of his fingers that Minamori had crafted another snowball. He stayed still, neither moving towards his friend nor towards the ground - he would need to be focused and ready for whatever was going to occur. Which, of course, was more than likely going to be a snowball being lobbed at him, but just because something was likely didn't mean it was assured. "What made you decide to visit when there is so much to be had?"

[Suekeichi Minamori]

He shrugged. Opting not to talk of thinking outside of boxes and the occasional leap outside of comfort zones. He'd had this conversation with Vincent before, he'd not waste his breath. He would remedy the lack of color of his own volition, and in his own time. Instead, he answered Vincent's questions.

"I do," came a bit of a nod followed closely by the pitch of a second snowball. He dusted the remaining loose snow from his mittens, and shielded his own eyes. Another shrug. "It's fun to bug you. I mean, we could go for coffee. Or tea. And catch up like adults would." He paused as if actually considering it before shaking the thought away. "Nah. Snowballs are more fun."

[Vincent Meian]

A low chuckle emanated from Vincent's throat as he hunched into the path of the projectile, the clump of snow and ice hitting his shoulder and shattering into powder. Suekeichi had never really grown up, which was something both aggravating and pleasantly familiar about the younger man. It made the ex-soldier smirk a little, especially considering that it now looked like the plant manipulator was about done with the snowballs regardless - he always did seem to wilt in the cold.

He moved suddenly and without much warning, sprinting from a dead stop across the white-covered grass. The long strides brought him closer to his shorter friend in a flash, and even as the biologist turned to bolt Vincent tackled him to the ground. The snow hardly cushioned their landing, but the trainer had succeeded in his objective of catching the petulant fox. With a smirk, he sat up, snow melting and sticking on his dark clothes and hair.

"Perhaps in the future, you should consider reserving your surprises for a warmer environment," he teased, one scarred hand on his friend's shoulder to keep him pinned. His other hand rested in his lap as he sat in the snow, seemingly oblivious to the cold even as his fingers and cheeks grew red from the exposure, and his long legs curled underneath him in readiness for another go. "If you prefer, however, we may sit here until we freeze. As a personal note, I would rather be in my office having this conversation while drinking coffee."

[Suekeichi Minamori]

One moment Suekeichi was on his feet, and the next he was on the ground covered in snow. It wasn't long before he, himself, was chuckling despite the inevitable cold he was going to be. "One thing I'm going to miss about Oxford," he attempted to push himself up, but failed and allowed his head to sink back to the ground. "The weather is a tad milder than it is here, mate."

The Cheshire grin, that had all but faded, returned to his features and he wiggled an eyebrow at Vincent. ["Always did like it with you on top."] Oh sure, he thought about tossing Vincent off and running away again, possibly back up the tree, or off into untouched snow. But the end result would most likely be him tackled to the ground. That equated to more snow in the crevices of his clothes to melt later.

"If you let me up, I'll get your katana, and meet you inside," his nose was red and starting to get sore, and he was certain his fingers wouldn't be too far behind.

[Vincent Meian]

"England is closer to sea level," the man in black answered, still smirking. "However, there is still snow in London, even this late in the season." The reminder that the younger man had simply up and left after that fateful day in the hospital still stung, but it was an older wound - Suekeichi had needed to escape the reminders and try to be normal. It had taken him almost three years to get back into contact, but once he had such things were not spoken of. Instead, they skirted the edges with light conversation and mild jibes, and tried not to relive those trying years.

Catching the sly glance and the rather suggestive addition, the trainer quirked an eyebrow in amusement, the dark line nearly hiding under the bandanna covering his forehead. Some part of him wanted to answer as he would have twenty years go - passing the tease along and then leaving his friend stranded in the snow. However, knowledge of where they were returned to him, and he shook his head with a sigh. No; things likely wouldn't be like that again.

"That sounds agreeable." Shifting to his knees, the tall trainer made to stand, but planted a handful of snow into the teacher's face before doing so, chuckling to himself. "Would you be adverse to help, or would you like to lay there all day?"

[Suekeichi Minamori]

"Cold! Vincent that's cold!" He furiously brushed the snow from his face. He knew the moment he sat up that some of that was going to end up on the inside of his shirt. And then it would melt. Suekeichi hated that part. He delayed it as long as he could, but eventually pulled himself to his feet.

Sure enough, some snow ended up running down his neck causing Suekeichi to wriggle around a bit. He certainly looked silly. Silly enough that had he been observing himself he would have laughed, pointed it out to whomever he was with, and kept on about it the rest of the day. Then again, he found things funny that others did not.

"I'll meet you inside," he managed as he traipsed through the snow back to the tree to ascend to the branch he'd been on earlier.