No Exit: Kawaii [Misato+Niko]

[Event !]

BRIIIIING! BRIIIIING! BRIIIIING!
The emergency alarm rang out clearly. It was a drill, it was always a drill, but that didn't stop the security guards from taking it very seriously. One strode down the hallway, gathering both boys who happened to be there, and ushering them into an empty classroom. "Just stay here until the alarm stops. Leave the lights off and sit against the wall, away from the door and out of sight of the window. You," he said, pointing towards Misato, "keep an eye on him, okay?" He was in a rush; there were more hallways he had to clear, and in the next four minutes.

So he left, as abruptly as he'd put the boys in the classroom.

[Misato Hazukashi]

Misato had found his first ever alarm drill absolutely terrifying. He'd been very young, and his grasp on English was poor, which made the noise and the stern words even more frightening. He'd found himself in a tiny room and had hidden himself in a ball next to another boy who he didn't know, and by the time the drill was over, he'd been crying. Still, this was now the seventh, or perhaps the ninth drill he'd been through, and now it wasn't so scary, simply a calm, quiet escape from lessons.

But this time Moe felt a certain sort of duty. This must have been the little one the others had been talking about, and as he settled down under the window, he smiled reassuringly. "Hi." He said softly, beckoning the small boy over. "My name is Misato, you must be... N... N... Niko? Nikolai? Is that right?" Tilting his head, the blonde managed to find a few cushions and made the little sit down more comfortable. "This is just a drill, so don't be scared. Think of it like a really really silly game of hide and seek?" Moving slowly so not to startle the small boy, he continued to smile.

Rummaging through his pockets, Misato pulled out a small packet of rice crackers and some small candies and offered them out. "It might be a while so lets get comfortable?" Laughing warmly, the teen opened up the packets of candy and crackers and took a few for himself. "Say, how about we build a tent? I reckon the cupboards might have blankets in, and we could make it like we're going camping, what do you say?" Moe was a warm hearted little thing and had every hope that his charge would feel comfortable in his presence. His little brother Ren always felt much better when Moe had snacks and played games with him, he just hoped Niko was the same.

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko was very alarmed by the loud noise. But it did remind him of a fire drill at school. Still, it'd never happened at Hammel, so he pressed his hands against his ears, as if he could block out the loud sound. He wanted to scream, to make a noise as loud as the noise that was filling the hallways, but he refrained. Instead, he looked down at his shoes, his hands still against his ears as he examined his sneakers and the bottom hem of his cargo pants which hid his socks. If one did bother to lift the socks, they'd find that the socks were mismatched- what kid didn't want free-rein of his clothing, to be able to wear random socks? Oh, yes, Nikolai was living it up. But, that was the last thing on Niko's mind as he stood in the hallway. Then, a man appeared. Niko hadn't noticed him before he was guiding him to a classroom. Niko was alarmed by this- a classroom? Why would he want to be in a classroom after the alarm sounded? Wasn't it an emergency, like a fire?

The one thing the young weather manipulator did not want was to be worked up over this. He was panicked, but he kept the tears at bay, just trying to tell himself everything was okay. When he noticed that Misato was in the room, he kept his gaze trained on him. The boy looked like a girl as far as Niko was concerned. He was in female attire, he was a girl, Niko didn't give it any further thought. He did walk toward Moe, though. How could he not? He was alone in the room with him, he couldn't just say he didn't feel like it.

"Yes,"Niko nodded."Niko is fine." As for Moe's explanation that it was just a drill, that it was a silly game of hide and seek, that made Niko smile. He nodded again, to convey that he understood what Moe said. Next came the offering of candy and crackers. The crackers didn't look specifically appealing, while the candy seemed to put a light of excitement in his eyes.

"Thank you, Misato,"Niko offered. He was still not happy to be in the room, but he knew he liked Misato more. The second offer, that they could make a tent, seemed even more thrilling to Niko then the candy had been.

"Really? That sounds like fun. I love camping."Niko agreed cheerfully. He'd never actually done that, though he had pitched a real tent. Okay, okay, Niko had stood around, pretending to help, offering his assistance when someone else suggested that he should, but finding that the tasks involved where too complicated. Then again, the last time he'd been camping was four years prior, and he had enjoyed it. He was old enough to try again, right? And this wasn't going to be a real tent, so hopefully he wouldn't find it as challenging as the first had been.

[Misato Hazukashi]

Happy now Niko seemed to be calmer, the blonde teen began fussing around the room, pulling two desks close together and tilting his head. "If we drape a blanket over the top of this and find some cushions, it'll be like a den, and we wont be seen at all." Laughing gently, Misato bustled across the classroom, making sure to keep out of the way of the windows. Eventually, after a thorough search, the Japanese boy had armfuls of blankets and pillows from under the desk of this particular teacher. "Alright, ready to build a fake tent?" Dumping the soft items onto the floor in front of Niko, Moe smiled.

"And please, call me Moe." He said softly, starting to pile cushions up onto the hard floor. The teen wished his first alarm had been like this. He hated it, the boy he was with wasn't particularly sympathetic, and he'd ran out after he was allowed to leave, and sobbed into his bed. "So, what do you think of this place?" Misato asked gently, draping the blankets over the desks. "It's pretty big and scary for someone new. At least, that's what I felt. All these teenagers acting all cool, so much to learn..." Trailing off, the blonde teen disappeared under the blanket and into the dark tent, and flipped out his phone for a moment. Vincent hadn't texted him yet, but he expected that eventually the goth boy would be pinging him a message asking him how he was.

Taking a few crackers, Moe closed his eyes and sighed. If he thought incredibly hard, he could almost feel like he was home. "When I first came here, I couldn't speak English very well." The boy explained quietly, pulling a spare blanket around himself. "So everything was kind of scary, and I didn't know anyone who could speak my language at all." Tilting his head, the blonde playfully threw a blanket over Niko's head. "Where'd Niko go?" He laughed, putting his hands on his hips. "He was here just a minute a go!"

[Nikolai Campbell]

As Moe went about pushing the desks around, Niko stood out of the way, placing the candy he was given into his mouth. The taste had him smiling by the time the soft items were placed in front of him. He didn't want to mess anything up, but he did his best to mimic Moe, helping to pile the cushions with him.

"Moe,"Niko agreed in acknowledgment of Moe's request. Then, the question. Niko didn't mind answering, but it took him a moment to sort through his thoughts. A moment he used to listen to Moe. When Moe said that it was big and scary, Niko smiled. Oh, yes, very scary, especially when that meant that there was more room to be alone. It was at times like that when he was positively thrilled to have room mates, even though they had a separate room from him for sleeping in. He still loved that he could turn to them if he needed them, though he was still reluctant to bother them. Finally, he knew what he was going to say, so he crawled in when he realized Moe had disappeared. Once inside, he took up a spot across from Moe.

"It is big and scary, but I have a very kind trainer. He makes it okay."Niko answered softly. After Moe explained how he'd felt, Niko found himself feeling very curious. Moe didn't speak English? Niko wanted to ask him to speak the foreign language, but he wasn't sure Moe would want to. Had he forgotten it, since he had to learn English? Niko had very little experience with things of this nature, so he wanted to know everything there was to know. But, Moe seemed to have other plans.

Okay, Moe was weird, but that wasn't such a bad thing. When the blanket was thrown over him, his first impulse was to pull it off and give Moe a weird look, like 'what the hell', with kid-friendly language. It wasn't that he didn't like the blanket on him, it was just that he didn't know the reason why. On the other hand, not having a reason was the way Niko had the most fun, anyway, so he certainly didn't complain. And once Moe began speaking, acting like he didn't know where Niko was any longer, Niko began laughing from under the blanket. He definitely wasn't going to tell Moe he was too old for this.

Instead, he got to his hands and knees crawled closer to Moe. He was supposed to be invisible, so why not live it up? When he thought he was close enough, he got up on his knees and pushed off the blanket.

"Rawr!"Niko offered, trying not to giggle- he had to sound scary, and giggling would ruin that. His tone was excited, but it's volume at a normal speaking level. He'd prove he could pretend, too.

[Misato Hazukashi]

As the pair of them settled into the makeshift tent-den, Moe plucked a little fluff from his dress. Niko was quite small and adorable, the teen decided as they shared the sweets and crackers between them. He could understand why the boy found it scary being here, especially so young. Everything was so different, especially to Japan, where it was all strict uniforms and manners. Some of the boys here made Misato wince with their disrespect for elders, and others simply made the blonde wince because they disliked him because he was different. Still, Moe assumed it was the same wherever he went - no one liked someone different.

"My trainer is nice too!" The blonde smiled. "I have Mister Kilbourne, he's very friendly and he doesn't mind if you make mistakes sometimes, as long as you try." Moe hesistated a moment, then gave Niko a lovely smile. "Would you like to see my power? I promise it's nothing scary!" Giving the little boy a reassuring look, Misato let his wings out carefully, so not to spray his charge with the dust that coated them. "Do you like them? They're very helpful when I want to get up high, or if I don't feel like going up the stairs." The teen laughed gently, and popped another sweet into his mouth. "What's your power, if you don't mind me asking?"

As Niko began to laugh from under the blanket, the blonde kept up the pretense. "I can hear giggling..." He said softly, only to look away as Niko crept closer, tutting. "I can't believe I lost him! I'll be in so much trouble." But then, ROAR! And Misato pretended to be absolutely terrified, raising his hands in the air and gasping. "Oh! Please don't hurt me NikoLion! I give you an offering of Candy! Please take it!" Laughing gently, Misato held out the packet and bowed his head, trying, too, to pretend successfully. This reminded him of his time with his little brother, and just how much he missed him and his family. Still, summer holidays were coming soon, after all.

[Nikolai Campbell]

Mr. Kilbourne? Niko wasn't exactly clear on why Moe was calling him Mr. Kilbourne, but Niko did know that Chase's last name was Kilbourne. The only reason he knew that was because when he'd been told he was going to the training session, they'd said he would be trained by Mr. Kilbourne. Even so, if Moe called him Mr. Kilbourne, Niko decided he should, too. He didn't want to be treated differently than the teenagers were just because he was younger. That seemed to be the most logical explanation. Chase was trying to be nice, that was why he could call him Chase. Niko tried to clear his mind, to focus on Moe. See his power? His first thought was that perhaps it was a scary power. The situation was already scary without terrifying powers. One of the last times he'd agreed, he'd been lifted up off the ground by two identical girls, something he would prefer not to experience again. November had frozen everything around them, and Akira had talked to the ferret, though. So one out of the three wasn't a bad track record. Niko could only nod, smiling when he said it wouldn't be scary.

"Woahh,"Niko murmured. "So, you can fly? Do they hurt?" Niko's expression became a smile. Flying was definitely on his list of top coolest things, despite the fact that he was scared of heights. He would have asked to touch his wings, but he didn't dare touch Moe, no matter how kind he was. Not until he was familiar "My power isn't as cool as having wings,"Niko stated,"But I think I can change the weather. Not when I want to, just when I'm not calm. Like, when I get upset, it rains. But Chase- I mean, Mr. Kilbourne, says that I'll be able to control it."

Niko did feel a bit badly to see Moe appear scared, playing or not, but he forgot about it the moment that the candy was offered to him. Besides, Moe was laughing, so surely it was okay. . .He hoped it was. NikoLion? He'd remember that. Maybe he'd dress up like a lion. It'd give him something to do. For the nine year old, pretending was a great way to pass the time. Too bad most teenagers didn't seem to share his enthusiasm. Which is precisely why Niko should have spent his time hiding out in the drama room, watching the teens pretend in there. For now, Moe got Niko laughing again as he took the other candy.

"Thank you."Niko giggled. Whether it was a peace offering or not, he appreciated being given the candy anyway."This candy's really good, Moe." Niko kept the candy in his hand, rather than eating it right away. He watched the candy for a moment, thinking about what he wanted to say next, and whether he dared to. Moe was nice, but Niko wasn't exactly sure how he felt about the things Niko wanted to ask him about. He really didn't want to upset Moe by asking about things he wasn't happy about. But Niko looked up anyway, letting his curiosity get the best of him."Can you really speak another language, Moe?"

[/center]

[Misato Hazukashi]

"Well, every power has a downside." Moe said softly, tilting his head. "They don't hurt to touch, but when I keep them under my skin, it really hurts. Like having a huge bruise that people are poking." Sighing gently, the blonde teen offered a small smile, then looked over his back at the wings that shimmered there. "I can fly, but they're covered in a dust like moth wings, but this dust makes you go a bit funny, so I have to be careful not to flutter them too much and make people act weird." Folding his hands in his lap, Misato listened to what Niko's power was and looked genuinely interested. "Really? Weather control is an awesome power, you're very lucky. I'm sure Mister Kilbourne will teach you to be amazing with your power! You'll see!"

As they shared the candy between them, the Japanese teen seemed to be comfortable. Niko really was a nice person to spend the lock down with, better than being locked with one of the jocks or some bitchy girl who hated him. Tucking a blanket around himself and setting into the den, Misato couldn't help but think of Niko as similar to his younger brother. Someone who needed someone else to look out for him and take care of him. Someone who could give him cookies and take him to see disney movies and draw pictures with. Quickly shooting a text off to Vincent to let him know he was okay, then pushing his phone back into his pocket, Moe's attention quickly flicked back to the young boy.

"I'm glad you like it! It's from my parents, 'cause there's nothing quite like it in the US." Nibbling the candy and gently beeping Niko's nose, Moe laughed. "I can. English is my second language. I speak funny because I naturally speak Japanese. Japan is so different from here, it's still sometimes weird for me." Smiling, the blonde teen settled down on his side and looked up at Niko with a twinkle in his eye. "In Japan you are taught from a young age to be super respectful to people older and wiser than you. You do that by adding things to the person's name. Mister Kilbourne would be Kilbourne Sensei. An older, respected student would be a sempai. Younger people are chan, if you are a girl, or kun, if you are a boy. You would be Niko-kun to me! I would be Moe-sempai or Moe-san! But I'd rather you called me Moe-chan." The boy explained quickly, still with the warm, friendly smile on his face. "It is complicated to explain, but there is lots of politeness. I like it."

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko had assumed they'd hurt because they sprouted from his back, but to hear that they hurt like a bruise did make Niko wince in understanding. Bruises hurt, and a huge one that was touched obviously hurt worse. When Moe went on to say he could fly, Niko grinned again. If he were Moe, he was sure he'd always fly around. Fortunately for him, he wasn't subjected to much bullying, and the bullying he did endure, he fought back to. Most of his peers where he grew up knew that the once quiet nine year old had a way of standing up for himself when he needed to. All he needed was one familiar face, to encourage his bravery. Even so, he'd never been taunted for his power, so he didn't fully understand why Moe hid his wings from others. He decided it'd be best not to ask. The idea that the powder on his wings would make people act weird was something Niko was curious about, too, though he was too scared of what 'weird' meant to touch the dust himself.

"I guess so,"he murmured as his cheeks brightened with a blush."Training with Mr. Kilbourne is a lot of fun. I'm just not sure it helps. But, I like him anyway."Hearing that it would be amazing made him feel better about it. His power was a shaky subject with him especially since the training sessions were followed by migraines hours later. But Niko had worked out a routine that involved requesting pain medication long before the migraine set in. He requested it on his training days, usually in the morning. He took the dose of whatever they gave him later in the night, when he got sick from the pain. It was worth it, though, because Chase was Niko's favorite person.

Moe's assessment of the nine year old across from him wasn't off-base at all. If there was one thing in the world Niko was working toward, it was that. On the other hand, Niko didn't put much faith in finding it at the Hogwarts-like school he was at. Niko wasn't all that surprised by the appearance of a cell phone. But, figuring that would occupy Moe, he took one of the blankets for himself. He wasn't really cold enough to need it, but he wanted to mimic Moe. It had a gratifying effect to do what Moe did. So he wrapped a blanket around himself, pulling it around his shoulders before holding it both close and tightly against himself. When Moe began speaking, he looked up, nodding in reply to Moe's explanation before giggling at the touch. Niko was physical by nature, so to be around Moe who came off as a physical person, too, was very comfortable. He preferred it, even, as though it were as natural as anything else was.

"That's nice of them,"Niko responded when Moe said his parents sent it to him."Are they still in Japan? Is that how they get the candy? I mean, because if they are that far away, you probably miss them a lot." He wasn't sure what else to say. Parents were not a subject Niko would talk about. He didn't like to admit that he didn't have them- that made him different, and not in a good way. Besides, people tended to act like he was missing out on something, which really didn't help anyone. When Moe went on to explain a bit more, Niko listened intently. What Moe said was a little confusing, especially with all those weird words. Sensei, sempai, chan. . .He wouldn't remember all of it. But he knew he could remember Moe-chan if Moe wanted him to. He did understand that it was supposed to be for girls, and he had noticed that Moe wasn't a girl's name, so he thought he could understand the gender issue with Moe, but there was still a 'why' factor involved in the confusion. Niko could only nod, smiling.

"If you like it, I'll call you Moe-chan. It sounds cool."Niko offered. He wasn't Japanese, and he knew it, nor did he speak the language, but maybe it'd make Moe happy anyway.

[Misato Hazukashi]

As the two of them settled in the fake tent and grew accustomed to the semi-gloom within, Moe couldn't help but relax. There was nothing threatening about this young boy, and the teen reckoned within a few years he'd be just as incredible as anyone else in the school. "Trust me." He said quietly, fiddling with the blanket tassles, "You'll be great! You've got that vibe about you." Flashing Niko a smile, the blonde stared down at the candy packet, and dragged his small purse over, pulling out more. Moe loved the candy, it was so different from the stuff he could find in America, and his parents shipped over massive parcels of the stuff, so Moe was in no worry of running out.

"You're in a room with Horus, Toru and Jesse, right?" The boy asked suddenly, looking up from his candy bags. "Sammy says Horus has mentioned you." Wrinkling his nose, Misato gently tucked the blanket further around Niko. "Mind yourself around Jesse. He's not so nice." The Japanese teen looked slightly concerned for a moment, but then the cloud of worry lifted and a smile returned to his face. "Do you like Disney movies? There's a new one coming out, and I'm sure I could take you at the weekend!" Laughing gently, the blonde's curls bounced slightly. "If you'd like to, of course. I just tend to watch a lot of cartoons." Fidgetting with a packet of crackers, Misato busied himself with making two stick together, before eating them.

Moe had no idea that Niko was an orphan, though he expected that any discussion about parents wouldn't be really wanted anyway. He'd been quite homesick when he'd arrived, so he replied cautiously. "Yes, they're back home. I have a younger brother, too. He's not Meta though." Pressing the tips of his fingers together for a moment, Moe pulled out his sketchbook and flipped to a drawing he'd done of his family home. "This is where I live." He explained, smiling warmly. "There's a big toy store in the city with a plushie as big as this room. It's amazing, and people race cars around the floor, there are piles of talking robots that you can teach tricks. It's one of my favourite shops." Looking up inquisitively, Moe offered the sketchbook over. "Do you draw, Niko-kun?"

"I'd like that a lot!" The blonde exclaimed when Niko announced he'd call him Moe-chan. "And if you ever need someone to make a tent with, or watch films with, I'd be happy to help." Nodding gently, the blonde popped a delicately crafted sweet in his mouth and closed his eyes for a moment. It tasted like home.

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko's cheeks only grew brighter. Though he wouldn't admit it aloud, hearing Moe say that did mean a lot, especially since he wasn't so sure of himself to begin with. As long as someone believed in him, he could pretend that everything would be okay. At least for now. Though Moe wasn't the most familiar person in Niko's life, Niko did trust him. At least enough to believe that maybe he knew what he was talking about. Maybe he really did have a vibe- whatever that meant. Niko, truthfully, wasn't clear on it.

"Yeahh, I am,"Niko agreed with a nod. Hearing that Horus- ths sleepy one, mentioned him was a bit surprising, but not at all bad. He was developing a new attitude- if they wanted to talk, he couldn't stop them. He could just avoid talking about himself when they spoke to him. It seemed a fair compromise."I don't talk to Jesse and he doesn't talk to me. But he doesn't seem that mean, just grouchy." Niko had yet to experience his wrath, fortunately, and had he witnessed Jesse using his ability on other people, he would have had to think of a new plan that involved never being alone in his own room, or at least locking his door every night. Either way, he would definitely act in some way if he knew the extent of Jesse's malice or ability.

Niko would not have guessed that Moe would invite him anywhere, much less a movie theater. For a moment, Niko wasn't sure what the correct response was. He loved Disney movies, and going to the theater would be a rare and magical treat, especially if it was Moe taking him. So far, he was the nicest of the teenagers Niko had met, and he'd known him for the shortest amount of time. Niko glanced back at the candy that was still in his palm, before smiling.

"I would love to go to the movies with you. Disney movies are my favorite,"Niko explained,"Like, the Goofy movie, The Great Mouse Detective, Mulan, and Cars. They always have fun songs." Niko wasn't about to mention that he'd only gone to the theater a few times. Mostly for birthday parties. A lot of that was due to the fact that Niko had a hard time sitting still that long. He had been that way for as long as he could remember, though with the necessary six hours of school, he had learned that being still and quiet was a combination of evil which he would have to give into, whether he wanted to or not.

To hear that Moe had a little brother, oddly enough, was not surprising to Niko. Surely Moe was nice to kids for a reason, right? And a younger brother was a very good reason. The sketchbook interested Niko greatly, the drawing seeming nothing short of amazing. Almost as amazing as the explanation of the toy shop.

"As big as this room? Really?"Niko questioned. His eyes drifted up, as though to examine the room, before he quickly realized that they were still under the blankets. He still had an idea, anyway."That'd be a fun place to go." He took the book when it was offered, examining the picture curiously while answering the question he was asked,"No, I don't. In school we have drawing worksheets, but I usually choose the worksheets and activities where you get to touch the stuff or build something, not draw it. Or I'll write about it. Scientists are supposed to draw, like, when they're observing a leaf or a bug. I asked for a camera for Christmas so I could just take pictures. I have a science notebook with lots of pictures now instead of drawing." Technically, the camera was requested because the older kids had one, but it found a use when it came to science, too, after the fact. In fact, the adults were thrilled, teachers and foster parents alike, when Niko used his present for something educational. When it became costly to print out every picture he took, the foster parents lost their enthusiasm, but Niko's teacher was very appreciative, even insisting that he bring his book and camera to class.

"Okay,"Niko agreed cheerfully,"But. . .Next time, I'd like it if we could not be in a class room during a weird drill when we make a tent. Because it's kind of creepy in here- I'm glad you're here. Otherwise I'd be scared, Moe-chan." Niko looked up to Moe, smiling. Someone to make a tent with, or even to watch movies, really was sounding very good in that moment. He offered the book back to Moe,"The drawing is really good. I think you'd be a good scientist if you wanted to be." If Niko couldn't be a police officer, he'd be a scientist. Or he'd be both- surely there was nothing wrong with someone who was a scientist some days and a police officer others, right? Niko wasn't worried about it now. He had a lot of time before he was an adult. And more days still to change his mind and decide he'd become a pilot or some other random career based on whatever topic he was talking about at the time.

[Misato Hazukashi]

Misato had only once come across Jesse in his entire time at the school, and it had been enough to make sure he avoided him from then on. Involving publicly humiliating him and a lot of tears, the blonde teen had been most upset from that day on, and now believed it was his right to inform everyone else about the horrible boy. "I... have bad experiences with Jesse." Moe said softly, biting his lower lip and looking away for a moment. "Just trust me Niko-kun, please?" Smiling a little bit, the Japanese teen tickled under Niko's chin, then flopped onto the cushions, lying on his side.

"I like Lion King." Admitted Moe with a smile. "But I like Mulan too, and the music is so fun to sing along to. Maybe we could see the next Pixar movie together? I'll buy us popcorn and snacks!" Yes, that instantly cheered the blonde up. He loved going to the cinema and sitting up at the back with his snacks and drinks, sitting right to the very end, in case after the credits, something exciting happened. He'd never regretted it, either. Once he'd watched a fantasy movie a bit too late in the evening, and fallen asleep, but never had he left the theatre before it had finished. "I like caramel popcorn best, it's really sweet, but I always have to have a lemonade with it."

As Moe formulated a plan as for a nice afternoon with Niko, his mind began to get ahead of itself, to the point where he was now thinking of taking the little boy to meet Vincent and going camping properly, with a big fire and marshmallows. That'd be nice for Niko, he thought with a little private grin. Maybe they could go catch frogs too, and look for foxes and other wildlife.

"As big as this room." He said softly, smiling. "Maybe when I go back in the summer I'll take some pictures and bring something back for you!" Closing the pad and listening to Niko interestedly, Moe tilted his head. "I want to be an interior designer." Smiling, the blonde teen fished out a large book full of pretty rooms and wallpapers. "This is my special book, so be careful." He said softly, running his hand over the book cover. "It was given to me for my 17th birthday, and it has all these pictures of rooms decorated nicely. There's one that's been made to look like the inside of a spaceship!" Looking at Niko, then beaming, Moe seemed to perk up. "You take photographs? That's really cool. What do you like to take photos of?" He asked, rolling onto his tummy to look at Niko better.

{Shortish, sorry Dx}

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko didn't have to be overly observant to know that Jesse and Moe were not friends. More then that, he felt that there was something that troubled Moe more. When Moe told Niko to just trust him, Niko smiled. Normally he would have objected to saying he trusted a person so easily, but it wasn't a question. Moe was so kind, so happy, how could he not like the older boy?

"I trust you- I'll leave Jesse alone."Niko offered, hoping that made Moe feel better. His mind remained fixed on Jesse, though he was willing to drop the subject as he giggled at Moe's tickling. He would have told the older boy to stop, but had Moe stopped because he said so, he would have been sorely disappointed. When Moe laid down, Niko mimicked him, shifting his blankets until he was laying on his own side, facing Moe.

"That sounds like fun,"Niko agreed. Pixar, that was the name at the beginning of the Monster's Inc movie! And Wall-E. Beyond that, he wasn't entirely sure what Pixar was. Not that he was upset that he didn't know. "Carmel popcorn is good, but lemonade is way too sour. The pink lemonade tastes sweeter- I like that one more."Niko explained."Except, I wasn't allowed to drink soda usually." Niko had tried soda, yes, and he got it on occasion, but it wasn't something he was used to getting. An occasional cup- Niko wasn't entirely sure he could still tell someone what his favorite soda was. To him, anything with a lot of sugar that came in a can was soda. Lemonade, fruit punch, or Sprite, all caffeine free. The sugar high they left him with was intense, no one needed to see what he'd be like with caffeine. Not a pretty sight. At any rate, Moe's next offer wasn't met with a quick, enthusiastic answer. Niko wasn't used to someone offering him so much. To take him to the movies in itself seemed a rare and kind gesture, but saying he'd bring him a toy from somewhere far away? Niko could only smile. He'd never be able to repay Moe, and perhaps at nine, he didn't need to. So he pushed aside the feelings that this was new and strange to respond to Moe.

"That's nice of you- you really don't have to. But pictures would be really cool,"Niko couldn't help but sound a bit excited at the idea. While he didn't want or expect much, the only thing he was thinking was that it'd be from Japan. Such a far away place! Niko wasn't even sure what they had in Japan, but he tried to think of things that they may have. They probably had magical things that went along with the many swords he was sure people went around carrying. If people went around fighting all the time, though, it wasn't a place he wanted to go. But even if Moe only brought pictures to show him, Niko would be more than happy.

"What's an interior designer?"Niko questioned as he carefully took the book. A room like a space ship sounded very cool, no matter what the reason for such a picture being in the book was. He certainly wasn't going to harm Moe's book, so his cautious actions seemed to fit as he opened the book, examining the pictures with silent interest. They were cool, just not his favorite thing. "Is your favorite the spaceship one?"


"The older kids had cameras, so I asked for one. Then in school, I didn't want to draw the bugs and leaves, so I took a picture instead. After, I had help putting a book together- a science book for observations. My teacher even let me take my book and camera to school, though I had to wait until I got home to get the pictures onto paper to go into the book."Niko explained,"Mostly I take pictures of science stuff. Sometimes I take pictures of people- especially if I like them."

[Event !]

Thank you for your participation! No Exit is now closed.

The alarm went off again, just once, giving the all-clear. Within two minutes, a security guard poked her head in, nodding at the people inside. "Thanks. Lockdown's been lifted. You can go now."