With a slight raise of his eyebrow, Hideaki accepted the bento box handed to him by the younger, less foxy Volkov sister. He looked at the drink - grape soda, bad for the teeth - and then peeked into the bento - the usual faire, nothing special. After quickly verifying that there wasn't laxative or some kind of poison tainting his bento, as was usual protocol, he glanced around the rooftop for a free spot. He spotted a suitable seat that was close-but-not-too-close to the group, shaded from the summer sun, and situated nicely against the rooftop fencing, so naturally he seized the opportunity presented to him by walking on over and taking a seat.

Verdict: 1/10. Disgusting, but would still eat instead of fast-food take-out.

He grabbed another bite with his chopsticks and brought it up to his mouth. His pleasantly smiling face belied his true opinion as he ate and drank with his peers. If he was forced to give a formal critique, it would be long and nitpicky - as was the opinion of Minase Hideaki on most things presented to him. Still, he knew that flipping the bento over and throwing his carbonated drink at somebody was not a socially acceptable reaction to 99% of stimuli, so he kept quiet and ate. Hide was a patient person, after all.

Just as Shi had predicted Asuka would burst through the door she appeared, hearing her name. "Well~ Seems you decided to aid me in making an entrance." She cooed playfully as she took a small bow. "Thank you very much." She smiled as she before giggling at the sight of Yuki trying to feed Luca. It was so cute. Especially given what they'd learned of her background.

Once she scanned the area, making sure she remembered each person who'd showed up, she took a position beside Hideaki before affectionately elbowing him in the side."Where's my key, Mr. Stalker?" She asked in a whisper a bit annoyed after finding that one of her keys was missing from he ring. Of course, she wouldn't be so loud as to make him out to look like a creep before their possible new comrades. Not until more was known about everyone. But she did want her property back.

And then that happened. Oh boy.

Across more than a thousand parallel worlds, the consequence of Asuka's seemingly innocuous action was met with an equally innocuous reaction from Hideaki. Perhaps he would've ignored her or just given the keys back. Or he might have tossed them over the chainlink barrier or not have taken them in the first place.

Fortunately or not, this was not one of those worlds.

Hideaki's lips curled into a smile that was equal parts amiable and shady as fuck. Suddenly, there was a movement of his closest arm, an incline of the torso, a parting of lips and a vibration of vocal cords. What was he doing? Why did it look like he was going to do a thing that he would regret after a few training montages? A still, silent moment passed and oh shit. Hide did the thing. He had his arm around Asuka' shoulder and was leaning in and whispering sweet nothings into her ear. Well, probably not that, they were still minors and Hide was not, as they say, 'a playah'. Either way after spinning a believable story about how he wasn't the dastardly stalker that Asuka thought he was, he spoke the words that she was dying to hear. Or maybe would rather die than hear, if she was a more melodramatic kind of person.

"...And that's the story all about why I'm disappointed to tell you that, unfortunately, I do not possess your key at this very moment."

---------------------------But this was all a distraction.

Yes. A distraction. A diversion. A ruse. An attempt at subterfuge. An example of prime HideAsu shipping material. A stepping stone to greater heights. Whatever you want to call it, that's what it was. Because while Hide did all that stuff that would probably get him set on fire later, his other hand was busy doing something sneaky. It was dexterously planting the key in Asuka's key pocket as the story went on. In other words, you could say that Hide was being...

...snea-key.

Asuka was shocked by the sudden actions taken by Hideaki. The look on her face must have given in away. There wasn't a blush though. No, that might have happened had the one performing this were ANYBODY other than this two-faced, four eyed, pessimistic, sassy piece of crap. Still, she understood almost immediately as his little story went on. She knew him too well. All these years and he thought that he could get one over on her. It was as if he really did believe those ludicrous rambling about her being an idiot. He truly should have given her more credit than that.

And yet there was this voice in the back of her head. There were so many things that she could have done. Try to play along as though the surprised look that had appeared was one of childish joy not, the shock of an unexpected horror. Maybe horror was a strong word. Many thoughts race through her head as she got herself together and took a few steps away from Hideaki. Right now, Asuka knew. She had a bit of a plan. And with her skills in acting she could surely pull it off. At least to some of those who didn't know of her and Hideaki's standing hatred of each other. Which for the most part would be everyone.

She let out a sigh as she finally turned to face him. "I can't believe you!" She scoffed before turning away again, wiping a fake tear from her eye. "I'll have to change each of my locks tonight." She placed her hands over her face and shook her head, her hair draping over to add to the effect. "I thought if there was anybody I could trust it would be an old friend like you. Somebody I'd known since childhood. But you're just as bad as other guys!" She spoke between sobs as the tears continued to flow more strongly. Going as far as to cry. Crafty. "A dummy. A beast. A pervert." She went on with the list before finally stopping and crossing her arms over her chest, light tears still noticeable, though she seemed finished. "I just hope you won't be so unprofessional when on the job. It's bad enough you chose now to try and make such a daring move. I thought I'd told you enough that I wasn't interest in you like that."

With that she finally turned to everyone else. "Sorry you had to see that. It was never my intention." She said before giving a slight bow. Immediately she was make her way to Luca and pat him on the back assuming he'd accepted his position like she had along with everyone else, though it was all hopeful speculation. "NOW!~ Where were we? Has everyone made a decision and what not yet?" She said a bit more cheerily.

@Grey

---

"Whether your leadership guides us to prosperity or ruin is up to you."

Lungs burning, muscles aching, heart beating frighteningly fast. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. Even if he could what was he going to do. With ragged breath Luca leaned against the marble pillar he had made his hiding spot. "Kekeke~ This is the great Vongola Undicesimo, scurrying and hiding like a mouse to it's hole~" Luca shivered as a subtle sadistic chuckle echoed throughout the crumbling room. "If your what the Vongola has been chosen to become then they don't deserve to be on top anymore. Your era is over!" The battered blonde teen's eyes shot open wide realizing those last menacing words were suddenly closer than the previous. His body flew into motion as he tried to escape the incoming attack which crashed into the pillar he had used as refuge. The impact sent a portion of the pillar flying and caught Luca mid-sprint. He was thrown to the ground with heavy force.

"Kuh...ngh...haa...wh-what..." He struggled to lift his body off the floor but everything had gone numb now. Vision starting to blur he looked around at the others who were probably better off than him by now. They were still breathing but they'd taken a beating as well. He didn't want any of this. He told them he wasn't a leader, that he couldn't be boss. Luca managed to get to his hands and knees. "Huh?" His hand brushed against a soft material. Due to his blurring eyesight it took him a moment to recognize what it was. A tattered scarf. "You lasted longer...thaaan we probably should've allowed you to~" Luca's pursuers strolled up behind him, partially illuminated by the light from the skylight. One had a maniacal smile, the other a hollow satisfied smirk. The maniacal one started to whistle something of a sailing tune in a haunting tempo. "You put up a fight...can't say that I'm not a little disappointed though. Vongola XI, Luca...you've failed your family as boss." Luca didn't move, he barely blinked as he stared at the tattered he now gripped feeling despair start to envelop his senses.

"LUCA! ................."

"Ruin it is."

---

"We're doing what?" Luca blinked curiously at Fon's little announcement. Fon smiled with slight amusement and reiterated his statement. "We'll be going on a camping trip. Now that your guardians have all chosen their path we thought it'd be best for you all to have some bonding time. Shi has gone ahead to set things up before we get there~" Luca somehow had a troubling feeling about that prospect. "I guess it could be fun...but, as much as I'm still unsure about it, shouldn't we focus on more...mafia stuff?" He still didn't want to be boss but he said he'd try so he was hoping to be getting a crash course in being a leader of a criminal organization. Wow, I've really ventured down the rabbit hole haven't I? Fon nodded, understanding the young Vongola's worries. "The most important part of being boss is your family. Your strength as a Vongola XI is determined by the strength of your family." Luca nodded sheepishly with a slight understanding of what he meant. He still didn't know what that had to do with camping though. "By the way, are we always gonna meet here? I mean someone's bound to notice eventually and we're not really supposed to be here now..." The blonde teen inquired referring to their current meeting on Namimori Middle's roof. Once again Sam seems to have set up a tea table like the day before. "It is temporary. We'll have a permanent headquarters soon. Hopefully before someone finds out~" The chibi monk said with an unnerving chuckle.

Sipping green tea from a traditional tea cup, was Ren. It seemed as if he had blended in with the tea party, like there was nothing wrong with the scene of a tea party at the rooftop of a school. In contrast to the surprised reaction of the younger male, his features remained solemn as he parted his lips away from the tea cup to speak. "I see... An opportunity to learn one's family members to promote cooperation among them. ....Are we to provide our own needs? Or perhaps...," he trailed off and paused. Azure orbs which were once shut open themselves as he continued, "We collect them ourselves as we set up camp?" If this were a camping trip affiliated with mafia training, it would not come off as a surprise if the monk's response was the latter.

The butler who serves the Kanesada family approached the group with the young heir's order, boxes of Japanese sweets, such as red bean paste mochi, castella, and youkan, on his hands. They were placed atop the tea party table as he bowed and left their side. Ren, who enjoyed traditional Japanese things, picked up a plate of castella and forked a piece to put it in his mouth. The scenery of a western mixed Japanese tea party on a school rooftop was quite silly.

Yuki responded to Fon's mention of bonding by leaning against Luca and with a blank expression stated "We are already as closely bonded as we can get" That could have been taken so many ways and yet even when her sister looked on shocked at the pair Yuki continued to eat, leaving Luca with the repercussions of her misleading words!

Shi had one of her tails shift from behind her to cover her blushing face, it was a shock to her system to hear something like that "I knew your date went well but I would never have guessed how well..." She had moved off to sit at the tea table near Hideaki, sipping tea in a ttempt to calm herself, a dreamy far off look on her face as she dreamed of better days "Take good care of her ok?~" Looking over to Fon she soon sighed and decided to finally do her job, ignoring what Luca said for the time being "Yes I have made arrangements for the trip, do not think it will be easy since as Ren said you will have to hunt and gather what you can. You will be supplied the basics but that is it." Finishing off her tea she smirked at the mention of a place to call HQ "Wellll~~ I was thinking that since some of us here have connections that we could ask them... for instance I am in talks with both Asuka's and Hideaki's family in obtaining a secure place for us to stay. I do hope you don't mind keheheheh" The mischievous fox picked up a cookie from the tea table.

@Grey@Sho Minazuki@Vongola_Hasayo@Demon Shinobi@ChronoBovino@Amaterasu

Hide took a sip from his cup of tea, the perfect image of a well-mannered youth, complete with an outstretched pinky as the cup was tilted ever so slightly so as to let its contents be consumed. After doing so without a single drop spilt, he placed his cup of tea on the dainty little dish, and placed that dish and cup atop the daintly little tea table. He regarded the overexcitable fox woman next to him - no not Asuka, the other overexcitable fox woman next to him - with a peculiar look. "Calm down. Let's not get excited here yet," he interjected, grabbing on to one of the tails that Shi was using to conceal her lewd embarrassment. Was it an excuse to touch the fluffy tail? I mean, probably. There was definitely a non-zero chance. "I highly doubt the younger Volkov-chan and Yuuki-kun have surgically removed their kidenys and traded them like Y*gioh cards." He turned to Yuki the Russian, Shiso's tail still in hand, and asked, "...Or is there something I don't want to be aware of?"

That said, Hide rested Shiso's tail on his lap like it was some kind of particularly large ferret, or maybe a fat but also somehow very lightweight cat or dog. He was even stroking it like it was one, too. Could've been worse though; he could've been creepy about it and started smelling it or worse. But he was not creepy. He was Hide. And so Shiso would remain unmolested.

"You will not be using my family cafe as your base of operations," he stated flatly, picking up and taking another sip of his hot beverage, "Use Asuka's. I know for a fact that her house is far larger and her parents don't live there much anymore." The unfortunate implications of his statement were either neglected or ignored, and quite honestly, it would likely look worse had he tried to defend it. "That aside," he continued, casting his gaze aside on to the literal fox woman, "What will we be allowed to bring, and what will you bring for us? I like to be prepared."

"CAMPING!".Naoki jumped with excitement, "Are we gonna be all like fighting bears, making fires, boom!". He kinda went rogue with this part. He picked up a stick and pretended to be a ninja fighting a bear. "Wait...were not gonna be like being chased by a murderer with a machete who kills camping teens?!" He started backing away, leaning against the door. He shook his head and raised one eyebrow, looking at everyone. He coughed, straightened up his body and said

"Shut up" Very fast as if he chocked up at the end.

*Damn Double posts*

The young heir watched the silly exchange between the fox tailed woman and her sister as he took a sip of his green tea like an old geezer sitting at the kotatsu on a cold winter day. Except there was no kotatsu nor was it anywhere near winter this time of the year. While he gave no concern to whatever personal incidents that may have transpired between the boss candidate and the ashen haired maiden, Ren focused his attention back to Shiso once she answered his inquiry.

"Just as I've expected...," the male trailed off as he started to plan what sort of tools and perhaps, weapons, were to be of use in the upcoming trip. While he was making mental note of what basic belongings to bring, Naoki had a sudden, excited outburst about the camp. "....While that might sound outrageous for an ordinary camping trip, having a hostile being in a mafia affiliated trip.... isn't as outrageous as it may seem." He justified the boy's claim as not exactly impossible before taking another slice of castella to put into his mouth.

The topic of conversation was switched to that of their future official headquarters as the older Volkov suggested Hideaki or Asuka's place, just to be rejected by the former one. "....Minase, was it? I agree, a public setting such as your family cafe will not be a suitable environment to discuss classified information. .....I may be able to provide it if neither is unable." Only now when his blue gaze directed itself across the table to Hideaki did he notice the other male stroking the older female's fox tail. While any ordinary person would immediately label him as a furry pervert, Ren's eyes stayed still at the scene until he called his servant back to whisper something. Not too long after, the old servant was back with a stray cat cradled in his arms until it was handed over to the young heir. In a similar motion to the archer's, the heir stroked the furry coat of the animal with an equally deadpan serious expression.

"Machete murderers. Well then," Hide commented, taking up the daintly little dish and the accompanying cup. "I'll keep that in mind," he quipped, taking another quick sip of tea before setting the tiny cup on the tiny dish, setting the tiny dish on the less tiny table, and setting his hand on the fluffy tail, "If we're to be assaulted by an murderer in the woods, I'll try to refrain from having large amounts of sex and being a foreigner, then." Though the reference to horror movie tropes was something that seemed to be fairly obvious, there was definitely something rather off in how he'd said it...

"You're not wrong. That's my name, yes," Hide answered, reaching towards the center of the table and drawing back a small plate of wagashi, "Though keep the honorific; it sounds unbearably grating without it." Though it may have seemed contrary to his rather cavalier demeanor, Hideaki was not a very casual person. Or at the very least, Kanesada Rentarou had not yet proven himself worthy of that particular honor. "Either way, I am glad to see someone intelligent agrees with me," he continued, closing his eyes and plopping one of the confectionaries he had earlier obtained into his mouth, "And he's an obliging one too. Although I will say that offering up a headquarters, while generous, is unnecessary." He swallowed down the last of his wagashi, which left a horrid taste in his mouth. Still, he finished his plate because spitting it up was a social faux pas if anything. He sighed and opened his eyes, just resting his hands on Shi's tail for the moment. "Hm...?" he sounded after catching sight of the young yakuza heir stroking his own furry friend with an expression of equal inscrutablility.

"So Kanesada-kun," Hide spoke, ever so slightly increasing the quantity and quality of his carress, and even mixing it up by going against the fluffy grain, as well as perpendicular and across. The archer would not allow his fur stroking game to be beaten, it seemed. "I realize we haven't been properly introduced to each other. Why don't you tell me of yourself?"

Shiso's fanged teeth crushed the cookie in surprise as someone suddenly started to stroke her tail! Turning her head slowly to stare blankly at Hide she was both shocked and slightly impressed by the boys MASSIVE BALLS to be stroking the tail of one of the most deadly assassins on the planet without a single hint of fear or even worry. Really she was so inclined to reward such bravery, that or see if he was really that stupid...

Without even looking towards Naoki she answered back about his whole comment on the murderers "I cannot promise that machete murderers will not be there. After all it would be a great test of your abilities. If you don't die of course, but if you were beaten by some random dude then you were not really up to this now were you?" It was sad but true as there were MUCH stronger mafioso out there wanting most of them dead. She did warn them about all this.

The fox women gave a small cough as she went to finishing off her snacks, though not before deciding to clear up the whole conversation about the HQ "Awwww, but I wanted free snacks.. All well but we really do need a HQ, after all what are you all meant to do if you are split up and hunted down one by one by people like me?" She was so blunt that it sounded like a fact it would happen sometime. "You all need a place to come to, feel safe and watch over each other like a real family. Whoever we go with to base it in, remember it will be your second home, so pick wisely. Also you enjoying yourself there boy?" Looking back once again she stared at Hide once again.

@Demon Shinobi@Vongola_Hasayo@Amaterasu@Grey@ChronoBovino

"....Very well, Minase-shi. But I must say, I share sentiments with Volkov-dono." As his hand continued to run itself along the soft fur coat of the feline, Ren voiced out his agreement to the older female. "My family has the financial capability to provide such a place, if needed be... My father will welcome the idea if it is the will of the boss." For a moment, his gaze was turned towards the young boss candidate as if he were partly addressing the decision of the matter towards the younger teen. After all, the final decision should be made by the big boss, whether he's ready to take on the responsibility to make important decisions or not.

While taking his eyes off of him for but a moment or two, the yakuza heir had just noticed the change of movement from Hideaki's hand. The hand atop the cat's head froze as his azure orbs intently watched each caressing movement made, how the tail fur swayed along with each stroke, how the boy's hand carefully caressed the fluffy coat with such precision. Ren's eyes slightly narrowed, as his thoughts filled of how the other male was no ordinary fur stroker. The inquiry from the bespectacled student snapping him back to reality, the raven haired male responded as his hand resumed caressing the white-ginger cat but with more delicate yet precise movements while covering more ground, or should we say fur coat, now stroking its back. There was a glint in the male's blue eyes as they focused back to the archer, some sort of gesture accepting this awkward challenge.

".....There are not a lot I may say about myself. ... But I do favor the olden ways of our nation, when civilians carried swords as a companion. And... felines,... these curious creatures pique my interest..." As he spoke his last statement, his eyes fell down to the cat who purred in delight when Ren started to scratch under its jaw. Looking back to Hideaki, he expected an introduction of sorts to be returned.

Without even looking towards Naoki she answered back about his whole comment on the murderers "I cannot promise that machete murderers will not be there. After all it would be a great test of your abilities. If you don't die of course, but if you were beaten by some random dude then you were not really up to this now were you?" It was sad but true as there were MUCH stronger mafioso out there wanting most of them dead. She did warn them about all this.

Ignoring the look Shiso was giving him with all the indifference of an NPC watching his friend die after being killed by a 100 Sneak player character in a Bethesda RPG, Hideaki drank from his tea and spoke with a characteristic nonchalance. "You do know you've conscripted a bunch of middle and highschoolers, a good half of whom have never bared arms against an enemy, yes?" His sipped his drink, which was losing its volume fairly quickly and stroked the tail a few more times for good measure. "Talk about a high bar! But I'm sure my peers appreciate your confidence in our abilities."

"Also you enjoying yourself there boy?" Looking back once again she stared at Hide once again.

"Well the the air is too nipply for the summer, the sun's been shining in my face for quite some time, your tail - though fluffy and nice and various other adjectives - is giving me an uncomfortably inconsistent and-other-negative-adjectives temperature gradient across my body, Asuka is here, the cups are cumbersome to hold, and I had to cut my daily archery practice short to attend this shitshow with horrible food and cheap-ass drink. And now someone is asking me rhetorical questions. Plus I think Kanesada-kun is trying to accost me with sexual liaison by that odd look in his eyes. So yes, I am doing pretty fucking great thank you very much." ...Is what he wanted to say, but instead of that long-winded spiel he ended up saying something much less likely to draw ire his way after taking another sip of his drink: "Quite. I do hope there's no problem. I wouldn't want to start an incident." There was hints of a veiled threat to be interpreted behind those words, but it didn't seem like he intended for that at all. How odd. Perhaps it was a testament to the skill of Minase Hideaki in the arts of lying through his teeth and obfuscating his very self. Truly a masterful actor among the likes of those such as Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Keanu Reeves.

".....There are not a lot I may say about myself. ... But I do favor the olden ways of our nation, when civilians carried swords as a companion. And... felines,... these curious creatures pique my interest..." As he spoke his last statement, his eyes fell down to the cat who purred in delight when Ren started to scratch under its jaw. Looking back to Hideaki, he expected an introduction of sorts to be returned.

"Ah, a traditionalist," Hide remarked, setting down his cup. "How very much like my mother." That might not have been as good for Ren as it sounded. "Well I personally think sakoku, bakamatsu and all that tripe was an absolutely horrible establishment that did more harm than good, but to each their own; I don't judge." He refilled his near-empty cup. 'Out loud, that is.' He placed the pot back in the center of the table. "Anywho, you showed yours, now I have to show mine... so to speak. As you may have learned, the means of which I do not wish to know, I'm the captain of the school's archery club and resident role model to quite a few students as a result of my good works and, if I say so myself, charming personality." That was not a blatant lie; it was just a lie of omission.

And somewhere during that introduction, you can probably imagine Asuka scoffing