[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/QKuHUgk.png[/img][/center]
[center][h3][color=#6495ED]In Which Ren Does His Mom's Job Without Asking[/color][/h3][/center]
[right][sup][b][color=#FF4500]Location:[/color][/b] [i][color=silver]The Hideout[/color][/i] [b][color=#FF4500]Interaction(s):[/color][/b] [i][color=silver]Everyone[/color][/i][/sup][/right][hr]


[color=silver]What a brilliant start to a brilliant day. Whatever Tsuki wanted to bitch about it, they got half of the information they were seeking, which was significantly more than the jack shit they had before even going on the job. Doubly worth noting was that they slaughtered a bunch of human trash that literally trafficked innocent people for gods knows why. It’s true, he started the fight because someone was trying to cap his mom, but it didn’t really matter; he would have burnt all those people to a crisp regardless. They were truly despicable creatures, and they all got what they deserved.

The thought made him snort. He barely felt human sometimes, and here he was sticking up for the people of the city while they all kept dragging each other down like crabs in a bucket. He didn’t understand it. It seemed to him that the simple fact was, there were rotten people in the world. That rot needed to be cut away and cleansed in fire.

People could say what they wanted about Ren, but Tsuki didn’t fail to instill a strong sense of justice in him, even if that same sense often teetered the line towards revenge. 

The gang all arrived quite quickly, which was nice. He didn’t really care what got them moving aside from the fact that they got a move on at all; he hated waiting around.

Thunder Thighs, Metal Boy, the Yeti, and Corpse Girl all found their way into the hideout. 

Mumeiki remained silent and still at the back of the room in his usual habit, and Ren threw a wave and a half smirk his way in greeting. It was basically just a little kid in there, so he wanted to be nice. A serpentine tingle in the back of his mind told him that Shoshiku was lingering in a door frame like a creep. Classic Corpse Girl. Meanwhile Frost stomped up to Mich and immediately struck up a conversation. 

A very [i]annoying[/i] conversation that Mich certainly knew he could hear. [i]Boy Wonder?[/i] Just as he prepared a scathing remark to toss her way, Akane drew closer to him. Her own entrance was impossible to miss, the rumbling of the building, the distant crackling, and the faint scent of ozone wafting through the air all rather obnoxiously heralding the arrival of the only person his mom knew that was more reliably capable of causing headaches than him.

Akane was… a strange individual, and someone that inadvertently reminded Ren why it was so important that he try to exercise self control. He didn’t really know entirely how destructive his capabilities could be, and Akane often displayed exactly why that wasn’t such a bad thing. She understood restraint, patience, and mercy even less than he did. She was like a mirror that magnified all his own flaws, in some ways. Tsuki saddling Ren with the responsibility of looking after her was probably one of her smarter plays.

Stopping her from going too far or endangering Tsuki’s plans with her warlike nature was something that Ren took extremely seriously. 

[color=9e005d]"What happened? She is angrier than when I left. Angry... with you?"[/color]

A rough sigh escaped his lips. [color=#6495ED]“Yes. A mission went sideways. She blames me.”[/color] He answered her in the secret language that he was taught by the Little Orochi, the one he remained perfectly fluent in no matter how long he went without using it. It was a mixture of hisses and strange, almost musical notes that occasionally dropped into harsh, stone on stone-like texturing as his forked tongue flicked in and out of his mouth. [color=#6495ED]“She’s wrong, of course. But it’s between me and her.”[/color] He favored simple and direct communication with Akane; she seemed to receive it best that way.

Eventually Shoshiku made herself (itself? Ren didn’t have a damn clue) known to the group at large, giving a small greeting before slumping into the couch. He really didn’t know what to make of that one. Not in the slightest.

Ren listened with appreciation as Frost made her observations and asked her questions. When she first joined up with Tsuki, Ren couldn’t decide whether he was jealous of her or terrified, so for the longest time he settled for both. It was a comfortable, immature hatred that gave way to grudging respect and eventually trust and admiration as she continually proved herself to be someone that would do right by Tsuki. Jaegers made Ren twitchy, but he’d learned a while ago that she certainly wasn’t one anymore.

Being barred from joining their ranks persisted as an awkward wound in his relationship with Tsuki, but paradoxically, he only appreciated Frost all the more for her choice to reject them to side with his mom. Feelings were confusing.

[color=palegreen]"How are we splitting?"[/color]

Before Mich or even Tsuki herself could respond, Ren began to speak. [color=#FF4500]“Well, it’s obvious to me that a combat ring is exactly where you belong, my oversized friend. And, [i]hm[/i],”[/color] He paused, eyeing Tsuki gleefully as he pretended to ponder what they both knew was coming next. [color=#FF4500]“Since you and Tsuki work so well together, that makes you two a pair. Shoshiku will accompany the both of you as well, to round things out.”[/color] A smug little smirk crept onto his face, one that challenged Tsuki to contradict him as he peered her way. The reasoning was entirely sound, and it left the other team as completely well rounded as well. Of course, he had ulterior motives. 

Frost was perfectly capable of leading a team of her own, and had done so in the past, but Ren wanted space from the fantastic teleporting helicopter mom before she drove him completely insane. Let her sweat thinking about his side of things. He’d prove that he knew what the hell he was doing. [color=#FF4500]“Which means,”[/color] He continued. [color=#FF4500]“Akane, Mumeiki, and myself will be taking care of Site B. Mich can stay here and provide external support to both teams. Her organic components haven’t actually been in contact with fresh air in years, she’d probably wither away and die on the spot.”[/color] He punctuated his teasing of Mich by flicking his forked tongue at her. [color=#FF4500]“We wouldn’t want that.”[/color]

He clapped his hands together. [color=#FF4500]“Okay! To summarize for you chuckles: Tsuki, Frost and Shoshiku will take on Site A, while myself, Akane and Mumeiki will deal with Site B.”[/color]

The Little Orochi blinked slowly in Tsuki’s direction and hissed. Ren knew his brother snake was pleased with him. At least somebody was.[/color]