Panic Switch! [Sara,Human NPC--Matthieu,Open;Done]

[Shounin Aika]

[This takes place after the events of As Time goes by]

Aika stood outside the door of the Flower shop, her old home. It was a little premature that she was here, hoping that she wasn't going to see her children till she felt ready to. And that was going to be awhile. Her heart raced as she waited for her partner, Matthieu, to meet her up front. Aika didn't know what to do, how to get out of this sticky situation or how to lose her partner in the next few seconds.

Her thought process was going crazy and with each passing second she knew that she was going to have to think quickly. She had to figure out a plan to tell Sara or whoever was at the flower shop.

She was going to have a bout of Sleeping Sickness after this was over. Hearing footsteps from behind her, she only knew that time was up and the game had began.

[Human NPC]

Roses and balloon flowers were all Matthieu could smell when he walked into the flower shop after his partner did. The aroma was rather interesting; he knew how roses smelt, being familiar with them back home. But balloon flowers; those were something new to the gumshoe. The place looked bleak; the only thing that gave away any light were the flowers themselves. But given the fact that it was still around four or five in the morning would probably explain why a flower shop would appear to be anything but cheerful.

He put his hands in his coat pockets, looking at the different flowers. When he looked at the window sill, he noticed a single daffodil underneath what looked like artificial light. He put his hand to his chin; was there anything significantly special about this flower? Matthieu's detective mind couldn't help but try and solve a mystery that clearly wasn't there, but that's what happens when you're as dedicated to your craft like he was. You see a mystery in everything.

And after looking around this place, he could definitely tell that there was a mystery here that needed solving.

Matthieu looked at the front counter. Laying on it were three different bouquets; one of roses, one of those balloon flowers he never smelt till just now, and weirdly - only because they're not usually able to be put in bouquets - a set of cherry blossoms. They had artificial stems to make them seem like they belonged in a bouquet instead of just falling off a tree like they normally did.

But as he took a harder look at the flowers, he noticed that all but the cherry blossoms were starting to welter; the roses looking like they were the oldest. As a matter of fact, it seemed that the cherry blossoms were a bit newer; from the looks of them, they hadn't aged a day. Matthieu couldn't help but to think that this could be a clue; if this could mean something.

He looked at his partner Aika. The worry that was on her face almost made him smirk. If he wasn't trying to play dumb with this situation they were in, he would have chuckled. But there was another reason why Matthieu couldn't help but to look at her when she was like that.

It was cute to him.

It must have been the flowers. Then again, it could be her period; why point the finger away from the one you know good and damn well responsible? Something about Aika made him weak; made him open. He hated feeling that way in any situation - on or off duty - but whenever he was around her he didn't care. And that's what scared him.

"Don't look so glum, sweetheart," Matthieu told his partner as he rang the bell on the counter. "This is a flower shop; this is where all the magic happens."

He looked around, trying to see if there were any other aspects of the shop other than the main room the two of them were in.

"Although," Matthieu started to say out loud, "I would like to know where that chick and the guy with the huge sword on his back went. Doesn't look like there's any other doorway in or out of this place 'cept for the door we came in..."

[Shounin Aika]

"What did they do to this place?" Aika said softly.

Everything is dead, not like I wanted it to be. When I see Shadow...

"Don't look so glum, sweetheart," she heard Matthieu as it took her out of her thoughts "This is a flower shop; this is where all the magic happens."

"What type of Magic are you talking of Matt?" she questioned as she went to the counter. She was happy that the flowers were at least up to par as they were when she left but she really was going to have to ask her son what happen to the flower shop it self. It looked like a battle raged here not to long ago. What happen?

Hearing foot steps, Aika got ready for anything. On one side, Sara or someone she knew could show up but on the other side, someone could come here and blow her cover. She would be screwed and Matthieu would know what was happening.

Come on Sara...

[Akuma Sara]

Sara saw on her computer screen that the flower shop door was open. She was already behind on paper work and doing what any "good" leader would do, she called the people in her department ot answer the door.

"This is Akuma Sara, could someone go answer the door up front." she said after pressing the call button on her keyboard. There was no answer.

"HEY, SOMEONE GET THEIR LAZY ASS UPSTAIRS AND CHECK THE FUCKING DOOR!" she shouted.

Still no answer.

Damnit....

Getting up out of her seat, she threw on her apron and quickly ran up down the hall to the elevator that lead up stairs. "Computer, show camera feed C421." she said in the empty elevator. A screen flicker on and Sara could do nothing but have her mouth wide open.

"You have to be kidding me!" she shouted out load, not caring if anyone outside the elevator heard her. Pressing the button up, she tapped her foot impatiently and gritted her teeth. Why was her mother there and who was the man that was with her; A boyfriend or a husband. She just had to stay calm.

Walking out of the elevator when it came to it's stop, she took a deep breath. But as she walked toward the door, she heard something. Not out load but inside her head, her mother thoughts to be exact.

Come on Sara...

"Something must be up..." Sara thought. She walked through the door way and set her eyes on the man she did not know. "Hello, welcome to D Saint Flower Shop, how may I help you, sir."

Why are here, mom? Sara projected to her mother.

[Human NPC]

He couldn't help but to chuckle at Aika's comeback. He honestly didn't mean for the comment to sound enticing at all; he can't help how his partner thinks. But still; semi-enticing words lead to enticing thoughts and enticing thoughts lead to actions.

I can't tell you how hard Matthieu was trying to keep that evolution process from happening. So you can only understand the level of relief he had when he heard the door behind the counter open.

Matthieu didn't notice the door behind the front counter of the shop before. So when he saw the girl approach the desk, he honestly didn't expect it. He heard her call out to him, calling the store the "D. Saint Flower Shop." That right there made the gears in the old noggin start turning something fierce.

Hmm, he thought. D... I wonder if that stands for "Devil." If it does, then it's not very subtle...

That's when he got a good look at her. The girl looked exactly like the one in the picture, all the way down to the glasses on her face. He wasn't surprised though; working in this business as long as he had, you don't necessarily surprise easily unless you accidentally kill someone. And that wasn't the kind of surprise you wanna encounter twice in the same lifetime.

"How may I help you, sir," she asked. It seemed that Matthieu was the only one the chick was paying attention to; he was honestly hoping for her to try and hit on his partner so he could be right about the idea that she was probably batting for the other team. But you win some and you lose some. And given that he'd been winning as far as his assumptions were so far, beggars can't be choosers in this situation.

Matthieu smirked, trying to be polite. He looked at the three sets of bouquets again, but this time fixed on the weltering roses. They were of course the oldest of the bunch, followed by the balloon flowers. Then he looked at the girl in question, easily able to tell that she was either nineteen or twenty years old; her skin was a dead giveaway. He squinted his eyes slightly, remembering what his partner told him about the "myths" of the Devil Saints.

You ain't the rose, he thought to himself. You're either the balloon flower or the cherry blossom that sticks out like a sore thumb.

"Sorry to intrude so early in the morning," Matthieu told the girl, changing his voice from his Brooklyn accent to one more nasally. He smiled, pointing to Aika with a hitch-hiker's thumb. "It's just my sister and I are headed out to our folks' grave sites to put some fresh flowers down. We forgot to get some yesterday and we saw that you were open. We just don't know what kind to get."

He waited for either Aika to back him up, or for the clerk in the photos he had to buy his story to find out a bit more about this shop. Seeing her here made it clear to Matthieu that this was a front for the actual organization, but he had to make sure. All it took was patience; something the P.I. had a lot of. You gotta have a good amount on ya, working in this business as long as he had...

[Akuma Sara]

Sara stared at the man and read just about every thought that he had going through his mind at the moment. If her mother was asking for her, she knew that her skills were needed to, and she was hoping not to think this herself, help her with this problem.

Hmm, she heard the first thought just as she place her hand on the counter, D... I wonder if that stands for "Devil." If it does, then it's not very subtle...

From that thought right there, Sara was convince that he was some sort of cop, a P.I. maybe and that he knew a little bit of the Devil Saints it self. Someone wanted answers about the Devil Saints and needed the help of this man right here. That would also explain her mother's reappearance. Aika did not look as if this man was using her to get to the organization but playing along. But why go along with his ploy if....

Sara had somewhat figure it out. Maybe Aika was trying to protect them but that only led to another question: Why led him here?

The next thought came through just as quick as the first one and Sara had slightly frowned when she heard it.

You ain't the rose, he thought . You're either the balloon flower or the cherry blossom that sticks out like a sore thumb.

He really knew some lore about the Devil Saints and Sara had to thank just one person that gave him that little tidbit of info. Maybe her mother was going along with it and was trying to warn them by giving this man information about the Devil Saints so that Sara could filter them out. It wouldn't seem out of place for her mother to do that if she knew about Sara's gifts.

Clearing throat, she looked at her Mother with a grin, showing her that she may have understand why.

Two could play that game. she thought.

"Oh this is your sister, I was wondering who this beautiful woman was." she said with a smile. Mom, play along, if you can. she projected to her.

"Well her at D. Saint Flower shop, we have all kinds of flowers to choose from. If I were to get flowers for a grave site, I would get flowers for the type of season. That way you can come back next season to replant new ones. Also, I suggest that you get flowers that represents their birthday. It's just me."

[Human NPC]

Well, whatta ya know? Matthieu thought after the blond smiled toward his partner. I was right about her after all...

Pin-Pointing the clerk as a lesbian made Matthieu feel a bit better about himself. However, he found it a relief that she was more of the "lipstick-lesbian" than the "steel-toed boots" kind, if you catch my drift. But for some reason, Matthieu could swear that there was something distracting her, even as she was telling him about her recommendations for flowers for a grave site that didn't exist.

He looked over toward Aika, who was apparently in a deep thought about something. She was so mysterious; sometimes he just wished that he could just pick the thoughts out of her head just so that he could know what the hell was taking up her time. But in a way, he was glad he couldn't. Because if he did, he'd probably be more infatuated with her than he already was.

But still; this sudden silence wasn't helping their objective.

Matthieu stared back at the clerk and smiled. "Actually," he continued in his same disguised voice, "that's a rather good idea you have there. I never thought about getting seasonal flowers before."

He once again looked over at Aika, this time tapping her back to get her attention.

"What do you think, sis?"

[Shounin Aika]

Aika could only nod as she heard the exchange of words from the two of them. It was nice that Matt picked the brother sister thing but she could not figure out why he would choose the set up. That's when her daughter shot her a mental thought asking about what was going on that she didn't know about.

At least what her daughter could not pull out of the man's mind at the moment. And like any good mother, Aika told the truth with white lies just to protect her daughter or more than likely, protect Matthieu if Sara knew the whole truth. Just as if she was protecting the truth about Santa Claus, she was going to fit in the lies and truths together.

For Family.

This man is here to found out information on the Devil Saints,she projected to Sara, but he is not the one to worry about. It is Skylight, they have a intrest in you and it's not for a job. They think you are a threat, and this man is here to find out if you really are one.Skylight has pictures of you, your brother and some unknown man in black. When I am done here, I want answers from both of you about what's going on here and how you two got your photos taken with out even knowing. She could only assume that Sara got her thoughts.

"That is a great idea brother," Aika finally spoke in a smooth British accent, "Father would have loved the fact that we got him seasonal flowers. You are a kind a thoughtful person miss. Little brother, could you pick out the flowers."

[Akuma Sara]

So this man is here to spy on us, Sara thought as she kept her eyes on the man who wanted flowers for his "father."

Well, whatta ya know? she heard the man thought. I was right about her after all...

"What do you mean by that?" she silently let out as she went over to the counter.

[Human NPC]

Almost as quickly as Matthieu congratulated himself on calling 'em out like he saw 'em, he could hear the blond say something under her breath. It was obvious that what she said wasn't meant to be heard by anyone else but herself. But that didn't necessarily mean that it could work that way for her.

"What do you mean by that?" she said under her breath. Matthieu looked at her with a questionable look; more questionable than when he first saw Aika. He knew good and damn well he didn't say anything about her being a lesbian out loud. And as quiet as it was, the way she said it seemed like a response to the way he thought about it.

He couldn't help but to start racking his brain around this little problem. Was there a possibility that she knew what he was thinking? Could she read his mind? You may think that these ideas were a bit randomly far fetched. But it's like the code he lived by; never underestimate your case. And after meeting Aika and determining that this little ray of sunshine could be one of her two offspring, he wasn't underestimating shit else.

He couldn't help but to put that theory into retrospect. A mind reader, eh? That only got Matthieu wondering if her brother could do anything special like that, or anything special at all for that matter. What exactly was it that these two were capable of?

Aika. He almost forgot about her. He watched her play along with his shtick, adding a British accent to compliment the one he was using. Smart, Aika; real smart. She didn't make it hard for him to not be any more attracted to her by adding that accent, I'll let you know that. She smiled at him, asking him to pick out the flowers for their fake father's grave. Looking at the blond's reaction to the word father spoken out loud was an interesting sight to see, I'll tell you. That reaction just got his gears a turnin' all the more quicker

If this was Aika's daughter, then that means she was fatherless. A little girl needs a father more than anything. And in the length that he came to know Aika, he could see a lot of her in the blond one. And because of that, he could tell that she went an extra step further than how her mother acted; never wanting anyone go through the life she had to live. After all, there's no healing process if the healing ain't necessary, right?

That's when it hit him like a punch to the face, remembering an old Biology lesson he took in school. The Platycodon Grandiflorus, otherwise known as the Common Balloon Flower. It's root can be used as an anti-inflammatory in the treatment of coughs and colds.

It's a healing flower.

She's the Balloon Flower, he thought to himself, forgetting the possibility that she could read minds. Instead, he looked at Aika, who was still smiling that sweet smile of hers. It was obvious that she was waiting for a response as to which flowers to pick out. For a minute, he almost forgot that she referred to him as the little brother. He found his way out of his own thoughts just to get lost in her eyes for the umpteenth time.

Smiling himself, Matthieu took his hand and moved a piece of hair out of her eye before gently kissing her on the forehead. He had to make it believable for the blond. Daughter or not, they were still on a mission. He just decided to add a bit of his own guilty pleasures in the mix as well.

He tapped her on the nose with his index finger before chuckling himself. "Sure thing, sis," he said in his accent as he backed away from her to look around the store a bit. If this really was her daughter, the least he could give them was some space to talk.

After all, that's what Aika wanted in the first place...

[Akuma Sara]

Sara watched as the man pretending to be her mother's brother walked to the other end of the shop to scope out the flowers in their selection while at the same time thought about his last thought.

She's the Balloon Flower. That statement made her fear for her own life now. This man knew might knew about her code name and might even know the other's. She didn't like this one bit. What else she didn't like was that two-skin son of a bitch company thinking that The Devil Saints were a threat.

Are we really a threat to Skylight that Markus' wants information on us.... She thought as she watched the man some more.

It didn't make any sense to her and normally she was the one that made sense of it all. There were so many questions going through her head and they all lead back to her mother, something she wouldn't want to believe; even though she didn't like her mother, there were somethings she didn't want to believe she would and selling out not only HER own company but HER own children.

Mom, she projected at the woman standing before her, I will tell you everything but you need to tell me now where you stand in all of this. We, no, I need to be sure as HELL that you are not trying to sell us out or anything else. Are you with us or you against us?

[Shounin Aika]

Aika could not believe what her own daughter had asked her. She did nothing but protect her and Shadow, yet she ask that question as if she was some stranger!

She kept her cool and took a deep breath. She was still on a mission, her own personal mission but a mission none the less.

Of course I am on your side, Sara.... she projected back as she walked closer to the counter. I would never endanger you and that is the reason I am here, to warn you about the impending danger that may come soon. I want you and the rest of your team to be ready for anything. This is one of the things to look out for.

"Little brother, don't go to far." Aika spoke out loud in the accent that she used before. "He always does that..." she said to Sara.

Tell me, who is the man in black. Is he a new seat or another drone?

[Human NPC]

Matthieu smirked at Aika's response as he walked over to the flowers on the left side of the shop near the vacant windowsill, using the time to himself to think about what he just learned. It was clear to him that the blond was the Balloon flower of this Devil Saint organization they were looking for. But that only got Matthieu thinking a bit more clearly on the subject that Aika brought up about their leaders named after specific flowers and such.

On the counter the blond was behind was a bouquet of Roses, Balloon Flowers and oddly enough some preserved Cherry Blossoms. The roses were the oldest and the Cherry Blossoms being the newer flower of the three.

It was clear that these three flowers represented the most active key players as far as taking up leadership was concerned in the organization. And from reading the blond's personality through what he learned about the flower, it was safe to assume that their flower code names were definitely for a reason.

He decided to pay attention to the leader and possible brother of the one called Balloon Flower, the Rose. Roses are catchy to the eye; used a lot in somewhat steamy situations. In a way, you could say that the flower in whole or the pedals themselves were rather lustful in appearance. On the other hand, they're also protected in a barrage of thorns. And depending on the essence of the rose in general, the piercing of the skin could almost be instant; as if the thorns could represent some type of rage against all that came after the rose.

A flower that contains both essences of lust and rage? It was definitely possible. And if that was how the wearer of the codename acted, then he could only assume that this kid was a sufferer of Multiple Personality Disorder, or a frickin' Gemini. At first, he tried to question the possibility of person like that. But he remembered how his ex was back in the states. He chuckled. She alone was proof that people like that existed.

Then he started focusing on the Cherry Blossoms. Now usually, Cherry Blossoms have a transience of extreme beauty and quick death. But given the fact that this store's blossoms have been preserved before their demise made the gumshoe think all the more metaphorically. If the guy in black was this Cherry Blossom, then this transience could be talking about his background; not necessarily him in general. If that was the case, then his family could be the reasoning; a family that was beautiful or admirable to many, only to be cut down while at their prime. It kinda made Matthieu shake his head a bit. No one deserved to be without a family.

No one.

He continued to think about the metaphors used behind the flowers. Here in Japan, they were an omen of good fortune. If this was the case, then whoever this guy is would be an extremely lucky guy all the time. Matthieu thought about it. For a guy to be always have the situation of luck on it's good side, but to suffer the loss of his entire family before he ever got a chance to know them sounded like the greatest oxymoron this green earth had ever seen. But like I said before; he was used to odd situations like this. Seeing them in action was a different story.

Once he was done establishing the profiles of the main hancho's of this organization he was slowly starting to believe was true, he picked up a reef of tulips that caught his eye. But as he turned around, he noticed a dying Blood Iris in the midst of the other flowers. The Japanese called these type of flowers Ayame, he remembered. He found it funny; one of the most important plants he'd seen since being here, and from the looks of it, it was dying simply because of the lack of attention. He narrowed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"Pity," he said to himself.

He headed back over to Aika and placed the bouquet of tulips on the counter. Smiling at her, he nodded. "I think these'll do, sis," he said in his fake accent, hoping they were done discussing whatever it was the two needed to talk about.

[Akuma Sara]

If you want to know more, Sara projected to her mother as the spy walked back to the counter and her mom, You can come to visit us. Alone.

Giving the man the warmest smile she could give a person without looking crazy, she saw the tulips that he had and began to wrap them in the D. Saint Flower paper, the only one that they had at the moment.

Red and Black.

"You know," she spoke as she placed them back on the counter in front of them, "This set of flowers is on the house. It is for father after all and I think it would be nice of me to do that for you. Besides, your sister offer to take me to lunch tomorrow at 5, right?" She looked at her mother with a grin on her face.

[Shounin Aika]

Aika looked at her daughter, a frown forming on her lips that only Sara could see. Aika knew that she screwed up but the way Sara projected her thoughts made it seem like she killed Japan and a small puppy. She nod softly acknowledge her deal to come alone and then quickly turn to her "brother" with a bright smile on her face.

"Yes, she asked me to go with her to lunch." she said in her sister voice, "Just the two of us. I know that you had a 'bug' and so I told her that you would not be able to make it. Though being my little brother, you always kept an ear on me, right?'

Aika still had to play th part of P.I. and so she hoped that Matt caught what she was saying to him.

[Human NPC]

Matthieu didn't like where this was going; not by a long shot. The gesture for the free flowers, the blond going to lengths of hitting on Aika like this; it just didn't sit right with him, especially since it all seemed to happen at the same time. Usually, Matthieu was able to make sense of things that were happening all at the same time. But with the idea that this blond might have some gifts with telepathy and the fact that she could be Aika's daughter, everything seemed to fit too well into place.

Especially now.

He originally planned on buying the flowers. That would've given Matthieu the time to reach into his pocket and pull out one of his small bugs that acted as both a tracking system and a powerful microphone to listen to conversations in his car. An anniversary present from his ex back in the states, you see. But that opportunity was denied to the gumshoe when the blond said that the tulips were no charge, apparently after spending some time to talk to Aika.

That was the other thing that made him feel uneasy. If his theories were correct, then this blond was a lesbian and was Aika's daughter. The fact that she was actually trying to hit on her just about made him sick to his stomach. And at the same time, he thought about if he was wrong about the whole mother/daughter thing, because it was completely clear that she was a lesbian now. So if he was wrong about it, but still didn't like hearing the blond flirt to his partner, then that meant that his little crush he had on his partner was starting to hit the 'jealousy stage,' which meant that this was starting to get way out of control.

Then a light started to appear at the end of the tunnel, once he heard Aika speak in code. A bug, she said. Keep an ear on her, she said. He smiled, but not necessarily to the point of suspicion as he kept his hands in his pockets. Taking his left hand out, he placed it on her shoulder, secretly implanting a tracing bug underneath her coat collar.

"Of course I have, sis," he said in his accent, bringing his face closer to hers. He stared back at the blond as that same hand found its way to her side, secretly letting a small voice recorder bug fall into her coat pocket. "Sorry I can't make it," he said, facing the blond again. "I'm suffering from a bit of a sinus infection. I'm risking opening myself up now by going with her to our father's grave site."

Aika, you're brilliant.

[Shounin Aika]

Aika was glad that matt was able to get what she was saying. She knew that her partner had placed something on her person though she didn't know what type of bug it, be it tracking or listening or even both. And if she knew her daughter, powers or no powers, she knew that Sara knew what her what she was doing as well but she had to make sure.

The last thing the Devil Saints needed was the person who started this whole thing in the first place by fucking it up for everyone.

Sara, she projected toward the firery blonde, my partner just placed a bug on me. make sure you have a something that can lead him off the path just a little. We can't have this seem like a set up. I will come back when it is safe. also, try to round up all of your leaders, I would like to speak with them about this situation.

"Come brother, we need to see our father before you get your self even more sick." she said quickly as she walked to the door she and matt came in.

[Akuma Sara]

She heard her mothers orders to rally the troops but she frowned instead. She hated, no loath the fact that her mother---who mind you did not show up in their lives until now---was already barking orders like she ran the place again. True, with Shadow being out there was no offical leader, except Abbadon but at least ask first.

Just make sure to show up, in person, or the deal is off. She projected at her mother as she saw her walk to the door and tell her "brother" to come along.

Where's a panic swithch when you need one she thought to herself.