Dudes and Dolls [closed]

[Rina]

A petite hand trailed along the brass railing as the young girl gradually descended the staircase one step at a time. Her other arm wrapped itself around her favorite cobalt-haired doll, hugging it loosely to her side. No matter where she went, she almost always had one of her dolls it tote. Where there was an Anju, there was always a doll.

"Ne, Anju," a voice emerged from the doll as it's beady eyes stared listlessly toward the room the two were approaching. "So who are you supposed to be paired up with this time?"

The flaxen haired girl allowed a slight shrug of her shoulders before stepping off of the last stair. She honestly wasn't sure who was supposed to be her partner for the upcoming mission. Normally, she would've been informed of who it was once talk of the mission arose, but this time, the leader kept silent and offered no insight to who it'd be.

"I guess I'll find out," she murmured casually. She wasn't too concerned to who she'd be paired up with. There were a lot of reliable hands within the organization, so she didn't need to worry too much. Plus, she was already a good enough assassin and in her eyes, she didn't need a veteran assassin to assist her on a mission. She'd do just fine on her own.

Reaching her destination, she allowed a discreet glance around at her surroundings. She was almost positive her partner was supposed to meet her in the den, yet no one seemed to occupy the room. Perhaps she was just got there before the other person. After all, she was always early to appointments.

Taking a seat on one the fluffy, beige couches, she proceeded to smooth out the wrinkles that had formed in her skirt before setting her doll upon her lap. "Now Bugi, I want you to bite your tongue when my partner arrives," she advised him in a quite tone.

She knew that Bugi was a hot-headed man when he was alive, and even after his death, he stayed that way. No matter who he was up against, he never failed to criticize or insult them; especially if they were to be paired up with Anju. To much of her dismay, he always seemed to take on the role of an unruly older brother.

"Yeah, yeah," the doll muttered reluctantly. "Let's just hope they're a useful partner to you and not some kind of moron."

[Kitty]

Light was pouring in through the window. Danny groaned, rolling over and burying his face in his pillow. He really needed to get some curtains. Thick, dark curtains would be perfect--the kind that blocked out the sun entirely. It was too early to be getting up. His internal clock told him that it was still sleeping time and his eyelids were shut too tight to pry open. A small buzzing noise had been trying to get his attention for quite some time now, but he ignored it in a nearly effortless way.

In his semi-conscious mind, he tried to orient himself in preparation for waking up. What day was today? Well, yesterday he ate two bowls of cereal for breakfast. That could only mean that today, he was going to pester someone to make him waffles. Obviously, waffles are the preferred breakfast on Thursdays.

Thursday...Thursday...Oh SHIT.

Suddenly, his eyelids were no longer all that heavy. Kicking at the blankets that were tightly snared around his legs, he grabbed his clock. It took a few seconds for his eyes to see anything but an electronic blur. Finally, he saw the digital numbers 10:57. Swearing under his breath, he heroically jumped out of the bed...only to realize that his legs were still tangled in the blanket. Thus, he fell flat on his face. Tears of defeat momentarily streamed out of his eyes. Then, he pulled himself together.

In his sleep-coated daze, Danny had almost forgot that he was supposed to meet his new apprentice downstairs at 11:00 sharp. He didn't know the kid's name or what they were supposed to look like. All he knew is that he was supposed to go out on a mission with them. Why the superiors in this organization would assign an apprentice to him was a concept he would never be able to grasp. He definitely was not the kind of guy that a kid could learn about being a hardcore assassin from by watching him work.

Well, unless the kid wanted to kill some spoons. Then, he was definitely the man with the plan.

Groaning in frustration, he pulled on the nearest clothes he could find: a pair of faded blue jeans, a short-sleeved, black, button down top, and a gray sweatshirt that zipped up in the front. There was no hood on this sweatshirt, but at least it was good for acting as a windbreaker out in the cold, harsh world.

Sprinting as quickly as he could manage (which was not too remarkable to begin with), he made his way to the nearest bathroom, only to find it locked and in use. He heard the water running, as if someone was showering. When he started to hear a light, feminine hum, he realized that there was no way he was getting in that bathroom any time this year.

Taking off again, he headed for the next bathroom. Thankfully, this one was open. He splashed water on his still sleepy face, trying to wake himself up and psych himself up for the day ahead of him. Somehow, getting psyched about his life in eminent danger was kind of hard. Dipping a comb into the water in front of him, he raked it through his eternally-messy hair. He winked at himself in the mirror before putting on his sunglasses. Fixing his hair up to look slightly better than usual and power-brushing his teeth, he gazed up at the clock hanging on the bathroom wall. When he saw that it said "11:00," he spit the remainder of the water and toothpaste out of his mouth. With a quick fix of his jacket, he ran out the bathroom door.

Hand sliding across the brass railing as he quickly hopped down the stairs, bounding down two or three steps each time, he worked his way to the main room of the house. He was kind of nervous to see the person he would be working with. Worst case scenario, he would be working with some big, brawny dude who smelled of week-old milk, talked like he had smoked for seventy years, and beat up people who were ever-so-slightly late for appointments.

With a sheepish grin, he rubbed the back of his neck as he walked down the last couple steps. Before he even looked up, he apologized, saying "Heh...Sorry I'm running late," trying his best to keep his cool.

[Rina]

"Heh...sorry, I'm running late." Before glancing up, Anju analyzed his voice. Sure, he didn't seem to be the most responsible, but he seemed decently valuable to her. Letting her eyes dance up toward the source of the apology, her eyes slightly widened. There went her first impression.

"You've got to be kidding me," she murmured under her breath. Bugi, amused by who her partner was let out a cackle before being silenced by her adamant grasp.

It was Donny. ...Or was it Kenny?

Despite not remembering his name, she was very aware of who he was--and so was everyone else in the organization for that matter. He was pretty much the weakest link of the group; the only reason he was accepted into Sasayaita Namida was being that he was mistakenly taken into custody and leaked too much information to be let out into the streets again.

She almost laughed to herself. It had to be a joke. There was no way he'd get assigned to assist an apprentice. It was obviously a mistake. Either that, or it was a newly developed challenge for apprentices to be able to keep those..less fortunate in the assassination business alive.

Bowing her head slightly--half out of respect and half accepting the challenge proposed--she allowed a fraudulent smile to form on her lips. She was never one to openly allow her facial expression to display her emotions, but during a time of introduction with someone who was to be her partner for a mission, she'd put on a fake smile to counterfeit friendliness; when in all actuality, she was neither excited nor disappointed. She was more neutral than anything.

"Nishio, Anju," she introduced herself; a soft smile playing on her lips. She had spent months perfecting the forged facial expression, and was sure it'd trick nearly anyone. "And this is Bugi," she added, gesturing to her doll. "Say hello, Bugi."

"Eh? Why do I have to buddy up with him?" the doll retorted. "It's not like he put any effort to make a good first impression."

Lying her hand firmly on his head, she glanced down at him. "Be kind and introduce yourself, Bugi-kun," she murmured in a quite tone. Her voice never hinted to any frustration or anger, yet she knew her command would get across easily.

A sigh emerged from the doll as he flatly stared at the disheveled boy in front of them. "Fine, hi."

[Kitty]

Danny looked down at the girl that was to be his apprentice. His eyes widened, though no one could tell due to his sunglasses. Before him stood a sweet, innocent-looking little girl. A chill ran up his spine. This girl was what, fourteen, maybe fifteen years old? This organization was beyond cruel. Here was this precious child standing before him, dressed up like a little doll in her bows and frills, about to go on a life-threatening mission. Something just wasn't right with the world if this is what things were coming down to.

What was she doing here? Then again, what was he doing here? He had a brief flashback to the unfruitful interrogation session he was forced to undertake the day that his life took a traumatic turn for the worse. Maybe this girl was also mistaken for some kind of mob boss, though the good Lord only knows how a girl like this could be mistaken for a mafia figurehead.

His attention was directed for a moment to the doll that the girl held affectionately on her lap. This was just another sign of the child's innocence. If she was the age that she still felt it necessary to carry around a doll (albeit, a creepy doll), she was definitely not ready to be in an organization full of cold-blooded killers.

True enough, there were plenty of people in Sasayaita Namida who did not look the part they played. Of course, there were a few cold, cruel-looking people who tended to keep to themselves. At the same time, plenty of seemingly girly or flamboyant people could be found running around the house at all times of day. They looked carefree and lighthearted...until they got on the training grounds or the battle field. Then, they pretty much snapped into an entirely different person.

Scanning over this new girl before him, he toyed with the possibility that this could be another case of looks deceiving him. Perhaps beneath those innocent eyes and flaxen hair, she was as cold-blooded as the rest of them. Maybe she had the potential to take out dozens of people at a time.

"Nishio, Anju,"

Seeing that sweet little smile and hearing her soft, soothing voice, Danny was at once convinced that Anju was too being held prisoner there, forced into assassin work. Anju... He repeated the name in his mind, figuratively tasting it. Maybe that was why they paired her up with him; the two of them would have a hard time taking anyone down.

Perhaps the two of them could be allies. Yes, that was it. Danny could enlist Anju's help and together, the two of them might be able to escape. Yes, if he ever made a run for it, there was no way he would leave her behind to tough it out with the wackos of the house. Who knows what would happen to her then...

"I'm Danny," he said, smiling confidently. This girl was probably the best thing that happened to him since he got here. She was a reminder that beyond the walls of this base, there were normal people in the world.

"And this is Bugi,"

Behind his sunglasses, he almost felt a tear prick at his eye. This kid was absolutely precious! His attention was directed back to the weird-looking doll with fluorescent blue hair. Anju looked more like a cute little doll than this thing here.

"Say hello, Bugi."

Okay, so the doll was creepy as hell, but the girl was still adorable. Danny lowered himself so he was eye-level with the doll.
"He--"
"Eh? Why do I have to buddy up with him? It's not like he put any effort to make a good first impression."

Practically jumping into an upright position, Danny held his arms in front of him, on guard against this freaky toy. "I-It talks?" he thought to himself confusedly.

"Be kind and introduce yourself, Bugi-kun,"

So this is...normal? There was no way that Anju was using ventriloquism on this one. No matter how good a ventriloquist, there is no way a little girl like her could lower her voice to sound that freakish and manly.

"Fine, hi."

Trying to maintain his cool as a solo drop of perspiration gathered on the back of his head, Danny's mouth twitched slightly. The extent of his distress was not exactly noticeable, thanks to his beloved shades, but one could tell that he was at least slightly perturbed.

"Hey there, uh...little doll dude... 'sup?"

That would have to do for now.

"So, Anju, I guess we'll be working together from now on," he said, looking back at the eyes of the younger girl. Maybe if he didn't look at Bugi, the freaky thing would go away.

[Rina]

Anju allowed herself a closer inspection of her partner. Why the hell was he wearing sunglasses? He was inside after all. She would've guessed that he was blind if it didn't seem that he was studying her and Bugi. Perhaps his looks were deceiving and he wore some sort of horrible battle scar on his eye that required him to cover it.

"I'm Danny."

Her hopes faltered at his smile. He seemed completely naive and hopeful, the complete opposite of most of the organization members. For all she knew, he was just thankful that he wasn't paired up with some brute who could kill him. But then again, she was sure if she needed to, she could've easily dealt with him.

Watching him kneel down to eye-level with Bugi, a smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. So he was an idiot. "He--"

He suddenly jumped to his feet after experiencing the doll's ability to speak. He obviously hadn't heard talk about Anju and her dolls. She would've guessed that word spread rather quickly, considering she wasn't a new arrival, but guessed no one really ran to him with juicy gossip. She was sure there was a lot of things he was oblivious to.

"Hey there, uh...little doll dude... 'sup?

Bugi scoffed at the man before them. "What? You haven't graduated from English class yet?" he retorted. "I'm not surprised. You don't seem to be the most intelligent--"

Anju's hand quickly found its way to the doll and clasped down on his mouth. Bugi had a horrible habit of insulting anyone and anything that happened to cross his path. And quite frankly, she wished she had a 'mute' button most of the time.

"So, Anju, I guess we'll be working together from now on,"

Glancing back at Danny, she forged another smile to express her "excitement". He wasn't first on her list of desired partners. Hell, he probably wasn't first on anyone's. Yet, she decided that she'd have to deal with it. And who knew; maybe he'd end up surprising her. For all she knew about him, he could've been harnessing some sacred power within him would make him a killing machine.

Almost reading her mind, Bugi wrenched from her grasp. "Heh! If he's your partner from now on, Heaven help you, Anju!"

"Bugi-kun, I advise you to keep quiet," she scolded in a quieted tone. This time, she relied on her intimidation tactic; which thankfully worked. Bugi's condescending chatter ceased and he fell limp in her lap. Although she didn't seem threatening, Bugi was aware of what she was capable of and knew to obey once she reprimanded him.

Raising her voice, she brought her attention back to the boy in front of her. "Yes, I assume so," she murmured casually, granting another small smile. "I look forward to it...Danny-san."

[Kitty]

"What? You haven't graduated from English class yet?"

"Uh, what?" Danny didn't know what to say to this. Was he really being schooled by a doll? No. No way. He was way cooler than that...right? He bit his tongue, not really having a good reply stored in his mind. Thanks to this assassin-filled organization, he was incredibly behind in his schooling. Not that it mattered much to him to begin with, but having a diploma would probably help him in dealing with this harsh toy. He made a silent promise to himself that he would somehow find a way to finish school while not being killed by the organization heads...of course, he would most likely forget this promise by the time they returned from this mission.

"I'm not surprised. You don't seem to be the most intelligent--"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Danny exclaimed in exasperation. This little dude was really starting to piss him off. "What gives? I didn't do anything to you, little dude..."

On the inside, Danny's mind wondered ever so slightly, daydreaming briefly of taking a carving knife to that blue-haired thing's already freakish face. There was no way he was just going to stand back and let this thing badmouth him. Of course, he didn't want to (verbally) attack him just yet. He had to get a feel of what made this little dude tick.

A grateful sense of relief flooded over him when Anju covered the little guy's mouth. This girl was a-okay in his books. Now, if only she didn't carry around a little demon. What was a cute girl like her doing with such a freaky toy, anyway? What was the point in carrying him around? Maybe she got a kick out of how completely obnoxious the toy was... Oh well. There was no way he would know. At least, not until he got to know her any better.

Her smile brought a smile to his own lips. She seemed genuinely excited about working with him. She definitely was not there on her own accord. The only explanation to why she was being so nice to him was that she was in the same boat he was. The golden-haired girl probably was just as relieved to find someone who obviously wasn't into killing as he was.

"Heh! If he's your partner from now on, Heaven help you, Anju!"

If it were physically possible, smoke would have been coming out of Danny's ears upon hearing this remark. Oh, he couldn't stand this guy--even if he was a doll.

"At least I'm not a freaky toy," he mumbled under his breath, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, as if to mask his anger. Of course, it felt to him as if the glasses were steaming up from the heat of his rage.

"Bugi-kun, I advise you to keep quiet,"

"My Lord..." he thought to himself in sheer awe, "She must be a friggin' saint to deal with that THING the way she does!"

The young bug enthusiast knew for a fact that he would not be able to tolerate Bugi for extended periods of time. Perhaps with Anju's ability to shut him up, he would learn to get used to the cobalt-haired annoyance.

"Yes, I assume so. I look forward to it...Danny-san."

A smile tugged at his lips involuntarily. This was probably the most respect anyone in this place had given him. It was the most kindness he received since leaving home, too. This Anju dudette was officially his favorite person in the house. She seemed to just...get it. She knew that there was more to life than stalking down people and killing them. She was innocent too!

"Yeah. Me too!" he chimed in.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a sloppily folded piece of paper, holding it up. He knew that in it were instructions of what the head of the organization expected this mission to accomplish.

"Did they give you the low down on our mission?" he asked in a slightly more intelligent tone. They had to start planning what they were going to do on this treacherous trek. "If not, here's the read-up I was given," he offered helpfully.

[Rina]

"Woah, woah, woah! What gives? I didn't do anything to you, little dude..."

Anju couldn't help but feel a slight pang of sympathy for Danny. Here he was, a complete outcast in a group of seasoned killers, being insulted by a condescending doll. Normally she wouldn't have really cared, but she couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. He was arguing with a doll, after all.

"At least I'm not a freaky toy,"

She forced herself to suppress a smirk. Although he muttered it, he obviously wasn't someone short of comebacks. At least she wouldn't mind that aspect of him. Perhaps he could be the comedic relief she needed after a hard day's work.

"Yeah. Me too!"

This time her lips faltered and pressed themselves into a thin line. He seemed so pleased after her comment. Was he that desperate in need of a friend?

Thinking back, she was aware how he was whisked away to endure life in the Sasayaita Namida. Unlike most of its members, he hadn't come searching for a position. He was just captured; pulled away from his family and maybe even his friends. And now, he sat alone in a house full of strange criminals who scoffed at his presence.

Digging her nails into the palm of her hand, she forced herself to snap out of her realization. Who was she to care about him? He was just some idiot running around. He didn't have feelings. Well, not any that should concern her. All she should be concerned about is her training as an apprentice.

She watched as he pulled out a folded piece of paper from the depths of his pocket. "Did they give you the low down on our mission? If not, here's the read-up I was given."

She wished she could say she was completely aware of every tactic that was to be put into play, but she was not. She didn't even know the objective of the mission was. For about the first time since she could remember, she wasn't fully prepared. Yet he seemed to be.

"I wasn't given "the low down", she murmured, inwardly scolding herself for not being as prepared as the "idiot" of the organization was. "If I may," she delicately lifted a hand for the paper, but paused. She would wait for his permission.

"Oi, just take it from him. He's probably used to being stolen from. Perhaps lunch money?" Bugi muttered scathingly.

Anju felt her innermost hopes shatter. It seemed as if her beloved companion would never get along with one of her partners.

[Kitty]

"I wasn't given "the low down",

Danny was surprised, in a way that gave him mixed emotions. If she really hadn't been given the information of the mission, that meant only he knew what was up. If that was the case, perhaps they really were making him this girl's superior. He really was being given an apprentice--not someone to watch him and make sure he didn't mess up!

For a moment, his mind began to swim. What did this mean? Did they actually trust him? Did they take notice that he had actually been utilizing the training ground for actual training instead of just hunting for interesting bugs? Did they think that he had gained strength?

"If I may,"

Snapped out of his trance by the gentle voice of his new apprentice. He rubbed the back of his neck momentarily with his free hand. Just as he was about to give an apology, the little blue-haired freak piped up.

"Oi, just take it from him. He's probably used to being stolen from. Perhaps lunch money?"

Seething with rage, he grumbled, "It looks like someone took a bit more than lunch money from you, buddy. You're a friggin' doll."

Turning his attention back to Anju, he gave a nervous chuckle, handing her the paper. "Sure thing."

Behind the opaque circles of his sunglasses, he watched her face. He wanted to see how she would react to this, being this was her first mission. He remembered being called on his first mission. He nearly pissed his pants when he realized that he was actually being thrown into a dangerous situation. Like, what the hell?

This mission was something of a pain for a first timer and someone as inexperienced as him to complete. It involved sneaking into a nearby enemy camp late at night, planting a bomb in their records room, and getting out. Considering the organization had something against just driving to a mission, it would involve a two-day walk, taking minimal breaks to eat and sleep.

It didn't necessarily involve killing anyone this time around, but if they were confronted, they would have to bring the enemy down. After all--they couldn't have their faces be known. The main purpose of this mission was to destroy the records the rival organization had gathered on members of Sasayaita Namida. The information Danny had been provided by his superiors involved specific instructions for the mission, a map of the base they'd be infiltrating, and a sum of money for travel expenses.

[Rina]

Anju thought she heard Danny grumble something under his breath before a nervous chuckle and a "Sure thing." Surely he hadn't aimed a snide remark toward her, did he? No, he didn't seem to have taken a disliking toward her--or at least she didn't think he did.

Gingerly taking the paper that had the mission's objective in her hand, she brought it to eye-level. After shortly glancing over at the writing, she assumed she received the gist of it.

It seemed manageable; just sneaking into an enemy base to destroy records. With any luck, they wouldn't run into opposing assailants and would be able to finish the mission as soon as they arrived. But knowing how things might turn out, they'd possibly run into thousands of enemies and she'd have to take them down one by one while making sure her 'superior' didn't die.

Or perhaps she was mistaken. Maybe he was just underestimated with his ability. For all she knew, he could really be her superior.

"Yeah, right," she thought to herself. She usually wasn't one disparage strangers right off the bat, but word traveled fast in an organization full of people who made a living off of gossiping and he wasn't exactly known to be a secret weapon.

"Easy enough," she murmured out loud, gently setting the paper down beside her.

She held no concern for the impending mission what-so-ever. In all actuality, she almost felt...excited. She had been training frequently with many of the other assassins, learning a few tips and pointers here and there and she finally felt like she was ready.

"Considering the travel-time, we should complete the mission within five days."

Perhaps she was being too ambitious, but she estimate seemed like a reasonable amount of time for the mission. After all, how long could it honestly take to plant a bomb inside a room and get out?

After allowing a surreptitious glance over at Danny--she wasn't sure if he was looking her way or not because of his sunglasses--the answer hit her. With him, the mission could very well take at least a week, if not longer. After all, he was nearly late to a meeting that was couldn't be more than forty paces from his bedroom.

"So what's your plan for infiltrating the base?" She questioned, smoothing out her doll's hair. Although the superiors had already marked out a plan, she wasn't interested in following it. What was the point of being an assassin if someone specifically told you how to kill someone? And besides, she figured she'd might as well get a laugh from Danny's suggestions--if he had any.

[Kitty]

"Easy enough,"

Well, he had to hand it to the kid. She seemed entirely unconcerned. She actually seemed a tad bit excited. Perhaps this was her way of disguising how afraid and ridden with doubt she really was. He decided to perpetuate the jovial atmosphere and encourage her with a friendly, "That's the spirit!"

Personally, he had not been hopeful at all when given the details of his first mission. the first thing he had said that day was "am I gonna die?" Although the members made a point in telling him that there was about an 82% chance of his being killed in a painfully quick fashion, even with all of them wasting a tad bit of effort to try and protect him, he managed to make it out alive.

"Considering the travel-time, we should complete the mission within five days."

Once again, he was glad to have his sunglasses covering his eyes. That way, his partner would not see how his eyes widened considerably at her last remark. "Five days?!" he thought to himself, "There's a difference between hopeful and delusional!"

Truth be told, stamina was one thing that he was working on more and more each day. Danny was actually pretty proud of how much his stamina had increased since being roped into this freak-show of an organization. However, a considerable increase in stamina simply brought him from couch-potato-computer-junkie status to mediocre-loser status. Looking over his partner, he somehow doubted that she would be able to travel quickly, either.

Anju's small stature is what made him skeptical. Sure, her youth probably gave her energy. That was one thing he was sure most young girls had. However, with legs that small, her strides would be small as well. Thus, she would either walk slowly or have to scurry around everywhere. Scurrying seemed like a tiring endeavor. Truthfully, he wouldn't mind taking things a bit slowly...for her sake, obviously...for her sake...

"So what's your plan for infiltrating the base?"

"...Uh...I'd say just go with what they wrote down," he responded instinctively. After all, these people were professionals at killing people, breaking and entering, and stalking.

"Though..."

Perhaps Anju had noticed the same thing about the plan that he had. There were no trees in the area nearby, yet the outlined set of directions had them sneaking in by pulling away a panel in the roof. He believed that this method was unreasonably complicated and would get them caught and in a bad situation. He was sure that with an organization like that, there had to be someone watching the roof over the freakin' record files.

"I think that their little 'go on the roof and burst in through the ceiling' is a bad move..."

Kneeling down next to where the girl was sitting, he picked up the piece of paper that contained the print of the enemy building. Holding it so the two of them could look at it together, he examined the paper carefully. This was one of his talent-like qualities, hidden beneath his aloof exterior. His mother was an interior designer. After seventeen years of absent-minded listening to her squawking about floor plans and blue prints, he had a knack for learning a building from a sketch on a piece of paper.

"I dunno, but something tells me that bustin' in the roof wouldn't be sneaky at all. Our job's not to steal lives--it's to steal files. I'm thinkin' it would be a good idea to go through this courtyard here--" he pointed at an entry point at the southeast side of the building.

"I know a courtyard would seem like a bad idea, but think about it. They wouldn't expect the enemy to just waltz through the doors, right? Besides, once you get into the courtyard, there's three ways to enter the main part of the base. If we go through this one here--" (he pointed dramatically to emphasize the fact that he wasn't a total fruit) "-it's just one room, then the record room."

Hoping that he made some sense, he awaited to hear his partner's opinion.

[Rina]

After Anju was 'inspired' by an enlightening "That's the spirit!" from her mentor, her cobalt-haired doll, who had been pleasantly quiet and contently poised in her lap, suddenly allowed a scoff to escape from his lulling mouth; but otherwise refrained from degrading comments. Either he was too timid to put up a fight, or he was simply waiting for Danny to embarrass himself with his own stupidity.

"...Uh...I'd say just go with what they wrote down."

Of course. Most superiors stuck with the strict guidelines given. Why did she think this imbecile would be any different? Hell, she wasn't even sure if he could tie his own shoes, let alone plot an infiltration of an enemy base.

"Though..."

Her eyes danced up to him, waiting for him to continue. Maybe he did have an idea after all.

"I think that their little 'go on the roof and burst in through the ceiling' is a bad move..."

He knelt down beside her, displaying the blueprint so the both of them could study it. Then where did he suggest they would break in? As much as she longed to hear someone bend the rules, she was starting to doubt his ability to lead a mission.

"I dunno, but something tells me that bustin' in the roof wouldn't be sneaky at all. Our job's not to steal lives--it's to steal files. I'm thinkin' it would be a good idea to go through this courtyard here--"

Bugi scoffed, ever-so-slightly shifting in her lap. "What an idea, genius," he mocked. "Are you trying to get Anju killed?"

Anju lifted a petite hand and covered her doll's mouth while murmuring a stern "Shh." She wanted to hear what Danny had to say, even if it was about the most stupid suggestion she had ever heard coming from an assassin's mouth.

"I know a courtyard would seem like a bad idea, but think about it. They wouldn't expect the enemy to just waltz through the doors, right? Besides, once you get into the courtyard, there's three ways to enter the main part of the base. If we go through this one here--" (He pointed dramatically.)

"Was that necessary?" she murmured under her breath after his powerful gesture. Did he find it more impressive to point like a madman than normally pointing?

"--It's just one room, then the record room."

Her mouth pursed into a thin line after his words sunk in. He...he actually had a point.

Prying her eye away from his hand gestures, she glanced over at the main entry of the base. It wasn't highly monitored like the other less-obvious entries. Then again, who would anticipate an enemy to enter through such an obvious opening and take extreme precautions?

"That's so stupid," she murmured, directing her attention back to Danny.

A smug smirk formed on Bugi's lips as Anju degraded her 'superior's plans.

"It's extremely stupid, actually,"

The enemy was obviously aware of the rivalry between them and the Sasayaita Namida brewing, so they'd most likely amp up security on all entrances that could be susceptible to attacks.

...However, Sasa's reputation as being a highly strategic gang would mean the enemy could very well over-think the concept of walking in through an obvious entry.

"..But it's stupid, it just might work," she admitted, a soft smirk emerging on her lips.

[Kitty]

"That's so stupid,"

A frown tugged at his lips. He had actually put a lot of thought into that little monologue he just presented! Stupid? Well, yeah, it sounded stupid in principle, but seriously. What enemy expects you to bust down the front door? The freaky doll man who he had been ignoring for the past few moments was smirking like crazy. Of course. That doll really pissed him off. He looked so smug and full of himself.

"It's extremely stupid, actually,"

Each word from the little girl's lips was like a dagger being pushed into his heart. Okay, he got the picture. She thought he was stupid. What else was new? Everyone in this place seemed to think he was nothing but stupid. Sure, compared to some of the evil geniuses that chilled around the base, he seemed a little simple-minded. But "extremely stupid?" That was a bit harsh.

Straightening his posture ever so slightly, he took a deep breath through his nose to try and cool down the painful rejection that was burning him up inside. He told himself that he would just have to chalk this up with all the other rejections he'd faced throughout his life. The first time he asked a girl to a dance at school, he was rejected. When he asked the cool kids to chill after class, he was rejected. Now, when he tried to make a good impression on someone who looked fairly sane in a house of murderers and spies, he was once again, rejected. He should be used to this kind of thing by now, right?

"..But it's stupid, it just might work,"

It took a moment for what she said to sink in. She actually understood where he was coming from? An accomplished feeling washed over him and instantly cooled the stings of what he thought was rejection. A grin spread across his face as he let out a small, "Heh."

"You really think so?" he said, sounding more like an excited child than he would personally like to admit to himself. "Sweet!"

With that one statement, she had renewed his hope. Hope, for Danny, was something that left and came as it pleased. It often made him seem like he easily switched from lazy and unwilling to over-zealous and ready for action. At the moment, he was ready to go infiltrate an enemy base.

"So, I guess it'd be good for us both to get any stuff necessary together, and meet up for departure in like....maybe an hour?"

Usually, he would say 'let's leave tomorrow' or something similar, but he knew that when he felt the wind of hopeful energy at his feet, he just had to go with it and take flight. Hopefully, Anju felt the same assured feeling.

[Rina]

“You really think so? Sweet!”

“How old are you, 5?” Bugi piped up, stealing the word’s right out of Anju’s mouth; although she wasn’t going to voice her opinion on her comrade out loud—for now at least. The last thing she needed was to piss off the…more unfortunate assassin. She often watched movies on the ‘weird’ kid who would snap after a while and murder everyone, and she was not going to be the one he finally took his revenge on until she was sure his personality was stable.

“Bugi, quiet,” she commanded, softly raking her fingers through her doll’s hair. “Cut him some slack,” she muttered quietly. She was hoping Danny didn’t pick up that the fact she was slightly defending him. The last thing she needed was him following her like a shadow thinking she was an angel for pitying him.

“So, I guess it’d be good for us both to get any stuff necessary together and meet up for departure in like…maybe an hour?”

An hour? Perhaps she was wrong about him. Maybe he wasn’t the coward she thought him to be. He seemed genuinely excited and ready to face the mission head-on. Or perhaps he was just faking it to put on a good show.

“Sounds like a reasonable time frame,” she answered, rising from the couch. After smoothing out her dress, she repositioned Bugi in her arms before bowing her head slightly. “Try not to be late,” she murmured sarcastically as she lifted her gaze to briefly study her partner.

Maybe she could grow to like him. Sure he was a moron who seemed to be completely unprepared to go out into the world, but that's what made him unlike all the other dull people she happened upon. And who knew; maybe he'd turn out to be someone useful to her.

"I'll see you in an hour--" She paused thoughtfully, then turned. "--Danny-sama." She managed to force out the honorary suffix and a soft smile before advancing to the staircase.