Starcrown Heights Welcome Center

The world is silent, almost deafening in its absence. He has not heard this sound in years, not since before his abilities truly matured. Then he hears them, two sets of thoughts like triangles after the orchestra has finished.

I definitely have things to do in other places.

Then, a second triangle, from further away.

Kind of looks like Lauren's kid... Don't know the other guy... Wick will be mighty interested...

She smiled back. "Of course. Step into my office."

She opened a nearby door, revealing a tiny office.

Ewan Cromwell INT: 43

There is a brief pause when she grabs the doorknob. She steps near it, obscuring the door, suggesting a need to unlock it, but there is no key to be seen in her hands before or after. The logical choice would be biometrically-rigged doorknobs... but these doorknobs appear far too dated for such equipment, and logic seems a poor indicator of the truth in this place.

The room has a a large desk, with three pictures and several flowers on it. One picture is face down. Another of her at a Ambrosia University graduation. She is smiling, and holding a law degree. The third picture is of her sitting beside several strangers at an unknown restaurant, where the walls appear to be made of... paper? The food is distinctly Asian. Ewan does not recognize most of them. A fierce looking, young woman with red hair and a blue dress, a young black fellow wearing thick sunglasses, a hulking man who seems more concerned with his chopsticks than the picture, and an older-looking man in a sweater vest and tie, with rimless glasses who sits at the head of the table. Beside them is a much older woman in a white business suit. Lauren Darrel has dyed her hair, but Ewan recognizes his mother.

"My name is Juniper Lane, by the way. We have to do everything by appointment because we don't technically have a business license. They're impossible to get in Starcrown, if you're new in town. You're... English, right?"

"Really? Your clothes seem a little new for Starcrown. If you can afford it, one can always check out the more 'official' areas. Old Ambrosia is actually very appealing if you, well... to be blunt, I tend to deal with people who seem a little worse off than you."

Keiko goes for the latch and opens it, looking around the room for something she can pick up or even at this point, break loose. The space wasn't big enough for her to fit, but it was big enough for her to throw something threw. And that meant whatever was outside, might notice her, or not. Either way, she was done going along with just everything she saw.

Keiko finds a bottle of handsoap on the sink, easy enough to hurl through the window.

Keiko Nakajima FIN: 11

She strikes a man in the head, who spins around angrily. "Qui qui a jeté sur moi?!" He does not immediately see Keiko, and begins yelling at the kids instead.

********

This area of town seemed more desolate than others she had seen in Stacrown on her way here, but not necessarily anymore impoverished. There was a small apartment nearby, and a pair of young men were sitting on the steps, talking about sex and drugs and music. It was a school day, but Rory didn't know enough about this place to know if school was even an option for its residents. Unlike Britain, America chose to ignore its latest ethnicity, rather than invest in its potential.

Rory Hamilto INT: 17

Thus far, four people had entered during her stake out.

Earlier that morming, Rory had noted a young Asian woman arriving on foot. She appeared quite lost, until a black woman in a rather expensive car arrived. Rory memorizes the license plate easily. A half hour later, a pair of men also arrive on foot, one of them dressed like an American aboriginal of some sort. The boys across the street laugh at him, but make no move to cross the street. The oddly dressed man's companion appears to be... why, yes... it's Ewan Cromwell.

Keiko feels a touch on her shoulder and a voice in Japanese. "I'm sorry, Nakajima-san. We cannot afford to do this the long way."

Suddenly, Keiko is standing in a field. The sun is bright on her face, blinding her for a moment. She feels long grass on her legs and fertile soil beneath her feet, not unlike the rice fields of her homeland. Her eyes finally adjust and she can properly see the field stretches for miles, over hills and past streams. Rising from the long grass are tall grey mounds of what appear to be stones, some sticking up like fans. She can see birds flying above her, but she is unable to make then out in the sunny sky. The world is beautiful and surreal, like a Miyazaki film.