# ⁞ neon byte

@? Christopherᵸ It would have felt like old times had the three old friends been meeting under other circumstances but, unfortunately, that wasn't the case. At the moment, the weight of everything was much too hard to ignore. Soobin couldn't ignore either how much Mika had wrapped herself up to go incognito. From what he knew, she'd let her hair grow, and quite a lot since the last time he'd seen her but it was bound up underneath her baseball cap. He could also tell that she'd bulked up in muscle with how she was filling out her leather jacket. She even wore a mask, one that sufficiently covered her face from the bridge of her nose down to just under her chin. Something felt plain and unfamiliar about her and it wasn't exactly her appearance.

"What's going on," he eventually caved, unable to keep up with them both beating around the bush.

"They're losing their minds, Soobin," she answered clearly. her gaze dropping soon after, "It's like everyone was on the same track and then things just suddenly started falling apart. Everyone's having to choose sides and it's only getting more confusing because no one can figure out who's pulling the strings."

He could feel the mix of emotions in her tone. She was never one to be scared but fear was rolling off of her in waves. The young heir couldn't blame her though. Uncertainty had a way of forcing people to change, but not until after it had back them into a corner. In situations like their current one, it was hard not to see anything but the hurdles lost in the fog.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right," she let out a heavy sigh, finally looking at him again, "Yuho and I wanted to come and see you and just... make sure nothing had happened to you. We're not high enough up in the chain to hear a lot but news travels quickly... We've lost a lot back home, too..."

Soobin's gut churned. Someone was clearly out for blood and didn't care who they had to go through to accomplish that. To attack their own family, their own group of protectors...

His brows furrowed together, an idea coming to mind. He couldn't help thinking now that someone was in a seat to get something that this person wanted. Now that the idea had started to weave itself together, it was getting hard to push it away. He'd seen it happen before in this world of theirs. Those too hungry to wait for their proper turn would just end up snapping and getting themselves killed. Of course, that would typically come after they caused some sort of havoc themselves. If they were to die, they wanted to go down with a fight, even if it wasn't actually for as righteous as a cause as they'd led themselves to believe. Thankfully, it wasn't a common thing within his own family. At the same time, his family was known for their stealth and secrecy. It wouldn't surprise him if there had been more than he knew and they had just been taken care of in silence. His father could be careless but his mother was a born heir of the family. Soobin loved his mother with all of his heart, which meant that also included the heartless side of her. He'd seen her in action many times and he knew it angered her even more when she had to handle business while he was around. Though he's also wanted to take over the family one day to allow his parents to rest, she still did her best not to overwhelm him with the heaviness spilled blood could carry.

"I need answers, Mika... My side has lost a lot of people, and I'm sure yours has, too. I need some sort of name or clue. Someone who might know something."

"That's what I came to ask you."

Both of them looked at one another in shock. Well, they knew how to read each other. Someone walking by would just think they had gone quiet for a moment in their conversation. His expression changed though when she spoke again.

"I was going to ask you if you've talked to your dad lately..."

Soobin's brows drew together and he shook his head slowly, "My dad... What does he have to do with this?"

"If you don't even know that much, maybe we should meet again after you do... He's been to Japan a number of times lately and always comes alone..."

As they spoke more, Yuho had gone off and gotten distracted. He wasn't sure if Mika had been paying attention to the stranger that Soobin had entered with, but he was concerned either way. As his cousin and one of his best friends spoke, he found himself tuning in and out of the conversation, just wanting to keep an eye on this seemingly hovering person. Yuho knew Soobin's family pretty well, especially those on the heir's team. This was a face he'd never seen before and he got the feeling that he wasn't exactly someone new, even more so that he wasn't a part of the Lee Family. When they made eye contact, Yuho's gaze continued to follow, looking at the other as though he were a new toy to investigate.

And investigate he would.

The tall, somewhat lanky male hadn't bothered to cover up as much as his cousin had. It would have made more sense for him to do so though with his violet hair and numerous piercings. His tattoos were even showing over his arms and peeking out from his shirt near the back of his neck since he'd tied his waist around his jacket while he played video games. He was a regular of the arcade though. Although he wasn't all that good in any other language besides Japanese, he managed to converse with the staff pretty well and they would always help keep an eye on things for him.

As he stood now in front of the stranger, he wasn't sure what language to speak. His brain was even blanking out on his native tongue. He didn't like strangers and was still questioning where he'd gotten the nerve to even walk up to one. It could've just been the simple fact that he'd felt a threat in this person toward Soobin and he never handled that well.

"Friend or enemy," he asked in Japanese, body stiffening and, despite his nerves, tone sharp.

@⚡ Soobinᵸ After climbing out of the vehicle and standing in front of the arcade, it brought on even more fond memories. It even looked similar to the one he frequented with his mother. The style of it, colors, and even decor; all vintage and looking to resemble the early 70's. There was obviously a different feel, different time, different circumstances so Christopher stopped expecting himself to feel some sort of warmth from the nostalgia. It only brought a dull coldness to the crater in his chest that never shrunk down. What Christopher would give to be able to come back here - now, as a fully grown adult - to challenge her to another duel of Mortal Kombat...

Christopher gives a curt nod in reply to Soobin, hovering in the background while the other heir mingled with his friends. It seemed private, personal, so he wanted to let them have that without an outsider watching every second of it. Instead, his mismatched eyes roamed around the interior to get better grasp of just how much time has changed over the years. Some of the games he grew up with were no longer around anymore. Apparently, they weren't as enjoyable to generations that came after him. So they got rid of them and made new ones, and so on and so forth. Pac-Man was still a personal favorite amongst a lot of people, it seemed. So Christopher's glad there was still just a little piece of his childhood that existed in physical form. He could even see a small group of what looked like highschool boys all huddled amongst themselves in a tight-knit circle, egging on the person in control, cheering when a hit was landed successfully and booing harmlessly when there was a hit taken.

An arcade brought memories of home. Of Christopher's /real/ home that probably is occupied by some unsuspecting family back in Sydney, Australia. That was another thing no one knew but him and the head of the family herself; he was not of blood decent. She was not his birth mother, only someone who took on the role of one. Everyone is under the impression that Christopher was her direct kin, because they were practically picture perfect together. Two identical souls, with one just more gentler around the edges despite carrying so much guilt on his shoulders. No one knew of the silent wars going on his head on a minute by minute, day by day basis. Because there was a facade up at all times. A mask, if you will. Perhaps it was in the form of the same exact tie he wore every single day; it was a near metal silver with black and white accents on it. It was like a routine. If he didn't have that tie on, there'd be a side of Christopher that would be seen by one else but himself.

The little things, it seemed, that spoke the loudest to those who understood the language.

Taking a quick gander over towards Soobin, he sees the other fully engaged in a conversation with one of the two men. The other was currently playing a game, and was fully engrossed in it. Curious, Christopher tips his head to the side to try to catch a glance at the screen. Mortal Kombat. The heir gives a brief pause, heterochromatic eyes widening briefly before widening even more when the male suddenly turned and suddenly locked gazes with him. For a split second, Christopher is worried that the other wouldn't exactly appreciate his company, much less his attention, but he seemed almost just as curious. There were almost a child-like tilt of his head, like a young toddler looking at someone new and trying to understand what it was. Feeling something akin to being a specimen under a microscope, the heir offered a small, yet warm dimpled smile and a respectful bow of his head in a formal greeting. This seemed to relax the other somewhat, or at least appease him enough to turn back around and continue playing the game.

There was no words needed that brief exchanged. It was like the man had asked him if he was with Soobin and Christopher had dipped his head in affirmation, reassurance. Being true to his word, despite wondering who the two are so he could at least be courteous enough to introduce himself properly now that he was actually noticed, Christopher hung back and began walking down the aisles of various arcade games. He watched different scenarios play out for a seconds. Some matches won, cheers of celebration and high-fives exchanged all around before another round commencing. Others were lost, and instead of cheers, there were sighs of disappointment or even frustration. There were even some choice of words thrown here and there. The heir smiles softly to himself and sticks both hands into his pockets as he slowly continued to walk around... until he suddenly found himself face to face with one of the men that Soobin had met up with. It was the one who spotted him. Christopher stops mid-step with a look of surprise on his face. Had he followed him all the way up here? Away from Soobin and their other friend to talk to him alone? Or was it a mere coincidence? The men's bathroom was just directly behind Christopher, so maybe he needed to use the restroom.

Trying not to feel any more of an idiot, a sheepish laugh leaves his lips and he dips his head again - this time in apology - and stepped to the side to not block his passage.

@? Christopherᵸ "The gesture was appreciated, even if you didn't actually intend to do so. No line was crossed," Soobin assured the other. He looked at the other for a moment and then ahead again with a quiet sigh. Some things he couldn't help. For some reason, he felt that slight sliver in his armor that he was even considering letting his guard down with the other. He didn't want to let his guard down and he wasn't going to, at least not more than he needed to. Even as his attention fell on to Christopher again as the other mentioned going to the arcades with his mother, Soobin just kept quiet. He let his gaze linger on the other heir for a moment, expression unchanging. He just kept it as a personal note in the back of his mind. Maybe, at the end of this, something would change for them but that wasn't at all at the forefront of Soobin's mind. He just wondered if they would be able to get along long enough to actually get through this whole ordeal.

He had, at some point, drifted off into his own world. Hearing Keonhee finally announce that they had arrived caused him to look up and meet the driver's gaze in the rearview mirror. When their gazes met, it was clear that Soobin was still a bit out of it and Keonhee offered his boss one of his million-dollar smiles. The look that Soobin gave was clear to Keonhee, who knew him well enough, that Soobin was a little more relaxed and grounded again. Keonhee was soon out of the driver's seat and standing at the back passenger side closest to the sidewalk. He opened the door and allowed both of the heirs to step out before closing it. Soobin made eye contact with Keonhee, the latter understanding without a word being said to him and simply nodding in response before returning to the driver's seat of the car and pulling off.

Taking a deep breath, Soobin then glanced at Christopher and then led the way inside of the arcade, heading straight for the games where he usually met with his friends. He stopped a little distance away, watching the two of them. In the back of his mind, meeting with them felt like a betrayal to his own family, mainly because he didn't know whose side they were on. He just hoped that he was going about this the right way. Shaking off the feeling, he cleared his mind and got himself together. Soobin refused to let the doubt beginning to eat at the corners of his mind actually affect him. He didn't have time for it and it just simply wasn't like him. He slid his hands into his coat pockets and nodded firmly. He had this. Plain and simple.

"If you want to meet them, just let me know," Soobin was finally speaking to Christopher again, even looking at him, "Or if you have something that you want me to ask them." He rolled his shoulders and made his way over, both of them smiling at him the instance they saw him. "Mika, Yuho," he greeted warmly, tilting his head to the side. Both of them latched onto him and he let out a soft sigh, actually feeling much more relief when they just tightened their hold on him. He felt tempted to break down as he just stood there, letting them examine his face and make sure that he was okay. He assured them repeatedly with nods and soft hums. They got into their groove with Yuho playing a video game while Soobin began to ask Mika questions, Mika being the one that had reached out to him anyway.

@⚡ Soobinᵸ A part of Christopher still felt guilty. With the knowledge of body language under his belt, he always prided himself in being able to see who was a liar or who was not. He'd be able to tell if someone was traitor, or if someone was hiding something just by looking in their eyes and paying close attention. Except this was one of these times where Christopher did not feel pride in pointing an accusatory finger at one of Soobin's closest family members. He had been arguing with the other heir for quite some time about it - years, in fact - however after a little while, he eventually stopped. Not because Christopher stopped believing the guy was a traitor, but because Soobin had refused to listen - and it's not like he blamed him, either. In the end, Christopher has chosen to keep things silent while he took care of things on his own, when no one else was looking or paying attention. They've interacted plenty of times behind Soobin's back, and those times, Christopher got to see the man's true face without the mask hiding it. And each time that happened, the more tense he grew. With the sudden appearance of The Blood Dragons and how the man seemed to have a flame in his eye, Christopher knows something is up. Something is brewing in that head of his, and he knows that something is going to happen.

However, he won't say anything more. If no one will believe him, then he must take care of things himself. He's the only one who can, and he's the only one with proof no one's seen; just waiting for the light of day... But Christopher sort of hates himself for letting it get to this point. Every time he even looks at the box, his chest tightens and guilt boils over. He hasn't had the heart to present it to Soobin, and he doesn't think he ever will. Not with the way things are going as of lately.

The other brought up a valid point, however. No one had a clue as to why The Blood Dragons are suddenly gunning for all of the heirs right now, and that brings Christopher back to a previous question that drifted through his mind earlier. "'What happened?'" It was an unconscious thought that was spoken aloud. As the heir realizes he had accidentally spoken, he clears his throat and corrects himself before continuing further, "The other heirs seem to be only asking that question back there in the meeting. 'What happened that brought them here?' My counter question is what /changed/? No mafia group decides to leave their homeland to strike another's just out of whim, and I suppose that could bring even more confusion. And stress." A quiet sigh leaves his plump lips as his gaze returns to the tinted window. "These headaches won't be going away anytime soon, I see... But, ah, perhaps I was giving you a pep talk. I apologize if I was out of line just now."

A part of him wondered where this was heading. Everything, not just this conversation in the car - or whatever this moment was. Would The Blood Dragons strike again? Or would the heirs have the upper hand? Who else will join the ones who lost their lives? And just what will become of all this bloodshed? Another war, perhaps? Those questions have answers that are to far out of reach at the moment, though. It's unclear, uncertain. Right now, Christopher knows that it'd be wise to tread carefully no matter where he went or who he spoke to. Trust, it seemed, was very sacred and spread thin in times like these. Soobin was right earlier, about how he had spoken about not knowing where to place trust or remove trust and part of Christopher distantly wonders how far that will go. He can only do what he can for right now, which isn't much, however it beats sitting around twiddling his thumbs all day. Working together and taking the step to put even the smallest bit of trust in the other, or at least make the first steps to do so, Christopher is fully aware that he is treading on unknown land, wading in unknown waters, and that itself is a dangerous and bold thing to do.

There was a momentary silence as he listened to the other speak. It was interesting, to say at the very least, that they both had a connection to arcades. "My mother used to bring me to the arcade back in Sydney every weekend. 10am, on the dot. 'Be there or be square', as she would say." It was her favorite joke. It was annoying to hear back then, repeatedly over the years, but now? Christopher would give everything to hear his mother's voice again. A distant, almost forlorn look crossed over his mismatched eyes, and he wasn't even sure if Soobin noticed or cared at this point but coming back to an arcade after avoiding them for years was almost monumental to him. He could see the signs alerting fellow drivers that the arcade was coming up, to just take a certain turn after a certain amount of miles. "I haven't been to one since the accident, though..."

Perhaps they were both oversharing.

How strange... A situation like this bringing two unlikely people together, giving them a chance to actually be civil and also discover that they may have more in common than they realize.

@? Christopherᵸ Soobin had opened the door for the other to ask him anything he wanted but it still left him questioning if he even should have done that. At the end of the day, Soobin knew that his fellow heir was incredibly capable to take on being the head of a family. He didn't doubt that. He didn't feel that he had a reason to doubt the other's abilities either. He was just very uneasy about the whole situation. Agreeing to work with Christopher, who clearly had it out for one of his men, and then to feel betrayed by a collective that he figured he could once upon a time refer to as his second family. It wasn't that he couldn't handle either situation; it was the fact that it was all at once. There was more pressure and stress on him, especially with the lives of not just his own family, but the others' as well placed in his lap. One wrong move could spell disaster for any individual amongst them. He may not have shown it but that was more of where his concern lay: Letting everyone else down and causing any of them, including himself, to lose yet another person to this madness.

He let the other talk and then let the air clear for quite some time before deciding to answer him. "I'm not angry, though I should be. Humans are humans and I have no need for getting angry over something over which I have no control," he clarified, looking ahead. His tone was leaning toward formal rather than just polite. "I'll admit that I am confused, as I'm sure all of us are. As far as we're aware, no one knows what actually caused all of this to unfold in the first place. Regardless of who's committing these acts against us, knowing the motive changes everything," he added, "I understand that this... a form of a pep talk, yes? But I can assure you that I'm not in need of one. I'm only focused on getting answers right now. Anything else would get in the way of us piecing this together and reaching a solution."

Maybe Soobin would be upset afterward. Maybe the emotions would come in if he allowed himself to take things personally. He was upset for a brief moment back in the meeting room but his mother's voice rang in the back of his head that it was important to look at things from every angle and perspective possible. Too many innocent people have gotten hurt or lost their lives simply because of misunderstandings. He hadn't seen it firsthand but he knew that, when his mother said it, she had. The look of sadness that would hide in her eyes made his chest tighten, and in a way that would undoubtedly break him should she have shed a tear over whatever it was she thought of in those instances.

"If I seemed angry," Soobin pointed out, finally glancing in the other's direction again, "It's passed. I'm not the type to stay angry or ruminate over things for long. I've learned that it's a waste of time, whether matters have been solved already or not. This will just be a journey of me learning who to put any trust in and where to remove said trust. It would get in the way of too many things if I allowed people to rattle me up to the point of hindering me from taking necessary actions and responses."

It was odd to speak with Christopher other than simple glares from across the room. He was accepting and appreciative of the fact that his fellow heir was attempting to help him and give him advice but this was just an instance of something being out of his control. He would only be allowed to take the steps he was given the space to do. He was treading in water inside of a cave. He couldn't tell how shallow the waters were, who had put him there, or how far he had to go to get out of it. At the moment, Soobin was only able to keep an eye out for any source of light in the cave and let it expose some of his path for him, little by little until he could see everything.

"I spent a lot of summers in arcades with them when we were younger. I practically grew up with them," he responded, "Though, that was time spent in Japan mostly. Whenever they've come here though, we always go to arcades. No matter the country, they just feel like our safe space." Soobin figured he was probably oversharing but it was a way to pass the time, not that he had any problem with them riding in silence.

@⚡ Soobinᵸ In situations like these, Christopher would often recall the conversations he and the Head always shared. One of her biggest lessons was to main an open-minded mentality. To offer reasoning when there would be no room of it, to be more understanding of people, to try to try to see the good in them instead of the bad and the ugly. And Christopher kept that lesson to heart. He accepted everyone, no matter what kind of shape they were in. Even being in this style of life, he kept it maintained. It's not to say that he was a trusting man, hell no. But people tended to gravitate towards him because of his way with people, the genuineness in his tone and in his voice when he'd be speak to them as though they were a /real/ person. But there was just... /something/ about that man that rubbed him the wrong way. Even Christopher himself didn't understand it; it was more of a gut feeling than anything concrete. Everytime that man looked at him, all of the hairs on the back of neck would stand on end. And every siren in his head would begin going off. There was /something/ about him that made Christopher want to keep him at arms length, observe silently from afar and do what he does best; ready people. His trained eye knows body language all too well. And he knows every little key detail about what could make someone tick.

And that man seemed as tightly bound as a rubber band just /waiting/ to snap.

However, Christopher is this smart for a reason. He knows the stakes right now. He knows what is more important. It's been many years since he's known the other male and there was never an incident. Just an intense churn in his gut everytime they were so much as in the same room together. Besides, Christopher was starting to doubt his own integrity; was all of this truly in his head? If something were to happen, surely it would've by now. Perhaps that's what bothers him. He's never been wrong before, so maybe now was the time.

"Thank you," a quiet, polite way of acknowledging Soobin holding the door open, Christopher climbs into the car after only hovering for a split second. He slides some further in, mismatched eyes glancing up towards the driver. He dips his head in greeting towards him but doesn't say anything verbally. For some reason, even the word 'hello' would've been odd for him to say given the circumstances of everything that's happened thus far. Once they were both situated in their seats and the vehicle was pulling forward, Christopher leans back into the seat and regards the interior of the car with a very detailed once over. A habit, if you will. To memorize his surroundings in just one glance in case things were to turn south (never hurt to be cautious, after all).

Giving it a little more thought, Christopher decided to let go of his own ego for a few short moments to really look at it from Soobin's point of view and to also remember how he had reacted earlier. It was easy to put two and two together, to be honest. In Christopher's keen perception, it was easy to finish the puzzle. "This is a heightened situation for all of us," he began, voice turning softer, gentler; not wishing to offend the other when he's only trying to show /genuine/ kindness towards him for the first time. "And loss weighs an all of our shoulders. It's not something anyone wishes to bear, and also getting hit with the news that someone you're familiar with is now your enemy can make it all feel heavier. Look, all I'm saying," a brief pause and he turns his head to look over at the other heir, "is that you /can/ talk to me about everything you know about them... but once you've calmed down some more. They were people you trusted, yes? So I'm sure this is not easy for you. I can tell you're all sorts of confused and angry, as you have every right to be. All I'm saying is that meet with who you need to meet. Do what you need to do here, and do whatever you need to do to get that anger out of your system so you can come back to me with a clear head. I do feel for you, Soobin, and I'm sorry for the betrayal you're facing. But I need you and that head of yours to not go running into this seeing red. I need you in this, but I need you to be okay first, alright?"

It was also times like this that reminded Christopher that they barely spoke more than 15 words to each other. This probably the first time Soobin has ever heard him talk this much, and this is also pretty much the first time Christopher has ever /said/ this much. He knew it was obvious, even with the charming, thick Australian accent that clung to his voice. The damage to his vocal cords has caused a permanent speech impairment, and that caused him to stutter. So even as Christopher was saying all of this, every five or so words would have a small stutter behind them. And frankly, the damage was still that bad that sometimes it even hurt to talk too much... Especially in the colder seasons... Just like now.

Spring couldn't arrive any sooner.

Christopher diverts his gaze to instead look out of the window as a hand lifts up to unconsciously touch the diagonal, narrow scar on the side of his throat that sat a little too close for comfort near his jugular to try to massage the sting of pain away. He clears his throat, masking the wince and exhales deeply. "I've always been quite fond of arcades," he mutters distantly. "But I haven't been to one since I was a child." A far off memory of his mother taking them there every weekend to play Pac-Man with her and eat too many Slushies drifted to mind, and Christopher swallowed the melancholy.

@? Christopherᵸ [<3]

Soobin wasn't the type to intentionally be offensive, or defensive really, but it just seemed that it was usually different with Christopher. As the other's response registered in his head, it made him realize what he'd said to earn that reply. It wasn't as though he didn't take to the other without just reason. After all, constantly being told that someone you trust is a traitor, let alone someone that you consider family, would put anyone on edge. He'd heard it enough and it was clear that either Christopher had gotten the message or that he'd just gotten tired of saying it for the time being. In the brief instance that had crossed his mind, Soobin was sure that was an underlying reason, or at least one of them, for him making the comment he did. He didn't doubt that his fellow heir had a good head on his shoulders; Soobin didn't think Christopher was stupid after all. He just didn't want to be bothered with the other finding another member in his family, chosen or received, and make them a target. It was the last thing he needed on his plate right now, among other things of course.

The Lee family heir didn't bother giving much of a response aside from a head nod in agreement and acknowledgement. He opened the door for Christopher to get in first before getting in after him.

"Where to, sir," Minho called from the driver's seat, looking back in the rearview mirror. He only kept his eyes on Soobin, sparing a glance to his guest only to register who he was.

"Neon Byte, please," Soobin called in returned with a gentle bow of his head.

"Do you want your change of clothes then," Minho questioned, pulling away and heading to their destination.

"No, it's fine. I'm not going for fun this time," Soobin flashed him a slight smile, Minho returning back one of his own before focusing on the road again.

Soobin was thankful for the other's energy and presence. They understood each other quite well since both of them tended to be on the quieter side. Well, most days. He was much older than Soobin but still gave him respect. When Minho was excited about something, Soobin was always more than happy to just quietly listen to him talk. As he had a guest with him today, the ride was quieter than usual. It made him a tad more uneasy though he just swallowed the feeling, knowing that it would pass soon enough.

"It'll take us a bit of time to get there from where we are," he spoke up, addressing Christopher now without looking at him, "I'm sure you have questions. Go ahead and ask them. I have no reason to hide anything so ask what you want."