One thing that Akane learned over the years is that every object, or personal effect has a story. Something as little as a thimble could have a lifetime of history to share about the life it led in its owner's care. Perhaps that's why, despite the traumatic events of the day, she was looking forward to this tour that John was taking her on. She really only caught glimpses as she was ushered in and taken upstairs earlier. Getting the opportunity to study each room closer just might be a way to get to know who these strangers were that took her in.

The kind looking blonde blue eyed stranger smiled at her as he ushered her into the elevator. Maybe, the touch of his hand against her back should have triggered some kind of defensive reaction. She almost expected it. Instead all she felt from his touch was the inviting transfer of warmth from his palm to her spine. She looked back up at him and attempted a half smile as a way to somehow thank him for the kindness he had already shown her.

"I figured the way to start this tour would be beginning with the ground floor and moving on up from there."

Because of his name and the underling tone of a foreign accent she wondered where he was originally from. "Have you lived in Japan long?"

A lingering sadness touched his eyes and had Akane momentarily wondered what she had said wrong. "I'm sorry I didn't meant to pry."

"No, no don't worry about it. I just thought that I had finally gotten rid of my accent." He ran a hand through the back of his hair.

Akane smiled as the color of his cheeks bloomed into a soft shade of pink. "I wouldn't be embarrassed about that. I mean everyone has an accent. Besides, I only partially caught the difference in your tone. I inferred from that and your name that you weren't originally from Japan."

John's cheeks darkened to an even stronger hue. "I guess I didn't consider that. I've been in Japan about six years now, give or take."

"And home is where exactly?" Akane crossed her arms behind her and smiled encouragingly his direction.

"Home is where the heart is." John smirked at her. He earned a half smirk for his response which had him chuckling before continuing his explanation. "It was originally Australia though."

They arrived at the entrance to the building where the older redhead was looking scattered while she tried to tidy up. The roll away chair was pushed away from the desk as she attempted to put away the mass amount of papers that had somehow accumulated throughout the day. John was a touch surprised to find that the shrine maiden was still manning the desk.

"Akane, this is Matsuzaki Ayako. She acts as a doctor for the children of the orphanage, and she is also a shrine maiden that helps the company out on a lot of cases."

Ayako pushed her bangs away from her face and released a breath of pent up frustration. "I also apparently act as a receptionist now and then." Some of the papers began cascading off the desk to the floor. "Oh! For crying out loud!" After she bent and gathered them together again she slammed them back on the desk, which would have had a bigger impact if the objects in question weren't so lightweight.

John gave Ayako a second to compose herself before continuing. "Ayako, this is Kimura Akane."

Ayako took a deep breath to calm her semi-random bout of anger with something as trivial as paperwork. "Things were a bit chaotic when you arrived. I was planning on asking if I could do a checkup on you once Mai took over. I can't really wrap my head around your abilities, honestly. But Mai ended up gallivanting off with Naru somewhere." John was shocked stiff momentarily. Were the two on a date? Apparently Ayako was able to read him like an open book. "No, John, that hasn't happened yet. Naru had a manilla folder in hand, and they went up to her room. They are probably discussing the next case."

Because it had gotten so late the group didn't have a chance to discuss the new case at all. Everyone knew of it's existence of course. They were aware of the manilla folder that held all of the details that Dr. Davis currently had in his possession. But no one had the time to discuss it in lengthy detail. Hence why Dr. Davis was in Mai's apartment seated in the kitchen to discuss the new case.

Noll was growing insistently annoyed at the size of Mai's kitchen table. Why on earth did it have to be so microscopic?! Even seated across the table she remained close enough to be able to glance at the images from the file once he opened up the manilla folder. He didn't want her to snoop her nose into the file and even glance at the subject matter of the photographs. The problem was, how could he hinder her penchant for snooping when he was literally dangling them underneath her nose?

"So, Oli—" She took a deep breath as she realized her near mistake. "Naru, I thought we were going to go through the case file...?" She arched an eyebrow at how said file was clung to his chest like a teddy bear. That thought of course made Mai try to imagine the twins younger. Which led her to conjure up in her mind's eye the toddling Naru throw down the toy and walk away. It nearly had her giggling before she caught herself. She blinked away the water works that gathered in her eyes from suppressing the laugh then looked back into Naru's face.

"You disappeared for a second there. Were you sleeping with your eyes wide open?" Noll thought he had obviously turned the tables and got the upper hand. So he turned the same presumptuous expression and arched an eyebrow back at her.

"If I had been it didn't have anything to do with the case. I mean you are clasping that manilla folder like a lifeline. I would be careful you don't crease the documents."

The stoic narcissist was like an immovable statue. His lips didn't quirk at her witty remark. He didn't voice any reason for still clutching the folder. Normally he would want to get straight down to business and be able to start a case right away. But all he did was sit there.

"If you aren't going to proceed then just give me the folder." Mai thrust her hand at Naru's chest. Her fingertips grazed the sharp edges just before he pulled back and stood up. He back stepped a foot away from the table.

For a moment Naru looked flustered. He was pulling his right hand through the back of his hair as he decided what to do next. It wasn't an action Mai ever noticed him make. Was he showing a side of himself he kept locked away from everyone else? Perhaps that was a bit of wishful thinking on her part.

"Can you... Just give me a second to rearrange the folder. If you could...I don't know. Turn away or do something else until I'm ready." Noll had never been so flustered in all his life. He couldn't let her see the photos in this folder. He may wish and require her to have prophetic dreams but he didn't fancy sharing this bit of gruesomeness with her for some reason. His sentence structure was so broken and inarticulate that it was annoying the crap out of him.

"Naru, whatever is in that folder I need to see. I need to go into a case knowing everything I can. You need to treat me as a professional. I have been doing these cases for four years without you. SO STOP TREATING ME LIKE AN IDIOT!" Mai was thankful she was in her own apartment and not downstairs in the office or the meeting room. Shouting at him was something the teenage Mai would have done. As her face heated with humiliation she wished that she could have just kept her cool because this shouting was definitely the polar opposite of professional.

Noll put a finger to his mouth in his normal pensive stance. His attempt to hide the half smile that spread across his face successful. "That was quite the outburst, Mai." I missed this flustered side of you. "I suppose you are right. I can't really keep the details away from you. I just didn't want you to actually have to see the crime photos in this folder." He sat it down on the table and began to open it when she interrupted him.

"Crime scene photos? So it's a closed case where the cops were unable to find human cause?" She scudded her chair across the linoleum floor to prepare to get an even closer look.

Noll put his hand on top of the folder and cleared his throat. She had moved her chair so close their shoulders were nearly brushing each other. "Yes, the incidents were repeatedly happening in the same location. It's a set of abandoned factory warehouses. If it had been an alive being committing the crime they suspect they would have caught the culprit by now." His hand still remained on top of the folder. He had yet to open it, the info he narrated to her from memory was practically rehearsed.

"Naru, open it already!" She pushed his hand away and managed to snatch the folder from his grasp. She had caught him in a weak moment because while she was anxious to see what the information the folder held; he was in turmoil. The touch of her hand on his after not feeling the sensation for so long had sent an electric pulse through his system.

Once Mai had the folder open she flipped quickly through to the photos. Her skin paled and practically turned green. She dropped the folder, not caring at that moment where the papers landed, and rushed to the bathroom.

Noll sighed. He shook his head and began to root around in her kitchen.

Akane followed John back into the elevator up to the top floor. The trip was quick so they arrived back in his apartment in no time. He explained that all the others were probably having supper. "I'd hate to bother them while they are eating. Speaking of supper though I am sure you must be starving. Let's set that right." He whipped around the little kitchen trying to scrounge up something to eat.

Akane was lost in her own thoughts. After visiting the kids in the orphanage she was astonished. Who knew there were so many people out there who had power like that? Those children were lucky to be growing up in a facility that not only accepted it but could potentially help them cultivate and grow into their abilities. They would be sure to learn the morals of right or wrong in regards to their abilities through the staff's teaching. She hadn't been so lucky in that regard in her own life. Perhaps those things would change. Better yet, perhaps she would be able to help others with her own gifts.

I'd always thought of them as curses before, but now... I feel hopeful to even possibly be able to help this group of people. It's strange thinking about that in regards to strangers. She smiled to herself. Strangers in this case are only people I don't quite know yet. I can almost feel the sense of rightness in this moment. This is where I am meant to be.

John wasn't very successful with foraging through his kitchen storage. He wasn't the greatest cook and his meager selection left in his refrigerator and pantry reflected that. It didn't take him long to realize that Akane was caught up in her own thoughts. "I think you might just have gathered enough wool there to knit a sweater. What's got your mind so jumbled that you look so far away?"

Akane shook her head in an attempt to refocus on her surroundings. She looked past John's shoulder at the few items he pulled out from the pantry and refrigerator. "You don't cook much do you?"

John was a tad disappointed she ignored his question but decided not to let it get to him for the moment. She would talk to him when she was more comfortable and ready. Perhaps she just needed to get to know him better. "I do cook. I'm just not the greatest cook. I tend to just stick to boxed mac and cheese or prepackaged ramen." His cheeks felt warm as he realized how pathetic that sounded. He actually enjoyed food quite a bit. He just more often than not went out to eat or ate with the others in their apartment. "We could always go out somewhere to eat?"

"No, no. I think I need to repay you for your kindness today. Let's go to get some ingredients from the store though." She peeked in his pantry for a moment and arched an eyebrow. "Do you even have rice?"