Moy Mell 3: New Recruit

"Moy Mell, 3: New Recruit"

orig. 11/14/2017

Zoro, Elly, Shota Aizawa, James Morgan  - G

Original Concept, mixed fandoms

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The man sitting in front of her in the kitchen had contacted them a week or so ago. Standard procedure meant that it took at least that long for security to do a background check, since they were extremely thorough, and then he'd get an interview. Elly was at the end of that process right now, having accepted him as a member of the compound. She pursed her lips as she scrolled through several forms on her phone's screen. The newcomer sat there patiently, projecting an air of alertness although his eyes were bleary. He looked like he needed a week's rest at the very least.

"Ha, here it is. Last question." She tapped quickly, asking questions in a soft voice. "Special talents or abilities?"

"I can erase anyone's supernatural abilities by staring at them. The wrapping is for those I can't reach." He plucked at the long cloth strips hanging around his neck.

"Whew." She perked her ears forward. "Could you stop me, I wonder?"

"I'm not sure this works on actual demons," he drawled, but he opened his eyes wide, his pupils flashing red. Elly immediately lifted the cup on the table in front of them without touching it and shook her head.

"I guess not. But it'd be handy for others. And your wrapping..." She frowned, trailing off. "No matter! That's awesome. You'll do well here."

"Good." He suddenly smiled, the expression lighting up his weary face and making him look years younger.

Elly blinked, then cleared her throat to cover her momentary confusion. "There's tons of open rooms at the dorm - it's an apartment complex to the west of the mansion here. That's where all the guys live, if that's okay with you?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm sending you a map and your entrance codes from our app - one's for your room door, the other for the dorm itself. After a month's time you get the code for the mansion, too. The second floor here has a game room with movie theater and all kinds of stuff, and gym. Lots of the guys like to use them."

"Huh." He nodded.

"With your power and fighting ability, Zoro might want you for security... but everything is up to you, honestly." She tapped into her phone. "There, sent it to you." A soft chime rang someplace deep in the man's clothing. He reached down where she couldn't see and pulled his phone out. "Anyway, everyone takes turns and does what they like. It's managed to work out smoothly so far. Everyone's been informed of your arrival, so the guys at the dorm will probably fill you in on whatever else you need."

"All right," he grunted, heaving himself to his feet. "And tomorrow?"

"Everything's explained in the messages on your phone. You can have up to a week to adjust, if you need it, then you have to figure out how you're going to contribute. It's really relaxed... if you couldn't figure that out from the interview here in the kitchen. Heh." She laughed softly. "Some of the guys here even have such specialized abilities they just hang out most of the time." The door to the hall on the left opened at that moment, and Zoro entered the room as she spoke. His eye narrowed as he sized up the new guy.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up," Aizawa said drily.

"You knew he was there?" Elly asked, surprised. Not many people realized she was guarded that closely when they first arrived.

"Yes." He tilted his head up to stare at the big man. "You're very protective of her, aren't you?"

"I'm her bodyguard." Zoro grunted and sat down next to Elly, who grinned at him. "It's my job."

"Ah. You're the one I have to talk to, then."

"Maybe." He eyed the lean man suspiciously. "Can you fight?"

"Want to see?"

Zoro grinned for the first time that day. He waved a hand dismissively, shaking his head. "Go get settled today. We'll talk later." Aizawa smirked back and shuffled out the door to the entrance.

"Promising," Elly murmured when he was out of earshot. Zoro grunted, keeping him in sight until he saw him head out the door. "I'm a little nervous about his wrappings, though," she admitted. He raised an eyebrow at her and she continued, "they're easily written on, which makes them a classic candidate for, well, you know. Those things."

"Yeah." He rubbed at the side of his face in thought. "We'll keep an eye on him. It might prove useful in time, though."

"Really? Thinking of taking me down, are you?"

"Hell, no!" He looked shocked and she giggled at his expression. "Ah, you still going to the library?"

"Changing the subject," she snickered. "Well, yeah. I think I'd like to take some books out for tonight. It's always nice to just, you know, hold one in your hands. I like tablets and phones and all, but it's different."

He shrugged. "Whenever you want."

"I can go now, actually." She pushed the chair back and stretched, tail twitching. "I want to have them in my hand before dinner, and that place is huge."

"No kidding," he snorted. They walked out through the entrance hall and Zoro stopped when they got to the large doors. Briefly touching the panel that was to the right of every door in the mansion, he pulled up the menu for the driver and spoke briefly with him.

"Who's driving today?"

"I don't know... uh. That blue-haired moron."

"Ugh," she sighed in exasperation. "That could be like, four guys."

"No. Look." He walked behind her as she strolled out to the monorail stop. An elongated car zipped up with a whooshing sound, stopping smartly on point. The driver side door opened and an energetic young man leaped out to dart around the car and open the door facing them.

"James?"

"Hi, Elly," he said shyly in that cultured voice of his. He was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans but had on the black jacket they required all the drivers to wear for appearances. He happily handed her his signature rose as she approached.

Elly folded her ears back to glare at her bodyguard. "You meant Morgan?" Zoro looked the other way. She swore he was smiling. "Be nice," she scolded him. Then, to James, "We're gonna head to the library, okay?"

"Great!" He flipped that dangling forelock of his out of the way and waited until they both got in to close the door and scramble around again. A few taps of the computerized screen and the vehicle sped along the rails again, zooming towards the front of the park. Minutes later when they arrived, Zoro got out first amid the crowd of people that had gathered curiously near the larger than normal transport. A glance from him was enough to tell them to stay back as he waited by her door and escorted her into the tall building. Elly waited patiently in line like everyone else until they were able to enter. She signed a few things while waiting, but mostly people were happy to whip out their phones and take pictures of the nekomata with her ever-present guard.

"Ah, hello," she smiled once inside at the librarian, seated behind his tall desk.

"What books did you want to take out?" He asked in a quiet voice, as always getting right to the point.

Elly pursed her lips and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "Deep sea creatures," she told the man.

He nodded. "Downstairs thrice, to the left, in the blue-doored room. Next to deep sea diving, hydrothermal vents - careful, it's a warm section -- and, ah, deep sea fishing."

"Thank you."

"Elevator or stairs?" Zoro looked hopefully at the stairway. It was less cluttered as most people were in line for the elevator. Elly nodded and they stepped into the stairwell. Three flights didn't take too long but as they progressed it grew darker and darker - lit only by small glowing panels on the steps and leading to all the rooms. They followed the blue lights to the same-colored door and entered a papery, deep-sea wonderland. Glowing books hung from the ceiling, their pages dangling and looking for all the world like jellyfish overhead. Aquariums lined the walls and shelving, books floating inside as well as stacked neatly in tight little rows. Zoro walked closer to her as she began to peruse the fishy tomes, senses alert in case anyone else was around. The library was so vast, however, that even though there were many people visiting they happened to be alone for the moment.

"This one... and this. Oh, and this!" She stuck her hand in a tank filled with water and pulled one out that had a huge anglerfish on the cover. Strangely, it wasn't even wet.

"You done yet? This place creeps me out."

"You? Be serious."

"I am. That guy lives here."

"So what?" They carefully closed the door behind them and began the walk back upstairs. "You live with me. It's his job, and this place is huge."

"Eh."

"I think it's the improbability of all this that gets you. Books in a fish tank? But you know stuff doesn't work the same way in the park and the compound like outside." He just grunted again, then pulled her aside as a child ran past near the top of the stairs. Elly waved at him and the little one froze, eyes wide. She heard him calling out to his parents that he saw her as they pushed the doors open to record her book loans.

It wasn't until they were heading back to the mansion again that he spoke. "I like fish."

"You do?" She wrinkled her nose. "Wait, we're not talking about food-wise, are we?"

He snorted. "Stupid cat."

"Really."

"I meant, some are interesting."

"Really?"

"'Really'," he imitated her and she laughed out loud. "Your room has all those tanks."

"It's actually less than what you think, remember. The one is giant, and there's the separate freshwater one in my room." She tapped her hand on her leg and changed the subject with a burst of energy. "You know, I like Aizawa. I think he's gonna do okay here."

"Yeah." Zoro looked as if he were going to say something else, but instead slumped against the door, staring moodily out the window. He was quiet for the rest of the day, too, but he sometimes got like that so she gave him some space and let him do as he pleased.