Gale-Dragon: Do NOT ask how I got this idea.

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Usagi and the Ink Machine. Chapter 1a; Moving Pictures, Welcome to Joey Drew Studio.

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"I can't believe you two are taking this weekend off to go to an old, abandon cartoon studio with the Steins," said a 22-year-old man of average height with short black curly hair, dark eyes, nimble looking fingers, and was dressed in semi-casual/semi-formal clothing as he glanced at his two co-workers.

"Sumihiko, it's not going to be the whole weekend, just a day," said a young petit woman, probably around 24-years-old, with short messy orange hair, bright green eyes, wore a men's tiger printed top that was paired with a pair of men's black pants, a bit on the flat-chested side, wore a black sleeveless jacket over her shirt, and orange men's ankle boots. She then added, "Heck, we're not even going to be in the studio for a full 24-hour. Maybe 2-3 hours, 4 hours max depending on how big this "Surprise" Mr. Drew has for the Steins."

The man with curly hair, Sumihiko, raised a somewhat bushy brow when he asked, "Remind me again who this Mr. Drew is? And why the heck does Michio and Tsugiyoshi want to comply with the demands of this guy they've never met?"

Another man filed papers away when he explained, "Mr. Joey Drew of Joey Drew Studios was once a good friend of the Steins' late father Mr. Stein was once the head artist at the studio back in the 1930s. But the two had a rather bad falling out about a year or two after the studio was created. The letter the Steins received last week was the first time Mr. Drew has ever tried to reach out to Mr. Stein." This man, who also seemed to appeared to be 24-years-old, had long black hair that reached his waist, which was neatly tied back in a low pony-tail save for a few strands of his bangs that hung in front of his face, dark gray eyes, wore a deep purple shirt with yellow decorative patterns on the helms paired with matching pants, black vest, and black ankle boots.

Sumihiko scratched his head when he said, "Umm, I know you two don't need me to tell you this, but Henry Stien passed away last year."

The orangette gave a sad sigh when she said, "Yeah, we know... We attended his funeral... With Michi and Tsugi..."

The long-haired man placed a comforting hand on her shoulder when he said, "Mr. Drew lost contact with Mr. Stein when they parted ways, so I do not believe that he is aware that his old friend has passed."

Sumihiko folded his arms when he said in a suspicious tone, "But why would he contact Mr. Stein at all? Especially when he hasn't bothered to do so after 30 years?"

The orange-haired woman rubbed the back of her neck when she said, "To be honest, we don't know. Michi tried calling Mr. Drew, after asking the phone operator for his number of course. You know, to tell him that his dad passed away. But Mr. Drew wouldn't hear'm out, kept telling Michi to tell his father to come to the old studio because he had something to show'm, something important."

"So Michio figured it would be better to tell Mr. Drew the sad news in person after Mr. Drew gets this "surprise" thing out of his system," the long-haired man said calmly.

Sumihiko furrowed his brows when he said bluntly, "Eiji, Kanae, something stinks about that whole thing..."

Kanae folded her arms when she said, "We know, and we don't trust this Joey guy. Which is why we're going with Michi and Tsugi to Joey Drew Studios with them."

The long-haired man, Eiji, then added, "And to add even more to the safety in numbers, Misaki Yuuki will also be with us."

Sumihiko blinked in confusion when he asked, "Why's Tsugiyoshi's girlfriend going with you guys?"

Kanae was too happy to say, "Oh, they had to do a summer project on cartoon animation together. They'd figure some pictures from an actual cartoon studio would be good extra credit to add to it. They even bought a 10-pack of film rolls and rented a camera to use. I also heard from their teacher that the class is pretty excited about their project, so I'd doubt they'll want to disappoint."

Sumihiko rubbed his chin to think, before saying, "Well, I guess if our favorite karate protege and two of the local police's top young officers go with the Steins, I guess this Joey Drew would think twice about harming them."

Eiji checked his watch when he said, "Even though Mr. Stein never outright said anything negative about Mr. Drew, he has not exactly said anything positive about him either. Couple that with the fact that Mr. Drew did not allow Michio to add any input into their brief conversation. I can safely say that Michio did not want to go to Joey Drew Studio with just his younger brother and Misaki, so he asked us to accompany them."

"Can't say I blame the guy," Sumiko stated as he re-folded his arms. The curly-haired man then added, "While Tsugiyoshi's a very smart boy, he's not much of a physical fighter. Misaki, on the other hand, is a protege when it comes to any type of hand-to-hand combat, but she's an absolute sweetheart who tries to see the best in everyone."

Kanae scratched her messy orange hair when she said, "Yeah, Michi loves them and if it weren't for the fact that they had that project, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have let them tag along." Sumihiko knew for a fact that that was the truth.

An uninformed officer walked into the office and said in a chipper tone, "Yo Kanae, you're husband is here to pick up you and your brother."

Kanae turned pink when she snapped back in a huff, "He's not my husband!"

Sumihiko smirked when he said, "Not yet anyway, Tiger Tom-Boy."

That made Kanae growl out, "I told ya to stop calling me that! Gah! It's 1963 for Pete's sake! You'd think after I made the force two years ago, that would've made people a little more open-minded!"

The uniformed officer glanced to the side when he said, "I get that, and you completely deserve your placement due to your high score. But... Yeah, the higher-ups admitted that the only reason why they accepted you into the force was because Eiji refused to join if they didn't judge your score as they would the other cadets..."

"Arg, don't remind us of that, Eiji still hasn't forgiven them for that incident," Kanae said sourly. She remembered how she smoked the other cadets during the Force Application Test. Heck, the only cadet who did better than her was her older twin brother, Eiji, and there was no way he wanted to enter the force without his sister.

To avoid any more drama or to delay their schedule, Eiji quickly guided his sister towards the door when he said, "Moving on, we should not keep our company waiting. *Looks at Sumihiko* We shall call if we need help, just in case something does happen at the studio. But if not, we will see you all Monday." With that, the two gave their good-byes before leaving.

"Hard to believe those two are twins," the uniformed officer told Sumihiko, who in turn replied with a small smile, "Depends on what's happening around them." But despite the smile on his face, the curly-haired man couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen.

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Eiji and Kanae walked out of the precinct right towards a light blue, four-door car that could seat 5 comfortably. In the driver's seat of the blue car was a man with rather messy black hair, bright cyan eyes, wore a forest green shirt, khaki cargo pants, wore a pair of black work boots, and appeared to be the same age as the twins. In the back seat were two teenagers, both around 16 years of age. One of the teenagers was a girl with short ginger brown hair that was brushed back with a few strands of bangs sticking up and curving over her head, had brown eyes that sat behind a pair of thin gray glasses, wore a pink shirt with a matching floral printed knee-length skirt, and simple black shoes. The other teenager was a boy with short neat gray hair, tired-looking gray eyes, wearing a light blue shirt, matching pants, and white sneakers. There were two backpacks by the teens' feet and a camera case in the boy's lap.

Kanae got into the passenger seat while Eiji slid into the remaining open seat in the back. Everyone buckled up before the driver gently applied pressure to the gas pedal and drove off towards their destination.

The teenage girl held up a paper map, looking for the street name, before she said, "Okay, Michio, we need to take a right on 57th Street, then we keep going straight until we see the old building, and just turn left into the parking lot."

"Alright, Misaki," the driver, Michio, said, glancing at the teen girl in the rearview mirror.

The teenage boy pulled a folded piece of paper that was yellow with age out of his backpack. He unfolded it carefully since the paper felt like it could rip apart easily.

Eiji raised a brow at this when he asked, "Tsugiyoshi, is that the letter from Mr. Drew?"

The teenage boy, Tsugiyoshi, nodded as he handed the paper over to the long-haired man. Eiji carefully took the paper and read the block lettering written on it.

"Dear Henry,

It seems like a lifetime since we worked on cartoons together.

30 years really slips away, doesn't it?

If you're back in town, come visit the old workshop.

There's something I need to show you.

Your Best Pal, Joey Drew."

The words "Joey Drew" looked like a proper signature rather than the blocky style of the other words. Those were probably the result of a typewriter.

"Best Pal? Is it really appropriate for him to be saying that after all this time?" Eiji questioned out loud to no one in particular. It wasn't just those words that bothered the long-haired man, the wording of the entire letter seemed... Very odd. It seemed far too friendly for someone who hasn't bothered to reach out to their 'old friend' in 30 years. It was just so strange...

Tsugiyoshi folded his arms when he said, "He never contacted dad before, so the overly friendly words are not appropriate."

Misaki looked at her boyfriend when she said, "He might just be trying to make amends after he and your father separated on bad terms."

Tsugiyoshi rolled his eyes at that but didn't say anything. The grayhaired teen loved his girlfriend too much to just say that she was pretty much reaching for an innocent reason.

"Not to change this subject, but how's Linda doing?" Kanae asked, glancing at Michio.

"Mom's doing better. She got a job as a secretary last month, but she still misses dad though," Michio stated as he checked the road signs when he stopped at the red light.

Tsugiyoshi then added, "Yeah, but I think us moving in with you has helped mom. And I don't just mean your resemblance to dad."

Michio glanced at the rearview mirror to look at his younger brother when he said, "Well, being with family and loved ones help with healing the grief. Also, I'd like to point out that you have dad's eyes, little brother." The last sentence was more out of humor than anything else.

Misaki smiled at this, but she couldn't help but ask, "So she still doesn't know about the three of you being..."

"Cht," Kanae tisked before adding sourly, "You really think either of our parents or anyone outside this car, would approve of that kind of relationship?"

Eiji was oddly silent at this, but then he said softly, "As much as Kanae and I love our parents, they will never really approved of us being romantically involved with the same person..."

Michio glanced at the teenage girl via the rearview mirror when he said, "Misaki, they do have a point. If people can only bearly accept a woman being in law enforcement, then there's no way they'll ever accept a consensual romantic three-way relationship. Especially when two of those in said relationship are siblings, much less twins." The driver easily saw the crestfallen look on the teenage girl's face in the rearview mirror, and saying in a soothing tone, "I'm sorry, Miki, but... A lot of people aren't as open-minded as you and Mouse."

Tsugiyoshi rolled his eyes when he groaned out, "Enough with that annoying nickname. It was fine when I was little, but it's so not ok to call a teenager that."

Eiji let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snicker before he said, "To be fair, you are always going to be Michio's little brother who still nibbles on his food like a mouse."

Tsugiyoshi let out another groan of annoyance before Kanae said, as the contorted herself in the passenger's seat to look at the ones in the back seats, "Oh, come now, least Michi doesn't call you that outside the circle of family and friends."

Michio gave Tsugiyoshi a smile from the rearview mirror. The older Stein sibling knew the younger changed the subject on purpose to something more fun and lighthearted, even if it did embarrass him a bit. "Ah, there's 57th Street," Michio said as he pulled into the right line to turn.

This was when Misaki pulled out a film cartridge from her bag as Tsugiyoshi opened the camera case to reveal a Kodak Automatic Retina with a 35mm lens. The grayhaired teen carefully took the camera out of the case as he turned it over and opened the back so he could install the film cartridge.

"Wow, how'd you manage to get one of those to rent?" Kanae asked when she saw the camera.

Tsugiyoshi shrugged as he installed the film when he said, "Found a good electronic store that has good cameras to rent at a decent price, but you have to buy the film. It's a little out of the way, but it's worth it."

Eiji couldn't help but comment, "I'm not surprised Mouse found a place like that. When he actually tries at something, he does succeed."

"Not you too," Tsugiyoshi groaned out and rolling his eyes as he finished loading the film and closing the camera. The gray-haired teen caught an amused smile on the long-haired man's lips.

"Ah, there it is," Michio said as an old office building came into view as they drove up.

Kanae whistled before she said, "Not bad for a 30-year-old building. I mean, it looks 30-years-old, but it's still standing in one piece."

Eiji looked at the building as Michio pulled the car into the studio parking lot and said, "The thing I am currently worried about is if it is still structurally sound."

"Pretty sure it would've been condemned if it weren't," Tsugiyoshi stated as the car parked in one of the many empty spaces.

Once Michio turned the car engine off, everyone unbuckled and got out of the car. "Huh, that's weird. Did we arrive too early? We're the only ones here," the older Stein asked as he looked around the parking lot. The teens grabbed their backpacks out from the car and slipped them on as the gray-haired one used the neckband attached to the camera to let the device dangle against his chest.

Eiji checked his watch before saying, "Not really, we are only ten minutes early."

Michio bit his lip as he looked at the building. He then said, "Well... Mr. Drew did say that he wanted to meet dad inside the old studio... I guess that means we go in..."

"Hey, we get it, the guy's shady and you don't trust him," Kanae said, patting Michio on the back.

Michio glance at his companions when he said, "Well, that too, but I just keep wondering why Mr. Drew was so insistent that dad go to the studio. It just bothered me how he never asked how dad was doing or what he's been up to after all this time... He just wanted dad to come to the old studio..." The look on the older Stein sibling's face showed the conflict he was feeling.

Everyone then glanced up at the semi-dilapidated building that loomed overhead. Was it a good idea to go in?

Misaki broke the silence when she said, "Still... I do think that Mr. Drew should at least know that Henry passed away. And maybe the "Surprise" that Mr. Drew had for Henry will be just as nice for the two of you." She looked at Michio and Tsugiyoshi at the last sentence she said.

Tsugiyoshi glanced down at the camera around his neck and said, "And Misaki and I did promise our class we'd take pictures of an actual animation studio for our project... I guess if we credit Mr. Drew for the use of his studio, he should be fine with us taking pictures."

Michio looked at the teens before glancing at the two officers with a worried look on his face. "The both of us did get our concealment licenses last month," Kanae said with a comforting smile as she tapped the left side of her chest, indicating that that was where her hidden gun was located under the jacket.

That was when Eiji said, "Which neither of us will need to use during our stay here." Unlike his sister, he did not indicate that he was carrying but the words he used implied that he did have a gun on him.

Michio sighed before he said, "Well, can't say I disagree with Eij on that... I guess the statement "Prepare for the worst but hope for the best" applies to our situation, huh."

This statement did earn a few smiles before they started walking towards the old building. As the group of five got closer, they were able to see the peeling paint on the building's walls and the sign above. Tsugiyoshi quickly snapped a picture of the Joey Drew Studios sigh over the front entrance.

"Looks like this place needs a new coat of paint," Kanae commented as she glanced around the immediate exterior of the building before her eyes landed on the door and added, "Well, no notice from the town that says anything about this place being condemned or in need of maintenance... But that is kinda strange..."

"Strange how?" Misaki asked curiously as she adjusted the strap on her backpack.

Tsugiyoshi glanced at the other (old) nearby building and noticed that they looked like they've been re-painted recently. So the gray-haired teen asked, "Does giving a building a fresh coat of paint count as maintenance?"

Eiji then explained, "Two weeks ago, the town officials sent out notices to buildings that were over 20-years to re-paint their exterior so that they look nice and to paint over any lead-based paint that was used prior on the buildings. It seems like Mr. Drew ignored the notice, therefore, we will have to write him up for non-compliance."

Michio and Kanae snickered at the long-haired man's statement as the blue-eyed man said, "Well, now we do have a ligament reason to see Mr. Drew now." Tsugiyoshi rolled his eyes while Misaki giggled.

With that, Kanae opened the front door. It creaked loudly as it swung. The five walked in before the door closed behind them.

Michio then said out loud to no one in particular, "Alright Mr. Drew, we're here, let's see if we can find what you wanted to show dad."

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To be Continued...

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