[PRIVATE] Missing Variables

Despite the cacophony of questions racing in his mind, Hawke was relatively calm. He meticulously laced up his shoes while he sat at the foot of his bed, mulling each one over in his mind. The most common one was the most pressing: "Where is Wade?".

He'd told Toshiaki to wait for him in the courtyard while he grabbed a few things, and struggled up to his room. After fumbling with the key for a while, he'd finally managed to get into his dorm and dumped his makeshift lockpicking "tools" on the bed and changed his shoes to ones more suited to walking a long distance - while his converse were comfortable, they did not provide the support needed for a long journey on his leg. As such, he'd opted for a pair of black Doc Martens, a rare brand since the company had discontinued the line some seven years previous.

He picked up his phone from the bedside table, and made his way out of the door. His plan was simple, head into the city and check out a few prime locations that Wade would likely be in. As far as Hawke was concerned, though, he assumed that Wade was in some other art of the country. There was nothing wrong with trying, though.

As he emerged into the bright sunlight of the courtyard, he squinted while placing his sunglasses on his face and glancing around for Toshiaki.

"Oh, I see! Hmm..." Ichiko thinks it over for a moment. Helping find this missing kid is important, of course, but as she'd admitted earlier, she didn't even know him. Was it really her problem? She didn't really know Hawke or Chiharu either, though she'd spoken to Toshiaki a couple of times now. She also had FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on pause still... but then again, it wasn't like she hadn't seen it 16 times before...

Eventually, Ichiko made up her mind. "Mind if I help? Four heads are better than three, right?"

Toshiaki stood there for a moment, unsure how to respond.

I didn't really mean to imply asking you to help…
To be honest, I wasn't even sure if I was going to…
Oh, what the hell. Despite what Wilson may act like, I guess we really should try to do something.

He grinned. "Yeah, I'd say so. Oh–"
He turned back towards the dorms as he noticed the figure walking down the steps.
"–Hawke, over here."

Zeroing in on the source of the voice, Hawke made his way over to the pair. Glancing at Ichiko's arm, and frowns slightly at the revealed robotics.

"Hey, Tosh..." He then looked over at the girl with the robotic arm, but drew a blank. "Hawke, Tiberius." He said, with a slight bow of his head. "I used to be a student here, but now I teach..."

"Hi, Mr. Hawke!" says Ichiko cheerfully. "I'm Ichiko Asari, second-year student. It's nice to meet you!" She holds out her arm for a handshake.

Why do I get the feeling that they've met before as well…
Sometimes it seems like only the same 10 or 15 people ever do anything outside of class…

"Hey Hawke. Heard from Chiharu yet?"

Hawke extended his hand and shook Ichiko's arm firmly, but lets go after 2 or 3 shakes.

English greeting. Hmm.

He then looked to Toshiaki, shaking his head lightly while quickly withdrawing his phone from his pocket and checking it.

"Nope, dunno where she's gone." He said with a shrug.

Shouldn't that've been the first thing you did?

"Would I be correct in assuming that she's not psychic, and that getting in touch with her requires us to actually contact her?"

Given how this has gone so far, there's no telling…

[My reply got lost along the way, it seems.]

Hawke was not an angry person, he never had been. Physical violence had never been a path he had taken to get his point across - nine times out of ten you ended up in a worse position. It took a lot to anger the great slumbering beast that was Hawke's anger, the last time Hawke had gotten truly angry was when he found a friend of his with nearly £3000 worth of stolen goods. From Hawke's house.
His usual reaction was stone cold menace. His height and build did him a lot of favours when it came to intimidation.
This time, though, Hawke struggled to contain his anger, it took every ounce of self-restraint he had to stop himself from breaking Toshiaki's nose.

"That would be why I texted her." He replied, voice harbouring a  air of menace.

"Well, you could have mentioned that," he responded drily.

Aren't you just delightful today.

"How long do you figure she'll be?"

"Perhaps you should be less condescending." Hawke replies, still glowering in Toshiaki's direction.

Hawke looks to his phone and shrugs. "I don't know. I'm not psychic, like her."

Maybe everyone could quit being idiots and this situation wouldn't have occurred in the first place.

"No, but you know her much better than I do."

Ichiko starts to feel a little uncomfortable in the tense situation that seems to be building. Maybe I should have just headed home...

Having no desire to continue the conversation in that direction, he laid back on the grass and resumed his Zeta Emerald game.

"Well, I guess you're gonna be no help then." Hawke says, raising his eyebrows at Toshiaki as he lays down on the grass.

"See you, then." He says, quieter than before as he turns on his heel and walks towards the front gates.

"I already told you I'd help."
Not to mention that I already found the only useful information we have so far.
"You have a better idea while we're waiting for who knows how long?"

He sighed and stood as Hawke walked off.
Fine. Don't find your idiot pervert asshole friend. Better off without him.
"Why do I even bother…" he muttered.

"I'm… sorry about that," he said as he turned to face Ichiko again. "I suppose this is trying on everyone's patience."

When she had no reply, he slowly turned back toward the dorms, walking away silently.