Just Don't Get Caught (Open)

[Matt]

There are several different ways in which nasty habits tend to form. Peer pressure, stress, even just pure boredom tend to be the most common it seems. Of course, it was the last mentioned situation that had put Matt where he was now; outside, leaning against Wammy's House, and trying to sneak a drag on his cigarette. Now still technically being a minor, it would've been one heck of a problem if he got himself spotted by any of the staff. But then again, he was also technically smarter than half the staff, making the seemingly risky venture not so risky at all. There was only one flaw in his plan however. His hair and breath had begun to reek of smoke.

The young man clad in his usual goggles and thick vest was completely unphased by the chill of the early morning air that had driven most residents to the refuge of a heated building. Maybe he just didn't give a damn, or the craving for the taste of tobacco had gotten bad enough. Who knows? Not even Matt was sure at this point. After all, today marked an entire month that his secret habit had eaten up his time. Matt exhaled a smoke filled sigh. So far, no one had noticed it. He had taken care to get rid of the evidence, scatter the cigarette butts out of plain sight, chew breath-freshening gum to get rid of the smell, and even sometimes change a shirt ridden with the potent chemicals. But, time was wearing on and the ugly musk of a chain smoker was beginning to cling to him. Then again, Matt wasn't really one to get too worried about these things. It wasn't like anyone payed that close of attention to how he smelled.

The brunette looked on in disappointment as the final few ashes fell from the burning tip. So, there went that pleasure for today. Knowing Matt, he probably was about to just pull out another stick before he realized that he had classes to be to. A tiny curse slipped passed the dying cigarette and out of his lips. Sometimes the daily routine seemed like some kind of rut he found himself trudging in day after day. A little bit of excitement every once in a while wasn't much to ask, was it? With this thought came another, that brought himself to smirk in amusement. With someone like Mello as a friend, it definitely wasn't too much to ask.

Matt took the tiny remains of his smoke between his fingers and rubbed out the remains on the orphanage wall. The gesture was quite casual really, considering that this was part of routine now. He flicked the cigarette butt in the dirt without so much as a second glance and kicked a little of the loose gravel over it. The sound of his fellow orphans came softly from the window to his left, letting him know that it was about time he headed back in. But just give it another hour or so. He'll be back.

[Kagumi Michiyo]

Just whistle while you work
And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place
So hum a merry tune
It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace

And as you sweep the room
Imagine that the broom is someone that you love
And soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune

Kagumi scowled at the horrid sound of her Mp3 player and the lack of understanding in this song. " saturday morning optimism comming back to haunt me once again," she grumbled tiredly, " the anguish of it all." She would have changed it, but her hands were glued to the giant book on Alkemy. If she even put it down to scratch her nose, one of the other children would see her, notice her, and talk to her. Then she would have to spend a good 30 minutes explaining her book to someone who wasnt listening the first 15 minutes in the first place.

When there's too much to do
Don't let it bother you, forget your troubles,
Try to be just like a cheerful chick-a-dee

She sighed again, looking at the same sentence for the 43rd time in the book. she couldnt concentrate, not like she used to before. She thought sitting on the windowsill would help, but she had felt something bothering her immensely, she couldnt figure it out though...the cushion she stole from the couch was comfortable, she was leaning on the wall enough not to hurt her back, there were no shouts of Kage come play from the other kids. what was it?

She felt tired from all the work given to her by the older people, the minute they had uttered the word "prodigy" to her she was now given much more work than many kids in whammy house. While they all got to play and lay around, she hardly had time to be a kid, more like a servant. Now that she was home though, there were no disguises. Her long wavy black hair was down, and she wore a long black sweater and comfortable black pajama pants. she wore no glasses or contacts, it was her big plain hazel eyes, with all of that black she was practically invisible to the world. the wallflower....

Suddenly, Kagumi had realized what had happened, she was smelling, " smoke?" She against her better nature, sat the large book down on the windowsill and began to follow the smell, sniffing the air like a puppy looking for food. She had stepped over countless toys with her bare feet and it led her outside, where one of the kids, ( she wasnt sure she knew him but he probably knew the name Kage) was casually on the wall. he had thrown down the cigarette and kicked the gravel over it. Kage stood at the doorway with her arms crossed and a small smirk on her face, " You know, the smell tends to waft when you smoke in the same place." She had never really said anything to the other kids before, so it was probably the first time anyone in whammy house heard her voice.

(for kicks, here is a gaia pic of what kagumi looks like at the moment!
)

[Matt]

If there's one word that always adds a little negativity to a statement, it's most certainly "despite". For example, despite being smarter than half the staff, Matt was still only as smart as half the students. Despite being number three, he still managed to make such simplistic, yet painfully significant mistakes. After all, to error is human, and the young prodigy was indeed very human. It was quite possible that Matt himself had come up with this very idea when he found himself caught by some girl he'd never seen before.

Her voice had reached him right as he was about to slide a beaten-up Gameboy Advanced out of his pocket. Rather than locking his eyes on the tiny screen, his green eyes were now meeting with a hazel gaze. "Aw, shoot," was his first thought, (The situation wasn't nearly bad enough to call for a common profanity.) which came with mental mix of agitation and surprise. A single brow raised at the stranger as Matt finished pulling out his video game with a sigh. Oh well, it was just another student anyway. She was probably nothing he couldn't talk his way out of. And it wasn't like he'd have a hard time doing either; the girl was actually pretty cute, despite the fact that she would've gone up a peg had it not been for the dark circles under her eyes and a scar here and there.

With a slight frown, Matt spoke up soon after hearing her voice for the first time. "You got me," he said quite simply in an incredibly laid-back manner. Just to add to it, he gave the power-switch of his game a flick, triggering the start of a game off the most recent form of Pokeman. He doubted the stranger could hear the music of the game over the sound of her own tunes. "And thanks for the advice. I'll keep that in mind next time," he added with witty sincerity. A small glance from Matt without lifting his head from his game came along with the comment, coupled with a small smirk.

As he took a glance, he looked the girl up and down just for the heck of it. The youngster did it in rather relaxed fashion, not only to see what he could tell about her, but also for his own little curiosities. The mp3 player she seemed to be listening to led him to wonder if she would actually hear half the stuff he said if he started conversation. Granted, it wasn't on loud enough for him to hear, but focusing wasn't easy for most when the sound of whatever music she preferred was playing. Then again, she might unique, which wasn't so unique considering that she was at Wammy's. But the curiosity with the mp3 was shoved back and written off as non-important in Matt's opinion. There was a touch of disappointment when he examined the girl's features further. The little flaws like bitten nails and a couple of scars were a bit of a distraction from a cute face. Then again, it would've been weird if she were absolutely perfect.

[Kagumi Michiyo]

If there is one thing Kagumi learned about being in Whammy house, it was that no matter how smart anyone was there, everyone had their flaws. Even though Kagumi took things in like a sponge, the shooting of her best friend had made her cynical and almost a loner, to add, if Kagumi was friends with someone, it was unending unwavering devotion. Kagumi knew that no matter how smart anyone thought they were in whammy house, the more of an einstein they turned out to be. Roger had taught them bigger things, but simple things were nonexistent, and were no additions to the teachings of common sense to the kids, their lives were cushy, completely irrelevant to the world that these people wanted to throw tem out into.

Kagumi's hazel eyes flashed, a little surprised at the reaction of him. As he looked her up and down, Kagumi's eyes at the same time were examining him. A common technique taught to them at whammy house. Some kids could take a good long look and absorb nothing, but in kagumi's case she took in his image in a matter of seconds. Though his best features were hidden by his goggles and his hair, Kagumi thought the gamer look suited him, and as she expected,he pulled out a game boy advance, " wow, havent seen one of those in a long time,"

Kagumi's mind snapped back to the smell of smoke and she chuckled, " is there so little to do you have to come back here and smoke everyday, I'd presume like me they would have you working around the clock, even when youre taking a break." Kagumi looked at her mp3 player for a second then took out the left bud and let it hang idly down. She had been scorned multiple times for something that appeared to be a lack of focus, so to show she was even listening, she had to leave at least one bud out. She would figure why he looked so dissapointed. Unlike being out in a disguise, at whammy house her look begame relaxed or disoriented, revealing her scarred arms and frayed nails. she still had a scruffy bedhead and there were signs of exhaustion in her eyes, all the result of the constant work she had. but when she noticed him begin to play the game, she wasnt sure herself of he would reply, or shoo her off.

[Matt]

Over time, Matt had managed to teach himself several handy little skills. Hell, he wasn't really sure if he ever would use the things he taught himself the same way children at Wammy's were expected to use the things that they had been taught by numerous teachers, but sometimes they made day-to-day life so much easier. This particular conversation called for at least two of those lessons- how to defeat a trainer when their Pokeman are at least five levels above yours, and how to do it while handling a conversation. Needless to say, the gamer was extremely good at both of these.

Matt didn't bother looking up to see the bud leave the girl's ear as he repeatedly hit the A button. "You're missing out then," he responded to her first comment. "There's going to be an upgraded version coming out soon that I'm definitely getting my hands on," There was a moment of pause in his speech created by his fainting Mudkip, during which came her other statement. Again, he didn't bother looking up to respond.

"Nope. I've got as much stuff to do as you. But even you have to admit that it's boring half the time. I just feel like doing something different, that's all." Which means, most of the time he's blowing off smoke, he's blowing off homework too. "Besides, it's kind of a way to relax once in a while." He gave a shrug as he finished speaking and stayed put to see what she would say to that. The way the conversation was going, he didn't really know for sure whether or not he had to worry about the strange girl ratting him out.

(OOC: Holy short post, Batman!)

[Kagumi Michiyo]

When he began to play the game at the same time he talked to her, Kagumi rolled her eyes. Multitasking was a common whammy trait. they hd to learn how to do three or four important things at the same time. In Kagumi's case, that meant look at all the organization files, read 4 chapters of a quantam physics book she hated, listen to music and absorb her surroundings all at the same time. to have downtime to talk to other house members was rare, sometimes even nonexistent. This was one of those rare times that she could even strike a conversation with the kids, all around new trait to her.

At the first comment, all Kagumi could do was nod. besides her music, she took interest in a few games herself, whether she had the time to play them was what really broke her. She matched the noises from his game with the little she knew, ...Pokemon? Kagumi giggled, really she figured that game at this point was anchient. one of the games she took a liking to as a child. She admired the boy's concentration, though by the sounds it wasnt a very sucessful venture. She heard sounds of fainting, something she knew all to well from when she first started playing.

His excuse made her laugh, she had to figure he was blowing something off if he had the time to stay outside for that long. " Really I envy you, I dont have much to relax with, I dont play with toys like Near-kun, nor do I play games or smoke like you. I dont really have anything thats relaxing. I dont even sleep that much as you clearly see," she pointed to the bangs under her hazel eyes. " and no that dosent mean i plan to ask the other kids neither to play with me, they try too hard. its the 4 or 5 prodigies," she scowled, " that get all of the work, they see me as a loner and have no idea how much they throw on the 5 of us." she remembered how deserted the room would feel when they all went out to play. The few kids with all the work went to their respective corners and did what they needed to do in silence. since her nose was in a book, she wouldnt notice anyone else there.

"Oh, and dont worry about it, I wont tell the staff, if they couldnt figure it out yet then they dont need to know."

[Matt]

(OOC: Sorry for the wait. I had a busy week.)

Listening skills were ridiculously important in the environment the two orphans had been tossed into. The expectation was to hone one's attention span to the point were every syllable was given meaning and proper evaluation. But, as much as one could try, kids were going to be kids. Number three himself found it all too easy to zone out on whatever subject matter he was put before one way or another, especially when it came to casual conversation. At one point or another, Matt had found himself ignoring a few seemingly irrelevant sentences in this particular encounter. However, his head perked up a little once she said what he needed to hear.

Matt let out a sigh in relief, despite the fact that he suspected that the stranger wouldn't have the motivation to snitch on a stranger. The slight smell of smoke still mingled on his breath. "Good thinking," he said, now with the curiosity to make eye contact. A smile curled onto his lips while he spoke. "Besides, it's not like they could do much about it anyway." Green eyes were about to dart back down to their own business again, but the boy quickly changed his mind. It's been a while since he had tried to be sociable with anyone other than Mello. What the heck, he might as well take a bit of interest. A satisfied smile turned into a friendly smirk as the brunette spoke up again.

"You know, you sure do complain a lot," he teased lightly as he glanced down only briefly to choose an attack. "If it really bugs you that much, it's never too late to start a bad habit. It won't kill your grade to skip an assignment or two," With a habit like that, Matt himself often wondered how he managed to keep his ranking in class. Maybe it was just all that studying Mello pressured him into whenever he was on a major "Gotta beat Near" kick paying off. "Either that, or just get stuff done faster." He ended his advice with a small shrug.

This girl seemed a tad bit uptight with the whole prodigy thing going on, but then again Matt was obviously used to it. Sometimes he even wondered if he was the only one who really didn't think too much about it. Sure, he did really think that being the next L would be something really awesome, but the kid learned early on not to get his hopes up. If he was going to go full throttle over something, it was going to be something a little more personal than becoming some sort of genius. True motivation was not as easy as a thing to encourage as some would like to think.

[Kagumi Michiyo]

When Kage had realized she had actually said a couple of things that she obviously didnt like to say in front of other people, she went bright pink. Being without Megumi had all of these things bottled up that the leak shocked her. Kagumi sighed, look at you Kage, talking to somone you didnt have the time to talk to when you were in class with them. she didnt notice it but she had figured something had pushed her inward. Kage had gone from cocky to slightly sheepish. Something she hasnt been in a long time. She had half expected to leave since she had already told him she wouldnt tell. but amazingly, he took an interest, Kagumi shrugged, why not?

When he commented, his smirk made her laugh inside, but on the outside she only matched it, her messy hair trying desperately to curl on one eye. " I've come to accept that," she teased back with a nod, " then again youre talking to the girl who has watched enough people die to care less. frankly i see that as a compliment, " she gave a hand motion of thanks, " it just means i havent bored you to death." When she realized she was still bright pink from surprise, she shook her head to get rid of it. " I have enough to last me, insomniac and sugar addict, i have enough chocolate and candy for a bomb shelter. and amazingly, i got all my work done for today, i have time for anything, just dont have anything to do,"

Kagumi had to figure she'd get it done knowing the genes she got from her father. she had to be an inventors daughter, and if he had still been alive then their would be no situation, She really did get everything done faster, but she wasnt going to include the organization and her role there, that was the real reason she had been so tired lately. At this point the work had been easy pickins compared to when she was little and scarred from her father's death. After that it was smooth sailing. This kid seemed laid back, it was enough for her to stay.

" And surprisingly, i just opened up to a stranger i see everyday." she said to herself out loud in realization, " I'm Kage."

[Matt]

Matt had lowered his gaze back to his video game as the girl spoke and barely listened as his fingers mashed the buttons. An unexpected response to his taunting comment however forced him to bring his attention back to her, if only for a split moment. The slight pink on her cheeks brought an amused glint to the listener's eye, a glint that was probably hard to catch behind the goggles. It didn't take a genius to know that she had let a few things slip. So maybe she wasn't as uptight as she looked. That forced a quiet chuckle out of his throat.

Some people might've been unnerved by her comment about watching enough people die to care less, but Matt didn't even take too much interest. Why should he though? After all, it was an extremely common thought in any orphanage. Also, it was a depressing subject none the less. There was no point in getting himself down by over thinking a tiny little thought. There were plenty of other comments that could become easy to over analyze, but there was no point in that. It wouldn't get him anywhere. It'd just drive him nuts.

Once she finished talking and introduced herself, the game became the gamer's second priority for a split minute. "Funny how things happen," he responded in his usual laid-back manner. "I'm Matt. And now it looks like we both have something to do," After brief eye contact coupled with a smile, it all vanished thanks to the return of interest to the Game Boy Advanced. Matt's eyes returned to the game, yet his ears still focused on Kage's voice. It wasn't often that he decided to be social, and he could instantly tell that this Kage chick was probably the same way. That's probably the factor that made this situation more interesting. That, and the fact that conversation wasn't being forced on his end.

"You don't do this much do you?" Matt added. He considered instead asking her if she wanted to talk inside instead, but this came out first. The wind had picked up slightly, giving the tobacco addict a reality check on how chilly it actually was. At this rate, he might just be tempted to light up again.

[Kagumi Michiyo]

Kagumi had excpected that her sudden embarassment would go unnoticed, but by the flicker she could hardly see behind the goggles, he did, and he loved it. She didnt think anything of the flush anymore than she did the game that he was playing. He continued things casually and calmly, something that also in turn calmed Kagumi's cynical self. She blew her raven hair from her eyes and leaned on the side of the large building. She had to figure that he wasnt affected by her comment, it wasnt meant to be anything unerving, she was merely stating facts, nothing more and nothing less.

When he introduced himself, he had flashed a quick smile before looking back down to his game, but she had to figure if he was like her, he could do one thing and still pay attention. She hadnt really had anyone to talk to about anything in years, so she wasnt the social butterfly that everyone craved or expected in a girl as unkempt as her. but if he was still talking to her after all this, maybe he isnt too bad, there was a bit of interest floating between them, so it made it all worth the while to stay and talk.

Kagumi's cheeks got pink highlights at his additional remark, " is it that obvious?" she asked with a small chuckle. The wind began to blow outside and in her normal shirt and pants, she was a lot colder than Matt at the moment. Her hair was blown into her eyes and Kagumi gave a defeated sigh, " Maybe we should go inside before i get blown away," she offered sheepishly with a hand on the door.

[Matt]

At this point in time, Matt was entirely unsure why carrying one the conversation sounded like the most interesting thing to do right about now. It might've been the fact that he was still searching for every reason not to do any work, or it might've been to relive boredom. Maybe he felt sorry for the unoccupied Kage, or maybe it was a simple interest. Contrary to more common actions he's taken, interest seemed to be the most likely. Of course, why is a question with a simple answer. Between her cynical nature and her somewhat ratty appearance, there was something about her that struck him as anything but ordinary. Matt didn't like ordinary or usual, which is probably why he failed in being interested with making more friends than just Mello. Looks might be deceiving, but you never know until you try, right?

There was definitely sigh of relief loud enough for Kage to hear when she offered to go inside. "Yeah, I've had enough of the fresh air anyway," Matt replied, knowing just how ironic his words were. Unless his judgment was clouded by a craving, he didn't make a habit of enjoying the great outdoors. He made an "after you" gesture with a gloved hand. " I get where you're coming from with the whole 'anti-social' thing you have going for you," he continued. "As much as nobody realizes it, this place and a lot of kids here are pretty dull. You'd think that an orphanage of geniuses wouldn't have that problem. It's kinda sad really"

Matt found out just how disappointing the social scene at Wammy's could be from the moment he got there, but he came to not really care too much. After all, who needs hundreds of friends when you have your nose stuck in a game for hours on end? The only time it did really matter to him was the first week or so he found himself landed there. But then came Mello, who just so happened to have in his little body enough drama to make up for it all. Ever since Matt could remember, there was never a dull moment with that blonde. But Matt had a feeling that Kage knew about all that boring stuff that he just happened to be spared of.

[Kagumi Michiyo]

It had caught her aback that the two of them were talking any more than they did, she had been pretty sure it was probably a pity talk, 'poor quiet Kage who needed a new friend because her old one got shot to death'. she remembered hearing another girl in the room had said to her friends once not noticing the silent and blending Kage in the corner reading her book and seething with anger. The thought of her having to take others pity was pathetic, it was one thing she didnt need. but in the back ofr her mind she egged herself on into thinking that Matt was genuinely interested in what she had to say. Something lifted inside and she sighed.

Her sigh was omplimented with his, which was a predominant sigh of relief that he wanted more than anything to go inside, " mm-hmm," she said with a smirk, " fresh air, right...if you live in chicago." She opened the door and walked inside, her large book on alkemy exactly where she left it to investigate the foul smell. " Yeah, amzingly enough, everyone in this godforsaken school that has a social life are dull," she picked up her book, " its us quiet ones in our respective corners that have a bigger story to tell." She looked at matt, " It just depends on who we want to tell our story to."

There used to be a time when she was a lot more social, she had walked into the confines of whammy house for the first time terrified and alone, there were people that wanted her dead with her father and she was not yet old enough to wrap her mind around it all, yet here came Megumi, who took the time to try and understand her, and she had been happy and carefree. But then a boy went crazy, hunted down megumi from miles away, and then came and shot her dead. and Kage had to watch in terror as her best friend bled to death, feeling weak and defenseless for the second time in her life. She had vowed never to feel that again, and she suddenly stopped playing chess with everyone, then she stopped talking entirely, hiding her nose in a book until she was in her own little world of music and magic.

[Matt]

Surely in a place as large as Wammy's House, rumors were bound to spread from person to person. The boundary between fact and fiction became a blur whenever these little whispers of things began to float around, and that fact was more than enough of a reason for Matt to just ignore it. Any sketchy statement about anyone else just went through one ear and out the other. It wasn't like he gave a damn anyway, which is probably why he couldn't recall anything he'd heard about a girl called Kage before. She was a completely blank page to him, making it next to impossible for him to have the slightest idea of her apprehensions with pity.

Matt gave a short laugh at her quick wit as he followed her into the room. He plopped down on a chair nearby where Kage had retrieved her previously abandoned book with his game still lively in his hands. The hand-held only went down for a moment when the boy took the time to remove his thick vest. There was no longer a need for it, thanks to the room's insulation collecting a pleasant warmth. His slender build was revealed by a less bulky shirt covered in black and dark red stripes as the vest was left to lay behind his back. He only spoke once the other child was finished, and he was good and comfortable.

"You've got it," he replied, leaning back deeper into the cushy seat as he did so. "Last time I checked, most wallflowers are more than a pretty face," Just a subtle flirtation here and there mixed with a quick glance usually kept things interesting. "So, I'm guessing that you're going to tell me a little about yourself, other than the whole 'they always keep me busy' stuff." This wasn't so much a predication as it was a suggestion. He spoke with a tone of interest to his always casual voice, as his finger moved to lower the volume of his game ever so slightly.

[Kagumi Michiyo]

To hear a rumor in whammy house was a common thing contrary to the beliefs of the staff. It wasnt that there were alot, it was that when there was one, the kids (despite some with limited intelligence in the art of it) worked hard to pass it under their noses with ease. the rumor on Kage was one of those rumors, everyone knew it except for those who didnt know, care, or were smart enough to leave the unkempt looking samoan girl well enough alone. Matt seemed to be one who had no idea about that, no matter how big it was, by the look of things, he might have been one of those that would sleep through that kind of chaos. but the minute it was over, the only one who really changed was Kage, everyone else played around as if it was nothing. But on occasions, there were still the 7 or 8 girls that would try to get her back outside into the sun, but she shooed them all of.

As Kagumi sat down and cracked open the book, she couldnt help but notice out of the corner of her eye him taking off his vest hmmm....not bad. with a giggle she shook her head " if you plan to look past it, sleepless and scarred arent exactly what a man like in a girl. flattered though." she looked down at her book again and came to realize that she was in the habit again of reading the same sentence over again, Alchemists such as the great nicholas flamel have used this magikal table as a basis for their prestigious work.... after that there was nothing to get past.

" Meh, basic stuff, grew up in hawaii with my dad (mom died giving birth to me) my father was killed by some wierd agents or something when i was 8 because of his inventions, so i was picked up by whammy's house, met megumi, she's shot dead, people feel sorry for me they try to help blah blah blah." she said all of this casually as she read, " and here i am." she lifted her head, " Need me to elaborate?"

[Matt]

Being in an orphanage, Matt had had the misfortune to watch children of all shapes and sizes deal with tragedy in every shape and form. Methods of coping played out before his eyes like an old movie with the same ending every time. But as many different ways as he watched what was the same thing over and over again, nobody seemed too pleased to hear themselves tell their own tale of woe. You can imagine that Matt was somewhat caught off guard as kage rolled her story off her tounge as if it were a grocery list of events. True, it wasn't like he was expecting some sort of overreaction, but a little hesitation at least was somewhat expected. He sighed. It didn't change the conversation however, since he only planned on getting that information to keep the discussion lively. Now wasn't really a time that he felt like dishing out the pity. That comment she made however about her loosing her friend though did strike him for a moment. Now there was something he couldn't imagine going through, but again, he didn't feel like dwelling.

"Nope," he answered. "I think I got the point. Poor you." There obviously wasn't too much emotion in his previous statement, just enough for her to know that he wasn't heartless. "My story isn't any more interesting. No one dies that I know of. My parents just didn't want me, so here I am," he said with nothing more than a shrug. None of that was overly interesting to him at all, so he moved on to a more pleasing subject.

"True, but sleepless and scarred give your looks personality," he suddenly switched the matter at hand. "Any girl would kinda look fake without a few things here and there. She'd be like a Barbie Doll or something," he made a bit of a face to ephasize his point. "I think scarred beats plastic any day." Now it wasn't really a compliment to Kage, but more so a statement of opinion. Matt did have a thing for flaws in anything really.