[b][u]Outside[/u][/b]

Once again, Kiara showed morals and backbone.  The young man was quickly growing to respect her.  Then she introduced Eric, and Sparks blinked at the shadow, only now noticing that it didn't match.  [color=6699FF]“Huh, that's cool.  Hey, I should introduce you to Dancer sometime!”[/color]  He looked at Ben, and his expression turned into a mixture of incredulity and distaste.  /He/ was an upperclassman, and you didn't see /him/ acting all high-and-mighty.  And he bet that Bits had been at Innocence even longer than the injured snob.

Bits, however, was busy frowning at Eric.  Kiara was on a fast path to insanity, if she animated her shadow all the time.  She often wished Sparks would be less frivolous in his use of that dangerous power, and he was nowhere near as bad as this.  Her thoughts were interrupted as someone came at her from behind.  Bits started to turn, but she didn't have enough time to ward the person off, and she gasped as she found herself grabbed and dragged into a hug.  Grimacing, she struggled to extricate herself from the woman's grip.  But she was held too tightly to have much success.  [color=8493ca][i]Let go,[/i][/color] she begged in the privacy of her mind.  [color=8493ca][i]Please, let me go![/i][/color]  Her expression turned from irritation to the beginnings of panic.  Sparks was more vocal.  [color=6699FF]“Hey, leggo!”[/color] he cried, flailing ineffectively.  He couldn't get a good look at his assaulter's face, but when Geko said she was his partner, he knew who she had to be.

And once again, Ben's sheer stupidity was overwhelming.  How could he be an upperclassman and not know stuff like this?  It should be common knowledge, and saying such things about a Chrono or Lost Number could easily be hazardous to one's health.  Sparks not only knew the woman was a Chrono, but he knew her name.  [color=6699FF]“Ah, hello Ms.--”[/color] but the rest of his polite if somewhat strained greeting was cut off by the hapless young man's utterance as he realized his mistake and promptly fled as fast as his busted leg would carry him.

That wouldn't be enough to escape the rather violent Geko but fortunately for Ben, Kiara had interposed herself between him and the pursuing Lost Number, not entirely unlike what Bits might do if sufficiently annoyed.  Sparks would help her, but he was busy trying to squirm free from the overenthusiastic Chrono's grip.