Time to Process some Data (Twilight Brigade Members)

[therunawaygirl]

The soft-spoken girl didn’t look back up at all —not even when Kujo stood up and ushered his thanks. Even if he hadn’t pried further, there was a certain threshold Alice had already crossed, causing her to shake slightly with unease and fear.

Much in the same way as before.

”Set up a meeting for me with Elena, when you get the chance, would ya?” The sudden request was enough to jolt her out of her shell, startled by the petition on its own. Kujo’s nonchalant wave as he left back to his room was the only insight Alice could get in order to guess his intentions —but that was not enough to ascertain them. Wiping the tears that had formed under her eyelids, Alice nodded softly, a faint smile remaining in her lips.

“Okay…”

With that out of the way, Alice turned back to the monitors, sending the report and waiting for a confirmation. A faint blush in her face remained as she set things up, along that faint smile that she’d gotten prior.

“I guess he does care, in the end…” she thought, giggling a bit.

It was dim, but it was there nonetheless —the way Kujo showed how he cared was obviously different from everyone else’s, but he still showed it in his own way. Despite being direct and gruff most of the time, it seemed even he knew when and how to hold back. Something Alice hadn’t really expected, but something that was truly appreciated.

“Might need to thank him for that, later…”

For now, she had a task to do. Given that her report had been sent, Alice now had a different topic to ask with HQ —and that was getting in touch with Elena. Even if it was part of her duty, Alice just felt indebted to Kujo in a way —although that went for everyone else, too.

She hadn’t chosen to be a Navigator for nothing, after all —even she had her reasons.

---

“Then… We can go?”

Jack was sitting down in the chair by the Bridge, with Alice managing the monitors as usual. On screen, Elena’s face was seen, all the way to her chest. Both expressions were serious and inexpressive —something that was meant for in formal occasions. After hearing’s Jack question, Elena sighed, a bit exasperated.

“Honestly, while I get the point, I think it’d be best for you to stray a bit from the Heartless for the time being” Elena mentioned, “Even if they’re everywhere, if your information’s to be believed, the fact that they’re after you, first and foremost, is concerning.”
“I can handle just fine, though” Jack retorted back calmly, leaning forward, “They’re not the issue, Elena —whoever it was that confronted us is. That, added to another person we have no leads into. Wouldn’t going to Radiant Garden help figure that out?”
“Does it concern us, though?”
“…I…” Jack flinched, “I can’t say…”
“Then don’t meddle in there. There’s an order you need to follow, remember? Stick to it. I appreciate the amount of intel you’ve gotten about the Heartless —I truly do. But going deeper into this mess doesn’t help us in Milennia in any way or form, and might get you and your unit in more trouble than necessary.”
“…”
“So, here are your orders —you’re to remain on stand-by until I give you instructions. Is that clear?”
“…” Jack groaned, looking away.
“Is. That. Clear, Jack?” Elena repeated, somewhat harshly.
“…Roger.”

Jack stood up, somewhat defeated by Elena’s denial of his petition. Eager as he was to try and figure out the mystery behind the black-coated individual, plus figuring whatever he could about that sword of his, the teen hadn’t expected such a sharp and quick refusal. With nothing to go by, other than perhaps keeping the Almira with the best optimization possible, Jack was quick to leave the Bridge. With Alice alone, accompanied by Elena’s image by the screen, there was something else left pending…

“Alice, aren't you going to cut the communication? I’m busy” Elena asked, her tone much calmer than before.
“About that, umm…” Alice fidgeted a bit, “K-Kujo wanted to talk with you, privately.”
“About what?”
“I dunno —he didn’t tell me. He just… Asked if I could set up a meeting with you, and…”
“…” Elena glanced away, “Don’t do it through the Bridge, though —just in case the topics he wants to discuss are personal.”
“I know. Thanks.”

Alice nodded a bit, grabbing the small device she’d used all the way back in SanFran, all the while disconnecting Elena’s image from the main monitor of the Bridge, before making her way towards Kujo’s room. By the door, she hesitated a bit before knocking on the door.

“Umm… Kujo…?” she asked, her voice somewhat of a whisper, “Are you there...?"

[hoodwink]

    ”You’re both a target and a savior—“

    The mysterious figure’s words to Jack rang in Kujo’s head as he glared up at the ceiling. Having returned to his room, the man sprawled out on the bed once more as he grumbled to himself. ”Just what do they know…?” Whoever they were, they saw the bigger picture that Jack and Kujo were struggling to find direction in. The figure had remained a step ahead of them the entire way. Feeling his frustration grow, Kujo sat up on the bed with a sigh, leaning forward a bit as he stared at the floor. His old unit, huh? Kujo wasn’t aware before his and Alice’s conversation that they had been a part of a different unit beforehand. Jake and Raven… Just who were those two, and what role did they play in the groups separation? Knock. Knock. The sudden sound caused his eyes to dart to the door—which wouldn’t open, seeing as how unlike M’Lyn, Kujo locked his. 

    ”Umm…Kujo…?” Hearing Alice’s voice on the other side, he stood up and walked over to the door, opening it and looking down at the girl with a raised brow. ”Yeah?” It had been a short time since their earlier conversation—truthfully the man was mildly surprised, not having expected to see her back so soon.

[therunawaygirl]

Alice flinched faintly as Kujo opened the door, finding looking up to him a bit nerve-wracking. She puffed her cheeks a bit, bringing the device closer to her as she searched for reassurance elsewhere. Why was it so intimidating all of the sudden?

“Uhh… W-Well…” Alice looked at her device, “Elena’s… Ummm…”

Red in embarrassment, Alice looked down, her cheeks even puffier. She couldn’t get her act together, even though it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. As if it was a last-ditch effort, Alice presented the device, waiting patiently for the meeting to start.

“Elena said it’s okay, but that if it was gonna be about private stuff… Then it should be like this” Alice said, having gone over her embarrassement, “So, umm…”

Once Kujo accepted it, Alice would set the meeting up for him with Elena, silent. The screen would be on wait until Alice left, seeing that she wasn’t really welcome in that conversation —nor did she want to be. After all, Kujo’s previous questions gave her an idea or two as for what he was after. That wasn’t a threshold she was willingly crossing.

“I’ll… Leave you to it” Alice said, nodding faintly, “Let me know whenever you’re done, okay? I’ll be at my room.”

With all things set, the girl left Kujo on his own, with only the device from earlier as the only parting gift. It would just be a simple tap on the screen that would allow Kujo to once again cross looks with Elena. The woman with blue hair perked up only slightly once the call was on-going, only understanding it after seeing Kujo through the screen.

“So, then… Alice tells me you have something to discuss with me” Elena said, a faint smirk, “Go on, then —what is it?”

[hoodwink]

    ”Uhh…w-well…” Kujo’s brow raised further as Alice stuttered and stammered. The girl really seemed to have some difficulty in social situations at times. As she presented the device, the man blinked in recognition before giving her a faint smirk. ”Faster than I thought.” Grabbing the device from her, the man glanced down in mild humor at her demeanor. ”I’ll…leave you to it.” Nodding and giving Alice a quick ”Yeah, thanks.” in response, Kujo watched as she headed down the hall and away. Re-entering his room, locking the door behind him, Kujo would tap on the device’s screen, awakening an image of Elena, patiently waiting in silence. She seemed to perk up a bit as it seemed he ‘activated’ the call. 

    ”So, then…Alice tells me you have something to discuss with me.” He was grateful to Alice for securing the meeting so soon. Truthfully, he hadn’t expected being able to get answers this fast. Though…this could be a dead end, anyway. Sitting on the edge of his bed and leaning forward a bit, Kujo looked down into the display with a serious expression. ”I wanted to ask you about Jake and Raven.” Partially wary, as he didn’t know what kind of reaction he’d gather, Kujo chose his words mindfully. ”Jack’s last unit in the Brigade—why’d the team dissolve?” He’d expect her to be curious as to why he was asking—though maybe it was natural for a newer teammate to ask about their current crews history. Grimacing a bit as he looked at the screen, Kujo shook his head a bit. ”It’s not something him or Alice seem ready to talk about. I was hoping you could fill me in, since you were the leader at that time too, right?” 

    He remembered the expression on Alice’s face. Despite his rather rough and harsh demeanor, it wasn’t like Kujo wanted to actively harm his comrades. In fact, when it came down to it, the man really did consider himself part of a team.

[therunawaygirl]

”I wanted to ask you about Jake and Raven.”
“Oh?”

Elena immediately blinked, a mild confusion hidden beneath a calm expression. Her confusion became clear as Kujo proceeded to ask the reason why Jack’s previous unit was disbanded. She crossed her arms, confused, trying to arrange her thoughts.

Did he think Jake and Jack had made a team before?

“I’m… Not so sure where you’re getting your information or if you’re getting it right…” Elena admitted with an amused smirk, “Let’s see… Let’s start with Jake, first. He’s the leader of Raven —their head of operations. In a similar way to me with the Brigade. In a sense, you could say Raven’s the military counterpart to the Brigade —they handle the battles, and we handle the intel and shelters. I’ll take a guess and say that those two didn’t explain that part properly.”

Elena found herself laughing at the last comment, although in truth masking the real emotion she felt, knowing Kujo’s aim. It wasn’t hatred, nor envy, or even wrath.

It was concern.

“…” Elena smirked, looking away with her eyes closed, “I want you to promise me one thing, right here, right now” Elena’s gaze shifted quickly into a cold one, yet the hint of concern behind her eyes was an easy one to notice, “Before I disclose to you the reason why I disbanded them… I need you to promise that you won’t talk about this with anyone. This conversation stays between us, and no one else. Understood?”

Just like before, she seemed serious, yet the cold and fierce gaze in her expression was soothed by one of concern. Being one of the two people who knew the truth whole, she could only wonder why Kujo, of all people, would want that information.

[hoodwink]

    ”I’m…not so sure where you’re getting your information or if you’re getting it right…” As Elena began to explain the exact relationship between Jake and Jack, Kujo listened with a collected expression. So…Raven is a unit like the Brigade. Though his suspicion towards Jack’s old teammates lingered, it seemed that Jake wasn’t actually one of them. Glad I decided to hear it from her. Outside of the situation to an extent, it was clear that this topic would be easier for Elena to discuss than Alice or Jack. He had made the right decision to go to her. ”I want you to promise me one thing, right here, right now.” The woman’s gaze shifted into a more serious one—a rigidity to it that reminded Kujo all too much of someone close to him. ”I need you to promise that you won’t talk about this with anyone.” 

    Understanding the weight her words held, Kujo gave a nod as he stared back at her in the screen—matching her look with a serious look of his own. ”Understood. I won’t tell anyone else.” Truthfully it wasn’t like Kujo had intended to confront Jack or Alice with any information he found out—he had avoided asking them for a reason, after all. Outside of the Brigade, it wasn’t like Kujo spoke to anyone else anyway. It would be an easy promise to keep, considering the man’s typical stoic and serious nature.

[therunawaygirl]

Elena sighed, a mix between relief and worry —a contradictory feeling taking a steady place as she made her decision. Even though she couldn’t tell by a glance what Kujo’s intentions were, she knew for a fact that whatever plan he had in mind, wasn’t completely selfish.

She’d met plenty of people like Kujo to know that.

“…Heh…” Elena smirked, looking away, “I never thought I’d tell this story to someone else —especially someone completely outside of Milennia… But I guess things like these happen.”

Elena leaned back from her chair taking a deep breath, as if readying herself to disclose what she’d promised to Kujo. The crystal by her gauntlet began to glow dimly, catching her attention, but the only gesture Elena managed after seeing that was a simple smile.

She couldn’t delay things forever, after all —her “partner”, as she eloquently put it, was always in the right mindset.

“…It was Jack’s last mission with that unit —I ordered them to investigate a facility where hostages were supposedly being kept. Their orders were just gathering intel, not breaking them out —the plan was to know the layout, and then have Raven break in. It all went well until they were on their way back…” Elena grimaced —a different kind of worry, unlike Alice’s usual showcase of fear, “Their team wasn’t too big —5 members, at best. The only issue was that they didn’t have a set Nav —they’d always swap for every mission. Blame Brandon for that —that stubborn blockhead of a man always had an issue about the Navigator they would be paired up with” Elena rolled her eyes.

She took a moment of silence to compose herself, and go back to resuming her explanation, yet even if she had taken a passive approach to that incident, it was still too hard for her to take. A mistake that costed her not only pride as a leader, but also a mistake that broke someone forever. The crystal glimmered faintly once more, Elena sighing as a reply.

“I’m getting to that, partner…” she mumbled, rolled her eyes a bit, “The Navigator I assigned them for that mission happened to be a back-stabber —one I had no clue about. I wasn’t the one who introduced them to the Brigade, but they showed potential, and so I thought they would get the job done. That was the biggest mistake I’ve made in my life…” Elena scowled, not looking at Kujo anymore, “Worst part of it was that I didn’t suspect a thing. It was only after another Navigator happened to go check, that they noticed that viper downloading information from the datacenter, and rung the alarm.”

“I ran as fast as I could to apprehend them, but before I could even do so, they gave me two options. Either I tried salvaging the data they had stolen and sold off to the enemy… Or I tried saving the unit’s lives. I didn’t even think on what to do after I learnt that they’d shut the team’s comms and sold their location to the enemy —I contacted Jake to form a group as fast as possible and gave him the coordinates to the facility, all the while I headed there myself. Obviously, that back-stabber got away —but thankfully the info they managed to get before I confronted them wasn’t very helpful.”

The woman in blue was fuming as she recalled the incident, bitter not at anyone but herself for that mistake on her part. The crystal stopped shining, seemingly sensing Elena’s resolve to continue talking without a push. Looking at Kujo directly, her anger still evident at the recollection of those memories, she continued.

“We got everyone out of there, but the damage was done” she stated, “All of them had severe wounds, both physically and mentally —Jack most of all for the last part. After they all received medical attention, I disbanded them. There’s 2 reasons for this, one with Jack in mind more than the other” Elena pointed out, “First and foremost, they all had terrible wounds —some even losing one or two physical capabilities. They lost abilities that helped them get the job done —without them, they’d be even in more danger. The second reason… Was so that no one could use their team as a last-ditch unit, in case we were running low on working hands. We’re always busy —we need to have constant updates when it comes to information. The last thing I wanted was for that to repeat itself again, and so I disbanded them. They were among, if not the best intelligence unit at the time —they did considerable work while they served… But in the end, even at its peak, somethings must fall back down… And this was a rather gruesome way to do so…” Elena sighed, “The last thing I wanted was for them to get even more emotional scars… Those are the toughest ones to heal —especially if one is easily impressionable…”

It was clear that, seeing Elena’s worried look, the last comment was meant to refer to Jack. Never in her life could she have foreseen that a teen his age would go through such hardships alone, with no one to back him up… And even then, Jack continued to push himself back up, yet every time he did so, something tied him back —chains forcing his past to him, chains Elena had found herself unable to break…

[hoodwink]

    ”…It was Jack’s last mission with that unit—“ Kujo leaned forward more on the edge of the bed, resting his arms on his knees as he stared down into the device. Hearing how the group was larger, around five people, Kujo grimaced. There’re more suspects than I thought… Here he had thought the team had only been two people—how far off the mark could he get? ”I’m getting to that, partner…” Elena’s comment as she regained composure caught his attention—remembering what had been told to him about Elena before their first meeting—how she was ‘always with a partner’. The explanation took a sudden turn, drawing his attention away from that fact, hearing how the team’s assigned Navigator had turned out to be a traitor. Grimacing as Elena explained the situation, Kujo started to see where this was leading.

    ”We got everyone out of there, but the damage was done.” Hearing how drastically the team had been wounded, Kujo could assume what had happened with certainty. Torture, huh? Whoever the enemy Nav had been working for, they certainly hadn’t pulled any punches. Getting a deeper glimpse into the trauma behind his comrade illuminated certain things that had occurred back on Twilight Town. ”But in the end, even at its peak, some things must fall back down…and this was a rather gruesome way to do so…” Hearing the conclusion of Elena’s explanation, Kujo ran through the new information in his head. So there were the five teammates including Jack…betrayed by an outsourced Navigator. Despite the nefarious nature of the traitor, the man could assume the ‘traitor’ wasn’t the current enemy they faced.

    The enemy they met on Twilight Town had known Jack, personally. Some outsider hired on at the last minute wouldn’t have such a history with him. So it’s one of the original four…? The ‘Jake’ individual he had originally suspected didn’t seem to be the perpetrator, considering the fact they had been the one to aid in Jack’s rescue and were still currently working for this ‘Raven’ group or the Brigade in some way. It seemed Elena still carried the weight of what happened, though she handled it far better than Alice or Jack—obvious, considering her maturity and professionalism. ”I see.” Straightening up a bit, Kujo’s face remained stoic and serious as he looked at Elena through the screen. ”The other members—did any of them have falling outs? Outside of your order to disband, I mean.” 

    Some may be like Jack, still working in the field and part of a new team. Surely others though would have retired, or been unable to continue. ”Did anyone on that old team end up on bad terms with Jack, or vice versa?” He was coming to the crux of why he had bothered to force others to dig up a past he wasn’t involved with. It wasn’t just for the sake of figuring out the mystery around the Heartless and Jack’s bizarre ‘Key’—the sooner Kujo could discern the identity of the mysterious enemy the sooner he could do something about them. They won’t keep getting in our way.

[therunawaygirl]

At first frustrated, Elena was quick to perk up, if only faintly, as Kujo continued to ask. He’d listened rather attentive to her explanation —much more than she’d thought. Such attention wouldn’t have been odd at any other time, but Kujo’s questions seemed to be rather specific.

Then again, it wasn’t like Elena to pry him from information, given that he’d given his all to help them —it was a fair exchange, in the end, regardless of what Kujo’s intentions were.

“Believe it or not, they got along pretty well” Elena explained, “Brandon had a knack for putting Jack in his place, whenever he did something reckless… But he cared for him, the same way he cared for the rest of the team. In fact, he was honestly blaming himself for all that happened, even though he had nothing to do with it…” she frowned, looking away, “I don’t think Melissa or Usher had issues, either… All in all, they were a solid team. They were going to help Alice get her practice, too —that’s how close they were. While it’s true that they were all affected by being disbanded, they didn’t say anything, either —they knew why I was doing it.”

Elena glanced with faint curiosity, trying to discern what Kujo was aiming at. All in all, the sudden petition for a meeting had caught her off-guard, but her instincts about it being about delicate or personal matters had been right. The crystal shimmered faintly, almost as if it was trying to make Elena recall something, but the woman dismissed it, instead focusing on her conversation with Kujo.

“I’m… Not so sure why you wanted to know this… Has something happened that I’m not aware of?” Elena asked, “Like… You’re not on bad terms with each other, are you? It feels like you’re—Argh…”

Elena clicked her tongue, glancing over to her gauntlet, only to find her crystal shining almost impossibly bright —burning only faintly. Elena shook her wrist after she hissed in pain, only to finally listen onto the crystal’s voice.

“...What’s that?” Elena tilted her head, and then looked down before turning towards Kujo one last time, “…My partner told me that you encountered someone who can control the Heartless… Is that what this is about?” Elena looked with confusion and suspicion —a mix of feelings she couldn’t comprehend, “Why would knowing about Jack’s past relations help with that? Is this person related to him?”

“But… That’d be odd… You’d notice immediately, right, partner?” Elena glanced over at her crystal, “…If someone within the Brigade or within Raven was using darkness and controlling the Heartless… I would’ve noticed… They wouldn’t have been able to hide themselves for long —I would’ve found them immediately… Was that the reason why you asked?” Elena asked once more, “You thought… Whoever that was, happened to be a member of the Brigade?”

[hoodwink]

    ”Believe it or not, they got along pretty well.” Though it was a positive fact in general, for Kujo’s purposes the news formed a minor grimace on his face. Hearing how the other members on Jack’s old unit had all gotten along well and been a solid team, the man wasn’t sure where his suspicions should lie. ”Has something happened that I’m not aware of?” Elena’s initial guess made sense—though it seemed both of them had missed the mark with each other by a bit. Noticing the woman tilt her head a bit and seemingly listen to something Kujo couldn’t hear, the man raised an eyebrow. ”My partner told me that you encountered someone who can control the Heartless…is that what this is about?” It seemed whatever or whoever this ‘partner’ of Elena’s was, it was well informed.

    ”But…that’d be odd…you’d notice immediately, right, partner?” Again, the woman’s eyes shifted from the camera on the display as she asked her ‘partner’ her questions. ”You thought…whoever that was, happened to be a member of the Brigade?” Kujo nodded, gazing down at Elena with a serious expression as he mulled over their conversation. ”Your…’partner’ is correct. We encountered someone capable of not only controlling the Heartless, but seemingly projecting themselves from another world entirely. It was like fighting a mirage.” It was a confusing thing to process, considering how outside of the usual logic and rational these types of things existed in. Ever since awakening to the powers of his Akogare, Kujo’s life had gone from relatively normal (well, mundane might be a better word) to a completely bizarre adventure. 

    ”Sure enough, they’re connected to Jack. He doesn’t seem to have any clue as to who it is—but the way they talked to him and the things they said showed that the two had a history.” But if it wasn’t a member of Jack’s old unit, then who? His list of suspects was back down to zero. He was right where he had started in the beginning. ”I asked Alice about their time before the Brigade, but…” Sighing a bit and shaking his head, the man seemed somewhat exasperated. ”Sounds like for the most part they were pretty isolated.” Their history of street-urchin living hadn’t been filled with many positive experiences according to Alice, not having met anyone of noteworthiness until Jake. He was hitting a brick wall—a dead end. Gritting his teeth a bit, Kujo scowled a bit as he contemplated it all. 

    If it’s not a member of his old unit… Jack hadn’t mentioned any ‘friends’ before, though Kujo figured it wasn’t surprising. He had only heard as much about their past from Alice, really. ”Can’t I catch a break?” Leaning back on the bed a bit and propping himself up with an arm, the man sighed again as he glanced back down at the device display. ”Well, if Alice’s report already mentioned this mysterious figure, I suppose you’ll be looking into their identity, too?” In one way he resented the idea, wanting to protect his own teammates with his own power, rather than rely on a ‘higher-up’. On the other hand, the man was clearly working himself in circles getting nowhere. Having remained somewhat on the 'outside' of the team, he had much to learn about the comrades he currently worked and lived with. Until he did that...well, piecing together a mystery based on someone's past would be hard even if the two people in question were close. 

[therunawaygirl]

Elena frowned, crossing her arms as she listened to what Kujo had to share. Sure enough, his questions had a goal in mind —to figure out this enemy’s identity. Yet just as surely, they were back to square 1 —the list of subjects Kujo had in mind had steadily been depleted. Hearing how their enemy knew Jack from somewhere caused her to grimace, if only faintly.

She’d made the right choice to tell them to stand-by —at least for Jack. This enemy of theirs did sound like they were after something, and were stopping at nothing to obtain it.

“Even if Alice hadn’t stated it, I would’ve been on the lookout after all that you’ve told me” Elena agreed, “If there really is someone working with the Heartless within the Brigade or Raven… Then I’ll look out for them. I’ll let Jake know, just in case.”

Elena looked calmly at Kujo, seeing the issue somewhat taken care of. At the same time, with the ominous knowledge of an enemy lurking near, Elena had to think her cards carefully. Humming a bit in thought, she nodded to herself before turning back towards Kujo.

“If that’s all there is, then… I’ll be leaving you —I’ve got stuff to look out for, now that we know someone’s out to get you all” she stated, “You’ll be on stand-by until I give you orders. …I will say this, though, regarding this whole issue” Elena’s gaze softened a bit —a motherly concern of sorts, taking hold of her expression as she took a deep breath, “While I did ask for you to keep this between us… If you’re going to ask Jack about this anytime soon, do expect him to refuse at first. He’s tied down, in a sense —unable to accept that past which makes part of him” Elena explained, “Even if you’re not going to ask, do be aware that there are certain things he’ll simply not open up easily to. Don’t get me wrong, though —I’m not asking you to be his friend. But… Just keep in mind that somethings aren’t easy to get back up from.”

“Well, then…” Elena sighed, “If that’s it, then… I’ll take my leave.”

[hoodwink]

    ”Even if Alice hadn’t stated it, I would’ve been on the lookout after all that you’ve told me.” It wasn’t surprising to hear that level of readiness from someone in the role of leadership. Hearing how Elena was going to remain vigilant and look into the potential sources, Kujo felt the faintest hint of relief. ”If that’s all there is, then…I’ll be leaving you—” The sudden shift in the woman’s look caught him off-guard, causing his brow to raise slightly. ”While I did ask for you to keep this between us…” The advice on handling Jack was appreciated, as Kujo wasn’t even sure how to begin opening that box. ”Well, then…” As Elena prepared to take her leave, Kujo nodded, standing up from the edge of the bed himself. 

    ”Hm...alright. You’ll hear from us if we find anything out.” With that, the communication ended, leaving Kujo staring at a reflection of himself in the glass display that blackened out. Tch—well, at least I’m not chasing after ghosts, now. Frustrated with what little progress he made, Kujo grimaced as he made his way to his door, unlocking it and stepping into the hallway with an irritated sigh. Whatever. It wasn’t something he could deal with for now, that much was clear. Keeping the device in hand, Kujo stalked down the hall while glaring at the floor, his mind and heart heavy with thoughts of their enemy. Once reaching Alice’s door, the man would knock as he called out. ”It’s Kujo. I’m done.” 

    Once the door would open, the man would offer the girls device to her—mindful of how he handled it, considering the events that had occurred during their meeting with his mother…

[therunawaygirl]

“Come in.”

Alice’s voice rung from inside, surprisingly calm despite her previous fluster. With a simple swipe across the door, Kujo would be able to easily enter the girl’s room —not much different from his own. Sitting on the desk was Alice, with a pen in hand looking down at a note book, with a screen displaying some math problems and another closed book besides her. She perked up as the door was opened, but remained seated all the same.

“How did it go?” she asked, calmly, “Did… Did you get what you wanted?”

After asking her question, Alice noticed the device in Kujo’s hand. Leaving the pen aside on the desk, the girl stood up. She wasn’t wearing her black sleeveless jacket, and as such her attire legitimately looked like a regular school uniform, rather than a professional one. Although the fact that she was shoeless didn’t help to that fact either.

“Thank you” she said, after receiving the device, and looked at it for a bit in her hand, “So… I guess you’ll be on your own for now… Unless you need something?” Alice tilted her head, curious, as she looked up to him, “I… might take a while in helping you if that’s the case, though…” she admitted, somewhat embarrassed.

[hoodwink]

    As the door opened, Kujo was greeted with a familiar room. Not because he had ever been in it, but because all of the team’s rooms looked the same (other than M’Lyn’s…who had a certain ‘character’ about it due to all the knickknacks). Taking a step into the room, he found Alice sitting at her desk, seemingly hard at work. Her display showed a few equations, causing Kujo’s eyebrow to raise. ”How did it go?” As Alice stood and made her way over, Kujo couldn’t help but sigh a bit and look away with a sour expression as she asked if he had gotten what he needed. ”Not really. But it was better than nothing.” With a mild shrug he handed over the device. 

    ”So…I guess you’ll be on your own for now…unless you need something?” Her offer of help despite being clearly busy with her own work simply brought an exasperated look to the man’s face for a moment before he shook his head. ”I don’t need anything else.” Glancing over at the display on Alice’s desk once more, Kujo raised an eyebrow before gesturing towards it. ”I thought you finished with the report. What’s all this?” Taking a step towards the desk, Kujo glanced down at the appliances scattered about. ”Doesn’t look like your usual ‘work’.” Glancing at the girl over his shoulder, he kept his conversation with Elena in mind. We’re back at square one… Though, if he got to know these siblings better, would the pieces begin to fall in place? 

    It seemed Kujo for once was showing an interest in what someone else was doing—even if it didn’t involve him. Though not the most significant seeming moment, it did indicate how something seemed to be changing within the man’s cold and stoic heart after learning a bit about the two. He couldn’t remain on the ‘outside’ forever, after all. Not if he was really going to be a part of the team—which he needed to do, if he was going to get any of the answers he had about all of these bizarre events.

[therunawaygirl]

Alice nodded after hearing Kujo mention he didn’t need any sort of help, although his sudden interest in what she was doing caught her by surprise. She remained still while the man took a step forward towards her desk, pointing out that it wasn’t her “usual” work. Flustered, she smiled, looking away.

“Well… I was studying!” she replied, drawing a smile while still somewhat red, “It’s just… To keep up with school… And also helps keeping me busy.”

She headed back to her desk, wondering why he’d shown such a sudden interest. It was genuinely surprising, although maybe there was some merit to be given. Still, her mind was focused on the self-imposed task, and even though she was willing to finish it, there were a few things here and there that simply didn’t click.

“I was about to finish…” Alice pouted, “But… One exercise’s been giving me trouble…” she sighed, sitting back down, deflating a bit, “…If you don’t need anything else, then… Well… I guess we’ll talk later, once I’m done with this…”

With a sigh, Alice turned back to challenge the troublesome exercise. It was an exercise any 10th grader could do, really —much the same to the other exercises she’d cleared with apparent ease. Bringing the pen to her lips with a pout, Alice reviewed it one last time as she tried to figure out what she was doing wrong…

[hoodwink]

    ”Well…I was studying!” The comment caught Kujo by surprise as his brows raised a bit. Studying? To be honest, with how much his recent life had been plunged into some sort of fantasy, the man had forgotten about such mundane things like ‘school’. If anything, he just figured those types of things were different on every world. ”I was about to finish…” Seeing Alice struggling at her desk, Kujo couldn’t help but give a faint smirk as he watched her pout and deflate a bit. ”Well…I guess we’ll talk later, once I’m done with this…” Not wanting to bother her, Kujo straightened up from having been slightly hunched over to view the display, giving the girl a small nod before gesturing at her papers. ”Alright. You’ll be here for a while if you keep going at it like that, though.” 

    Despite his own…’history’ as a teenager, Kujo had actually always excelled when he had attended academy. Schooling in SanFransokyo wasn’t free—the nicer ones having larger price tags than those small and neglected, but Kujo’s mother had worked hard his whole childhood and adolescence to enroll him. Math and science had always come naturally to him—as they were both subjects that were easy to face head on. It was all about learning formulas and memorization, after all. ”Don’t start from there—look, if you do this…” Leaning over the desk, Kujo reached out and tapped on her papers, showing her where the adjustments would be needed in order to solve the rest of the puzzle.

    ”Hmph—“ Straightening up after finishing his explanation, Kujo crossed his arms before leaning against the wall the desk was against. ”I didn’t know you were in school when you weren’t being our 'Navigator'.” To be honest, with how much work the girl already put in, he was surprised she ever had any time to do anything else. Raising an eyebrow, it seemed the situation itself had caused Kujo to remain curious. ”Does Jack have to do this, too?” Though Jack was older than Alice, he was still young enough to where Kujo could imagine him having at least a final year ahead of him (though, that was considering the ‘grade’ and ‘year’ system even worked the same ). If anything, the only one Kujo could really never imagine being in school was M'Lyn.

    Who was enforcing the rules and grades? To be honest, it wasn’t the first time Kujo had heard of ‘remote learning’, as it was certainly a practice put into place on his own home world. He just hadn’t expected that type of thing to work in between worlds. Though, some worlds know more than others… For any world aware of the others out there, surely their technology would shift to accommodate such things—much like the ship he found himself in right now. It seemed he still had some things to get used to, despite having already been with the team for a short time.

[therunawaygirl]

“You’ll be here for a while if you keep going at it like that, though.”

Startled, the girl looked up as Kujo began to show her a different path through the exercise, a faint blush rising to her cheeks as she listened with some embarrassment. She nodded once he finished explaining, to quickly follow through it, finding it to be far easier than her previous method. As she finished, getting the result that had been expected, Alice heard Kujo mention his surprise to see her actually studying, aside her usual Navigator duties.

Closing the note book after leaving the pen aside, Alice turned towards Kujo, still softly blushing by the proximity of it all. In a sense, him inquiring about the more mundane aspects of life was refreshing, to say the least —some different topic to walk by the other, constant ones. A different change of pace, one Alice found herself liking.

“Well… He does” Alice nodded, “He does it whenever he’s not fixing or upgrading things, though… Which says a lot” she smiled with unease, “I think the only subjects he does thoroughly are math, physics and the like… Given that he messes around with technology a lot…”

She smiled, recalling a much friendlier time back when she was little. Jack and her father, both working on their house’s garage while tinkering with tools, screws and everything as they worked their way into creating different devices or upgrading already existing ones. Late night hours where she’d find Jack’s room door slightly open, the lights still on as he toyed around with metal parts…

Those were the times she wanted to return to.

“…You’re pretty good at this” Alice mentioned, glancing over at the note book with the finished exercises, all the while she turned the screen off, “Did you… Go to school, at one point?” she asked with innocent curiosity.

In a sense, it never stopped to intrigue her —how things in other worlds worked. Given how he was there, Alice didn’t think it’s be much trouble to ask Kujo about his side of the mundane things back at his world. Although, clearly, if the topics were bothersome, she’d stop where she’d begun.

She didn’t like to bother people too much, anyways —it was just her usual curiosity that got her out of her usual turtle shell when it came to interacting with others.

[hoodwink]

    ”Well…he does.” Kujo was having a hard time picturing Jack being the ‘studious’ type for some reason… Hearing how the teen only seemed to really apply themselves at certain subjects immediately made it all make more sense to him. Noticing the girl’s demeanor brighten up for a moment, Kujo couldn’t help but raise his brows for a moment. On his world, teenagers hardly ever seemed glad to be talking about homework or studying. ”You’re pretty good at this.” Hearing Alice ask if he had attended school—Kujo for the first time realized how little she knew of his own home world. Sure, he had shown her and M’Lyn around back then…but it wasn’t like he had explained how it all worked or anything. 

    He hadn’t thought he needed to.

    But that had been before he had learned of how different other worlds could be. ”Yeah, I finished two years ago. Not that I think it did much.” He had told his mom so many times when he was younger how he was smart enough without it. Kujo could hardly think of a time where he couldn’t simply learn something on his own—making the idea of institutionalized education appear more like a scam than anything. If anything, he had done it to humor his mother—who spent her hard earned money on the tuition. ”But my hands were tied.” It had been a long road to graduation for him—not due to his performance in his studies, but rather due to his personality clashing with the teachers. 

    How many times had he been suspended? Expelled? Transferred? Though he had humored his mom, he had hardly made it easy for her. ”Most people just did it to get dead-end jobs on my world, anyway.” Kujo had found work his own way, despite his academic credentials. He had never been one to adhere to the typical ‘9-5’ schedule many on SanFransokyo found themselves in. "It's a pretty lack-luster setup, if you ask me." He never understood so many people's complacency on his own home world. How often had he watched miserable people doing work they didn't want to do? He'd never be caught living like that. Realizing he'd said more than he intended, the man blinked for a moment before fixing a faint frown on his face. 

   "Tch—so, what? Do people just go to learn where you're from for the sake of it? To better themselves or something?" Wanting to shift the focus back onto Alice, Kujo couldn't help but feel a slight wariness at how free-lipped he'd become in that moment. It wasn't like him to be so talkative outside of mission objectives or arguments. Despite this internal feeling, the man remained composed, the stoicism seemingly etched permanently into his face since birth. 

[therunawaygirl]

Listening closely, Alice’s expression was one of attention. Yet the way Kujo worded it sounded like he didn’t appreciate it at all, something that just left a bitter taste in Alice’s mouth. She glanced down, both hands on her lap as she avoided looking at him. Even though some things rung true to her —not that different from what she knew about people, back in her own world—, she still couldn’t help but feel like they were taking it for granted.

His last question came out pretty rough for the girl to actually answer properly, instead looking away with a pout. A turmoil of emotions was swirling in her chest, the most prominent one being envy. A poisonous one —envy that simply never left.

“You know you can always leave, right…?” Alice mumbled, looking away, “If the topics bother you that much, then… No one’s forcing you to say things…”

It was clear that her mood had dampened —although mostly because of how attacked she felt by simply asking. Whether her curiosity was to blame or not, she couldn’t say, but it certainly had led to a more uneasy situation. She puffed her cheeks, looking away as she tried to come with something to say, but the question directed her way had left a sour taste —one she didn’t like at all.

“…” Alice kept looking away, to then sigh a bit, “Sorry… But… It feels like you took it for granted…” she mumbled, “I… Sorry I asked. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

With that, Alice stood up, avoiding Kujo at all costs. Even if she knew how he reacted at all times, she couldn’t help but feel partially guilty by it all. She wanted to cry, even if it was for something so petty like it —but it hit a raw nerve for her. His hands, tied? Alice mulled over that thought for a bit, thinking on her own tuition, as well as Jack’s.

It wasn’t like she had it tough, before their lives changed for worse. A modest household with two adults working modest jobs —one enjoying it more than the other. But in the end, even if there were jobs neither enjoyed, they never complained in order to live a normal and pleasant life —one where, even while living with the bare necessities, they could allow themselves a pleasure every now and then. Alice’s tuition was also a modest one, but one she cherished given how hard her parents worked.

Parents… Recalling that caused her tears to fall. How long had it been, since she last saw them?

“…Miss… you know…” she mumbled, part of those words lost to silence, as she gripped her hands close to her chest.

She was shaking, recalling the painful memory all over again. She couldn’t help it, really, seeing how Kujo thought of his own side, and giving it off as if he took it all for granted.

[hoodwink]

    ”You know you can always leave, right?” Alice’s mumbling surprised Kujo a bit, noticing the shift in the girls demeanor. ”No one’s forcing you to say things…” It seemed he’d made the shift in focus too abrupt—though he wasn’t sure what had really changed her mood so darkly. Despite Kujo’s steady gaze, she continued to avert her eyes, looking at anything seemingly other than him. ”Sorry…but…it feels like you took it for granted…” For a moment the man raised an eyebrow, though after a short second something clicked. Makes sense… Alice had explained to him earlier how their situation had seemed to crumble downhill. It would be obvious as to why she would feel a type of way about his nonchalance about it all. At least, obvious to anyone with any interpersonal or emotional sense. He really wasn’t used to navigating these kinds of things with people.

    Standing up and moving away from him, Kujo noticed Alice’s stature shift as she seemed to shake slightly. Though the man couldn’t see her tears, it was clear that the girl was more than distraught. Shit. Can’t I catch a break? Holding in the sigh he felt, Kujo pushed himself off of the wall, keeping his hands in his pockets as he took a few steps towards her. ”Miss…you know…” She was mumbling, making it hard for him to decipher exactly what she meant. Despite that, Kujo couldn’t help but feel like he was beginning to understand. ”Not everyone looks back on memories like that fondly.”

    A faint sigh escaped his lips as he came up behind her, though he wasn’t trying to disrespect her feelings. Not used to seeing Alice in such a way, on top of already not being the most sociable person, Kujo was for once not entirely confident in what he was doing. ”…” He really wasn’t used to this. Turning away a bit, the man glanced at the nearby wall as his teeth grit on and off. What was hardest was that Kujo didn’t understand how Alice felt, simply for the fact he had never once been envious of those with a ‘normal’ lifestyle. It all seemed bleak and chaining to him. ”But...I guess I sounded pretty privileged and arrogant, considering what you told me, huh?” Despite his usual pride, Kujo also had his own sense of duty. He had simply spoken carelessly—a trait not like him. Why had he said so much, anyway?

    Not understanding something so basic about himself was frustrating, though considering the atmosphere he knew better than to allow himself to show it. Glancing over at Alice, the man rested a hand on her shoulder, its size easily devouring her small frame. ”My bad.” Despite his stoic demeanor and rather gruff nature, it seemed the man felt genuine remorse for how the conversation had ended up.