amusingbox | A random encounter

[Having been doing this long enough to expect the unexpected, Allen is unfazed by the setting change -- and the robes -- and the egg. But he is still not immune to oddities. And this is proving... exceptionally odd.]

What do you mean they changed the password? [He has struggled his way around on moving staircases and chased his egg down a corridor that got him promptly lost and he's almost back to the Gryffindor common room and no portrait is going to stop him!] [He kicks the frame irritably] [He is going to give those jokers such a piece of his mind...]

[The voice draws her attention immediately. It's not the content so much as the familiarity of it. She knows that voice. She may not know anything else about where she is or why or what's happening to her, but she knows Allen Walker!

And maybe, just maybe, he'll even know her...

It would be good if he did. That way when she sticks her head directly out of the portrait followed by a hand—the better to grab him with and pull him through—he won't be quite so shocked.]

Hey, I'm better than a password.

[You are going to make him lose his egg!! There's a beat when her head slides out that he goes stiff, and then blurts] Kitty!

[He didn't think he'd see her -- it's been so long, and this has all been utterly different from Marina, nothing even remotely like it, and nobody else remembers it, no one. It occurs to him only belatedly that she might not remember either, and then he goes] Sorry, you -- look like someone I... No, that's not going to be convincing when I obviously know your name, is it.

[He'll just stand here!]

[She so does not care about the egg! It's not the second chance she really needs after her students. It's an omelet starter!

But her face lights up at the way he remembers. Really, it's strange she can even smile right now with Reid god knows where without her and no idea how to get back to him, but Allen is definitely the next best person to see right now which may not sound as meaningful when it's also second place, but it is. IT IS SO MEANINGFUL!]

You remember too? Allen. [You know, just in case you needed some proof. She'll just stand here too and...no, no she won't. HUGGING ENGAGED! She is happy to see you, but don't worry, that's just her wand.]

[He was going to ask about your mysterious new hip appendage but he accepts that answer. His arms come up to wrap back around her, holding her back. Hugging is -- still not something he really gets a lot of, but he feels the same instinct to hug her because she's here.]

You... remember. [And a smile curves up his lips, before he says] Wait -- you haven't been here, have you? [New fear: you will remain here when his week is up, and he'll go on and end up with just more memories of people from Marina.]

[She's still not the girl who walks up and hugs just anyone. Allen Walker just happens to be one of the few exceptions to that rule.] Here? In crazy house land with all the eggs? No. I was in MarinaNova before I was here. [Yeah, you heard that Nova part right.]

...Have you? Is this where you've been the whole time? Is this where everyone goes?

Well, that seems-- MarinaNova? [what]

Ah, no, I just arrived here today. I was someplace almost this stupid yesterday, and somewhere else the week before that, and that place wasn't stupid, but this whole thing is, so I suppose that makes up for it. [naturally, he's having a good time]

Yeah, we switched prisons and AIs. It's the same but different. [But it isn't first and foremost on her list of topics what with their immediate circumstances being more...immediate.]

What whole thing? Where are we?

...We'll... get back to that. [They have time. A week, in fact. A thought which heartens him slightly, and he straightens up.]

I gather this place is called "Hogwarts" -- which is a stupid name -- [he directs a dire glance at the portrait, as if to blame the animated woman in it for this] -- but it's only temporary. Every few days we wake up somewhere completely different, with a new assignment. [He juggles his egg to show her the communicator, and toggle the message: Care for the eggs as if they were infants. Time limit, one-hundred sixty-eight hours.

When the time is up... It's off to somewhere else.

[It is a stupid name, but she tries not to let that bother her as she follows along. Apparently, Allen finds a lot of this stupid. She's already starting to agree.]

I have so many whys for that, but let's actually start with, "and if we don't?"

[He would normally be less overwhelmed by the stupidity of it all, but he's literally spent an hour chasing an independently-mobile egg around, so right now there are few things that are not party to stupidity.]

We don't... want to do that. [somewhat delicately, but he does look around a little anxiously, as if it might be overheard] I would rather have stupid over failure. Failure is usually met with days of zombies, or monsters, or sickness, or starvation, or all of the above. And often after rendering us defenseless.

[He lifts his hand, scratching his jaw gingerly with the black nail tipping his red hand. There are civilians with them, and he isn't a fan of being stalked by werewolves at the best of times, but even less so when his left arm hangs like a dead weight at his side, useless.]

[She notices the look.] Okay, so, I'm taking good care of an...egg. I can do that. I feel like a fridge or a skillet should be involved, but whatever.

Who is putting us through this...test?

That, I wish I knew. [He slips the egg gingerly into a pocket -- this is what got him in trouble last time, but he's a little nervous he might crush it if he just keeps walking around with it in his hand -- and then sighs, folding his arms.] I thought at first it might be the Engineers, or... some other AI of theirs. But we've had no contact with whoever it might be, for weeks -- months. No sign of them, no clues, not even a reason. Just these words left for us whenever we wake up in a new place.

If it's related to Marina, they have certainly hidden it well, and... I'm the only one here who knows about it at all, so it seems unlikely. [He shrugs a little with a small smile, deliberately nonchalant, instead of super alone and awkward.]

[Look at him pre-answering her next battery of questions. It leaves her momentarily silent. Even though there are plenty of other questions about their current circumstances waiting in the wings she doesn't fish for them now.]

Months... [That hurts more than she realized it might, but she follows up with a nod of understanding. It's not the first time she's lost people. Family. Home.]

It's really good to see you. [Let's not forget there is a gain here and that's something.]

[He lifts his head to smile at her more, softening a bit.] It's mutual. [He's missed her -- everyone, really, but it's a little different with Kitty. He can see now that she's the first really good friend he's had in a long -- long time who wasn't forced on him by circumstances beyond his control.]

And it's been a while! We should catch up. How have things been going for you? [avidly, and he nods, indicating that they can go ahead into the common room] We have a week, and all we have to do is go to class every now and again and not sit on these eggs, so we might as well.

[She follows along since he seems to know the score here. She'll just take a seat all cozy like on some plush bench seating with thick cushions and let the egg creature rest in her hand which is settled in her lap.] Good. Things were good for me. [Past tense has already crept into her sentences.]

Suzaku left around the time you did, and I started leading the Defense Force. Reid and I are still together. [No past tense here. She...can't. Not yet. Her eyes glance to her wrist where the blue band is missing.] We actually live together. He's great. [She feels like she's been becoming a better person around him even if it is more to her credit than his. Still, he makes her happy and she's trying not to let the hurt of what's just happened catch up to her yet.] I wish you and he had been able to get to know each other better. He could have card counted at poker while you were cheating in other ways. [Sad little smile.]

The only ones from your world left are Tyki and Miranda. [Yeah, Cross is gone again.]

The new prison doesn't have a shelter and everyone lives in apartments. We have two AIs who work together—Veridical is an ass and Conscienti is kind of like an answering machine. [Which is probably helpful for a guy in the past to relate to.] There are some new rules and stuff. [She shrugs. None of that is important anymore, is it?]

Sounds like there's been a lot of upheaval. [hitching up his legs and folding them to sit cross-legged. but he smiles at her, warmly] But I'm sure you've been doing a wonderful job with the Defense Force, Kitty.

[His friends, his allies, are gone... He supposes he should be glad that they're gone. Back, maybe. And glad for the dome, that more of the Noah are gone. He feels bad for Miranda, but... It's hard to be sad that everyone is where they belong now. Better for as few people as possible to be embroiled in this mess.]

[Or maybe it's just Allen. Either way, he focuses on her again, smiling] And I'm glad to hear you've been doing well with Reid. He seemed like a really good person, even though I've hardly had the chance to meet him. [He'd also have liked the chance to get to know him better, especially since Kitty seems to be happy with him, even after this amount of time has passed.] ...And you deserve that. [Someone who's good, and makes her happy.]

[He'll get around to the part about the machine that answers questions, which sounds pretty awesome, btw. You must know so many things now.]

I restructured it. The Defense Force I mean. We're a collection of smaller units with sector leaders. I also made an investigative branch. [No scientists with coffee robots though.

She leans against the cushion, feeling like she could sink right into it. Okay, technically she could, but this isn't a phasing feeling. As nice as it feels to catch up with Allen and share accomplishments there is a sinking feeling. "Months."]

Thanks... I hope he's okay. [She hopes she's okay too, but she can't really think about it. If she thinks about it she's going to start to unravel and she can't.] What about you? You know other people doing the stupid with you? Friends?

A random encounter

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject