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Kaname Chidori, age 16, has been living on her own ever since her father and younger sister moved back to New York sixteen months ago. Part of her figured she'd live alone in her apartment until she got married or something. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine that she'd be forced to live on a military base.
Say goodbye to sleepovers with Kyoko. This whole moving business was something that she didn't even want to begin to explain to her best friend. She didn't bother to even try and explain it to her father. Instead, she just told him that there were problems with packages being stolen at her apartment complex and provided him with a PO Box to send letters to instead.
It was probably better if he and her young sister, Ayame didn't know what was going on, anyway. If they knew she was in sort of danger, they'd only worry. Her dad would probably move back to the US, and moving to this base was bad enough. She was still trying to come to terms with all of this, herself.
Goodbye, perfectly normal high school life.
Kaname shifts the box in her hands. Most of her things she had shipped off; they should already be in her room. But this box is filled with things that are special to her. Old family photographs -- especially ones of her mom. A few photo albums. Her childhood blanket. The Bonta-kun plush toy she's had ever since she was a baby. The box isn't exactly heavy, perse, but it's certainly large and unwieldy. That's part of the reason why she's having such a rough time carrying it.
Still, she's been walking around this base for ten minutes now, and she's still completely lost. And unfortunately for Kaname, her usual shadow, Sousuke Sagara, wasn't around. Thankfully, though, there's a figure up ahead.
"Hey!" Kaname calls out, as she quickens her pace. "Do you know where the dorms are?"
Say goodbye to sleepovers with Kyoko. This whole moving business was something that she didn't even want to begin to explain to her best friend. She didn't bother to even try and explain it to her father. Instead, she just told him that there were problems with packages being stolen at her apartment complex and provided him with a PO Box to send letters to instead.
It was probably better if he and her young sister, Ayame didn't know what was going on, anyway. If they knew she was in sort of danger, they'd only worry. Her dad would probably move back to the US, and moving to this base was bad enough. She was still trying to come to terms with all of this, herself.
Goodbye, perfectly normal high school life.
Kaname shifts the box in her hands. Most of her things she had shipped off; they should already be in her room. But this box is filled with things that are special to her. Old family photographs -- especially ones of her mom. A few photo albums. Her childhood blanket. The Bonta-kun plush toy she's had ever since she was a baby. The box isn't exactly heavy, perse, but it's certainly large and unwieldy. That's part of the reason why she's having such a rough time carrying it.
Still, she's been walking around this base for ten minutes now, and she's still completely lost. And unfortunately for Kaname, her usual shadow, Sousuke Sagara, wasn't around. Thankfully, though, there's a figure up ahead.
"Hey!" Kaname calls out, as she quickens her pace. "Do you know where the dorms are?"
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"I don't really know," she admits. This is her first time explaining it t anyone, and now that she reflects back on it, it's kind of bizarre and difficult to describe. "It was this video with all these numbers and worst floating towards me. None of them really made any sense."
A beat, as Kaname rips through the candy packaging. Her expression is visibly troubled.
"But at the same time, it kinda did." She swallows, then looks down at the package in her hands. She should probably eat one of these, shouldn't she?
"I wonder if they were trying to brainwash me."
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[...A beat, as Ken stops himself slightly.]
Kidding.
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But just as quickly as Kaname shifted into full Chew Out Mode, her expression just as swiftly became troubled.
Kaname's really worried about this.
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Like I said, I was kidding. But... if you're concerned, there are some tests I could do. My... family had history will making sure members of the clan weren't under the influence of others, and whilst they're old techniques, far as I can tell, they work. Would just need to check the right scrolls, and we can get it done.
[He tries to break a small smile, gesturing with his head as he makes the offer.]
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But still, she definitely trusts Ken more than she does evil-scientist-terrorist-woman. If it hadn't been for him, she would have spent the entire battle stuck on the ground, and who knows what would have happened then?
"Okay," she says. "Let's do it."
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[Ken looks around, before shifting down a corridor, coming towards several, numbered doorways.]
One of these should be yours, right?
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"Thanks." Kaname lifts the box out of Ken's hands and places it down among the others. She'll worry about unpacking all of this stuff later. "Is this test something you can do now?"
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Yeah, but I'll just need to grab the relevant scrolls and some materials from my bag. Shouldn't take more than ten minutes, I promise.
[He ducks back to the door, but before he goes...]
Maybe use the time to unpack a little? Home's where the heart is and all.
[And then, he's off.]
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"Okay," she says. "I think I'll just do that."
And when Ken returns, there's already a number of boxes already open. The plain white sheets that covered the bed previously have been replaced with a more effeminate pink comforter. A plush Bonta-kun sits between two large, fluffy white pillows. A large, chicken alarm clock sits on a simple nightstand next to the bed.
In short, it's starting to look like a normal teenage girl's bedroom.
"Hey," Kaname says in greeting. "You, uh, got the stuff?"
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Of course, along with everything else. Figured it was just easier to take all my stuff than sort through the bag.
[That's because it is.]
Now lets see...
[Welcoming himself in, Ken finds himself a spot on the floor, and plops down. Opening the bag up, he begins to rifle through it, pulling out several bottles, small jars, and then lastly, various scrolls. Some of them look quite old, however well preserved, though the designs differ between some.]
Let's see, let's see...
[He opens up several and then closes them again, allowing brief glimpses at what appear to be... martial arts techniques? How to make poison? Stalking a target?!]
Ah, here we go, dispelling genjutsu.
[He's opened a scroll about midway, and lays it out on the floor. The text is Japanese for sure, but the style of writing older, faded in places, repainted in others. He begins to read, muttering as he goes.]
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Kaname crouches down on the floor next to him, watching with interest as he pulls out the scrolls. This is really starting to feel a lot like one of those old ninja movies she liked to watch. This was actually going to work, wasn't it?
"D-Do I need to do anything?"
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[He explains, picking up one of the small bottles. He shakes it a bit, before opening up the cap, upon which a powerful, odorous stench comes forth. He opens one of the jars with his other hand, and plucks out from it what appears to be a small ball of some kind, like a pellet or pill. Then, he holds the bottle a bit in front of Kaname, the neck angled towards her.]
Take a deep breath.
[And the moment she would respond, Ken would drop in the ball, which would explode in a cloud of foul odors, straight towards Kaname's face.]
Your Father.
[Beat.]
Earth Sphere United Nations.
[Beat.]
Orders.
[Beat. Whilst it might not make sense at first, when Ken spoke, Kaname might find herself involuntarily responding with whatever she knows or feels...]
Sousuke.
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Say what you want about Ken, but he's actually a really nice guy. Considerate, too! Nothing at all like a certain Sousuke Sagara.
Kaname watches intently, brows furrowed as Ken works his potentially-literally magic.
"Take a deep breath? But wh--"
Kaname doesn't manage to get the entire sentence out before Ken drops the ball, sending a cloud of foul odors right towards her. Kaname lets out a series of coughs, but still somehow manages to inhale most of the stuff.
Your father.
What? she wants to say. But somehow, she can't push the words forward. Instead, the following words leave her lips.
"We don't get along. He lives in New York and that's fine by me."
Earth Sphere--
"Wait a second, hold up! I don't want you--"
--United Nations.
"I don't know much about the ESUN or anything, but they seem to have everyone's best interests at heart. Dad works for them, too."
Orders.
"Orders? What orders? The only order I have is to live at this base for the time being."
Sousuke.
Kaname's eyes widen at that, but she can't stop herself from saying exactly what she feels.
"He's a really interesting guy. Even though he's always making trouble for me all the time, I still like him."
Kaname can feel her ears glowing red. It's not until she's spit the words out that she finally finds herself free of Ken's spell.
"H-Hey! Why did you ask me all that stuff?!" she protests. "You didn't need to know about my father, or Sousuke!"
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[He does, however, lightly scratch at his cheek when there's one thing still oeft unanswered.]
Sousuke was because I was... curious. Still, promise I was won't tell anyone.
[He says, preparing another bottle.]
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[Having fully shaken the second bottle, Ken decides to be a bit more upfront on what this one will actually do.]
Since you don't seem to have any conscious aspects of orders, we can rule that out. However, it may be that its information effectively 'forgotten' by your mind, until triggered by something external. This is a hallucinogen which can be used to evoke strong memories from the last forty eight hours, even those the mind isn't aware it has.
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"A hallucinogen? You mean like... PCP, or something?"
Kaname's reluctance registers on her face.
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Does mean I can't actually make any once I run out though.
[Ken notes with a side as he pulls from one of the jars a type of leaf, and places it to the bottle neck like one would a towel or cloth.]
On the up side, you won't need a sudden burst to the face. Just generally hold it close enough to smell, and it should work.
[He says, then extending the leaf to Kaname... though noticeably sniffling a bit himself.]
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Kaname bites her lower lip, then gives the leaf a sniff.
And then suddenly... it's as if she's back on the airplane again.Then just as quickly, the image vanishes, replaced by another.The image vanishes, and suddenly, there's a more familiar view. The view from inside Ken's cockpit.And as if Ken had actually shoved her right there, in this room, Kaname suddenly snaps out of it. A feeling of unease rolls over her.
If anything, reliving all those moments only served to make her more uncomfortable than before.
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Why did you leave...?
[The most prominent thing, in amongst the flashes of the battle, the aftermath, and talks he's had since, there stands a single moment...
Where alone in his room, empty and void of all but the provided furniture, no possessions of his own with which to decorate it, he frustratingly crunches up a single picture.]
Ah!
[Finally, the images stop, and he realises its roughly as it wears off on Kaname as well.]
W-Well? Did you see anything in... particular?
[He... probably should have been listening better, but he won't tell of what happened with him.]
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"There wasn't really anything that stood out, except..."
Kaname hesitates.
"This scientist, the one that was performing those tests on me. She told me that this was something I've known since before I was born. I think that she... and the terrorist guy... I think they both know about me. About what I am."
For the first time, Kaname is willing to concede that maybe she's not a normal high school girl after all.
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[Ken's still shaking a bit himself, making a mental note never to use this stuff again unless he's got good reason for it. Evidently, the Torao clan had never skimped on the quality of their hallucinogens...]
Something you knew about before you were born...
[Ken blinks and... struggles to comprehend. Before she was born? So the information was inside her somehow, but the way that's phrased is... baffling. Maybe he should've paid more attention in philosophy class...]
I... think that's enough then. Since I'm pretty sure that, whatever it, that's why they were after you. Not your father.
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She rests her chin atop her knees and hooks her arms together beneath them. "I don't know whether I should feel relieved or worried. I mean, it's good that I'm not some sleeper agent out to eliminate you guys, but..."
It also meant that her chance at a normal life was looking less and less likely.
"A couple of years ago, my mom died of cancer." It's a weird segue, she knows; but there's a point that she wants to make. "The one thing she wanted was to see my sister, Ayame, and I graduate from high school."
A beat; Kaname's words are a little quieter now.
"I guess that's why I'm so determined to keep on living my life normally. But that's not going to happen now, is it?"
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[Ken tries to get Kaname to raise her head a little, leaning slightly as he rests on one knee.]
Sure, doing that right now might be a little dangerous, but once there's either no more reason to hunt you, or no more people who will, then what's stopping you from going back and graduating? Its like... what, two years till you were done?
I bet we can do something in that.
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"Yeah, I can still go to high school as long as Sousuke follows me around." No one had taken that away from her -- not yet, anyway.
"But I'm guessing you never attended high school with Sousuke have you?"
Kaname doesn't wait for a response.
"He makes so much trouble for everyone. You know what? When we first met, I was pretty sure he was stalking me. I just got so angry with him following me around all the time like some kind of creeper! But now that I know the truth, I'm not sure what reality I would have preferred more."
The reality of being a girl with special powers under his protection or a girl with an especially abnormal stalker.
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