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[chidori]

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?"

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[chidori]

Kaname looks extremely reluctant, but somehow still manages to take the leaf from him, anyway. This was the only way she was going to get answers, right?

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.

"You, over there."

Kaname was trying not to look at him. If she just kept her eyes focused on the seat in front of her, maybe he'd just go away.

"I'm talking to you, miss. Yes, you, the lovely young lady with the long hair."

She looked down, then turned her eyes towards him.

"What is it?" Kaname's voice was lacking its regular vigor.

"I would like to send a video tape off to the mass media. And you're very photogenic."

Then just as quickly, the image vanishes, replaced by another.

There are words and numbers in front of her, flashing quickly before an ever-changing background.

Then suddenly things go out-of-focus. A woman is looking down at her, with an almost haughty expression.

"So, how are you feeling?" she asks.

"Not too good..." Kaname lifts her arm to her head. It's killing her.

The woman in the lab coat doesn't seem all that interested in Kaname's well-being. She steps back towards a panel.

"Really? That's too bad; we have a long way to go."

"Please, let me go back home," Kaname protests from inside the pod. "I don't think I can take any more of this sleep learning."

"Learning? Don't be ridiculous. This is something you've known since before you were born, Miss Chidori."

The image vanishes, and suddenly, there's a more familiar view. The view from inside Ken's cockpit.

Kaname's eyes scan for some sign of an unfamiliar unit. There was so much going on that it took her a minute to locate it. The unit that had to be Sousuke's.

It seemed familiar somehow... though she'd never seen any sort of giant robot like it.

Then suddenly, Kaname is struck with an intense pain, somewhere from within her head. She hunches over, her hands pressed against her head.

"I know it... I know it... that scientist... what she said before."

Suddenly, numbers, letters, all in a strange language she doesn't understand appear before her. She's never seen any of it before -- it's unlike anything she's ever seen. But somehow, it's all so familiar. Like it was something she had known her entire life.

"He doesn't know how to use it... The Lambda Driver..."

Kaname falls into a daze; her eyes appear to glaze over. "Artificial contrast interference... secondary impulse system..." All those words fall from her lips as if they were some sort of mantra.

But then, Ken's shove pulls her out of it.

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.

[tiger_ken]

[Ken tried to keep his focus on Kaname as she seems to fall back into her memories, but has a time of it himself, as it slowly dawns on him that the aroma of the leaf is stronger than he suspected. His head is caught by his hand, trying to shake off the images as they flash in front of him, but its hard...]

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.]

[chidori]

Kaname's frown just deepens as she reflects on everything that just happened. Those memories somehow managed to dredge up all the emotions she felt back then, too. Fear, anger, uncertainty -- they were all swimming inside of her.

"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.

[tiger_ken]

Except...?

[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.

[chidori]

"It doesn't make any sense, though," Kaname says, pulling her knees to her chest. "I mean, how could I have known something since before I was born?"

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?"

[tiger_ken]

Depends. Noone ever said you couldn't go back to it, right?

[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.

[chidori]

Kaname looks up.

"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.

[tiger_ken]

...I meant... after, a point you'd need such protection.

[Ken actually... chuckles a little, as he leans back now, holding a hand to his head.]

And that's pretty bad, yeah. I mean, I understand both sides really - back when I was young, I really didn't understand that actually approaching a girl you liked was part of how things worked. Parents weren't the best at... teaching... that sort of thing.

[His jolly expression briefly sours, but he shakes it off.]

I learned better in time though. If someone matters to you, then you talk to them about it. Simple as that.

[chidori]

"Hey, hold on!" Kaname protests. "Sousuke and I aren't anything like that!" Even if she said some weird things earlier, she didn't want Ken thinking that her interest in Sousuke was anything more than platonic.

Wasn't it?

"Besides, I'm not sure Sousuke has any idea what love actually is."

[tiger_ken]

Ara? I was only relating my example and the general issue of talking to girls. I never said anything strictly about you two.

Though, for what its worth... yeah, he's pretty dense from what I gather.

[chidori]

She was so stupid! Why did she react like that? Now Ken probably thought that there really was something going on between them!

And her next question probably doesn't help matters, either.

"Do you know Sousuke really well?"

[tiger_ken]

No, not really. But I've been able to gleam things from the battle, general hearsay, and what you've personally said about him. You see how a man fights, and you see what people think of him, you can get a pretty good idea without a personal discussion.

I might talk to him at some point though. There's just some questions only he can answer...

[chidori]

"Yeah, I guess so."

Kaname rises to her feet.

"Thanks for your help, though. I know we didn't really get any answers, but at least I have a better idea of where I stand. I really should get unpacked, though."

[tiger_ken]

No worries. I could help with the rest if you need to, not like I've got anything else to do.

[chidori]

"No, don't worry about it," Kaname says, shaking her head. "Besides, there's no telling how long it's going to take for me to get all this stuff unpacked."

[tiger_ken]

That's fair enough. But, don't worry about asking either - I'm just down the hall, and given I haven't got much to steal anyway, my door will almost always be open. I dunno, we could always play cards?

[Ken starts making his way towards the door, after packing up his stuff.]

[chidori]

"What room number?" Kaname asks, rummaging through a box. "I think I might take you up on that."

A game of cards would probably be the most normal thing she could do on this base.

[tiger_ken]

22, its right at the corner. See you later then.

[And Ken closes the door as he leaves, letting out a small sigh, before making his way down.]