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[As far as she's concerened, life has not been great for Pilouette as of late. She failed to meet anyone to invite to her and Precis' slumber party. She hadn't worked up the courage to dance with any cute guys at the masquerade nor did she introduce herself to any of the New Feathers. These things probably aren't even that hard to do and she still couldn't do any of them. And during the most recent experiment, she found herself being rude and aggressive to people she didn't even know. She even threatened to beat up a few people, not that she could have actually done it.

She's thoroughly disappointed with herself and she imagines that if her grandparents had any idea she had acted that way, they'd be ashamed. She couldn't even completely blame the Malnosso this time. Sure, they'd taken away her memory but she's the one who decided that it was okay to trust a flash card. She's so embarrassed that she's spent the last few days after the experiment mostly cooped up in her apartment.

When Pilouette finally does decide that she needs to actually go outside, she's surprised. That morning she checks her calendar and realizes that it's already October. She had been 17 for nearly a month and hadn't even remembered.

Who even does that?

When she arrived in Luceti, she had only been 16 for a few months. And now she's a whole year older. Though she's never had a party or a big celebration for her birthday, there were always little things she could count on happening. Phone calls from her dad and her grandparents. A slice of cake from the bakery of family friends, usually with a little note. Her best friend inviting her to see a movie or go shopping after school instead of just going home.

And, while she tries to present herself to most people as a mature person who can deal with anything...

The absence of these things makes her a little homesick and combined with everything else, she's not exactly in the best mood.]

[So, after a change of clothes (she IS still pretty embarrassed and even if its not exactly a great disguise, maybe it will help) Pils is in her usual thinking spot sitting against the back wall of the school, fiddling with her cellphone. She has never felt more lucky about finding it than she does right now. She's looking at photos of family and friends, trying to curb her homesicknes, but as she reminisces, a thought plants itself into her mind. Though she's well aware of the difference between time at home and time in Luceti, it never quite stops bugging her. And thus, she turns to the journal, if only to try and get her mind off things.]

If you get older while you're here, you go back to being the same age when you get home, right? But what if it kept happening? Like you come here, stay for a year, go home, then come right back? Like, over and over. You'd be the same age for a super long time, right?
Wouldn't that be like, totally weird?

...And, um, to anyone I ran into over the weekend...Um, I'm sorry. Really sorry. I, um, wasn't myself, I guess? You know? Sorry.

...S...Sorry!

[action]

[For a while, she'll be behind the school, looking through the various photos on her cellphone, but eventually she remembers something she's been meaning to do. She had been thinking perhaps that she should get furniture of some sort after the experiment that took place a few months prior. Not because she especially wants it, but being trapped in a corner on a blanket while your floor has become a pool of lava isn't really the most fun experience and she would like to avoid it, just in case it happens again. So, one may run into her as she carries various bits of furniture to her apartment.

However...being nonathletic and generally not very strong, whatever she's taking has to be pretty light. So she'll be carrying folding chairs or a small plastic table and similar things.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think you might have discovered the secret to immortality, Pauline.

['See, this is what it sounds like to make fun of someone a little bit.']

[She gives a little whine before answering.]

I'm being serious here! Don't you think it would be weird to not get any older for such a long time?!

Sure, yeah, but you wouldn't remember, right? So it could have already happened and you wouldn't know.

But you might remember if you came back here, right? And if you did...It would be just really weird. Like, if I went home and I was sixteen again, but I came back remembering being seventeen...It would be like time travelling but not.

Time science is so weird...!

Well, I mean, you couldn't do it over again, right? You could only live each year twice at most. Or only remember it twice at most.

Only twice...?

I guess you're right, though. It's not like you'd be doing everything all over. Now that I think about it, there's not a lot of stuff around here that really depends on age. I mean, even in the school there are people of all different ages...Really, I guess if that happened I could just ignore having gotten older here at all if it wasn't too much.

Well, yeah. You age to 17 here, then you go back, turn 17 again, and if you come back you're 17 here, too, right?

But sure, best not to think about it if you don't need to.

Oh! Yeah, that makes sense, I guess...

And it's not like I want to think about stuff like this. It just starts to bug me after a while. But I guess if I thought about all the weird stuff about this place, I'd be thinking about stuff all the time!

['Must... resist... joke...

"We can't have that happening."

"No, I don't think you're in danger of that."

"Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, after all."

...Okay, okay, under control. Just say something, anything.']

... Yeah.

[She's a little concerned during that bit of silence, but she smiles once he answers. It's always nice to know that someone understands!]

You totally get it! Like, sometimes, I just don't feel like thinking about stuff. I just wanna like, lay around and relax without having to worry about anything too much, you know? And...Well, that's kind of hard to do around here, you know?

['Well, I guess I do get that.']

True, but I manage it anyway most of the time.

Well, that's not surprising. You always seem to be like, totally cool-headed about everything! I bet you're one of those people who can handle whatever comes at them, right?

That's why they call me "Stone Cold Hawk."

[...That's...kind of a cool nickname.]

So, like, you're so calm that you're famous for it?! Wow...!

Shhh. Not everyone knows I'm Stone Cold Hawk, Pauline.

...So you're not famous, after all...

So only a few people call you that? Now that I think about it, I kind of get the Stone Cold part but what's with the Hawk thing? Do you really like birds or what?

[She's serious.]

Well, maybe a lot of people know Stone Cold Hawk, but not a lot of people know me. If you know what I mean.

Ohhh! So it's like a secret identity!

...What do you need a secret identity for? What kinda shifty stuff are you up to, huh?

... Ah, I thought I could trust Pauline-chan with my secret, but ... apparently she just thinks I'm shifty. Too bad.

W-Well, what am I supposed to think?! I mean, it's not like a lot of people use secret identities! It's mostly criminals, reporters and super heroes and it's not like super heroes are re-

[At that moment, she remembers where she is and who is there. A guy who fights ghosts. A girl who invented robots. A boy with a tail who SET HER LAVA FLOOR ON FIRE.]

W...Well.

Maybe it's not that shifty.

Well, thanks.

Maybe you'd better just forget I said anything... Don't worry about it.

It... it's alright, Pilouette. It was the Malnosso's doing. [He rubs the back of his head - it is still strange, this was the first time they never did the shift to him. It almost makes him wish they did. You just can't win with them.]

All they did was take my memory, though. I was the one dumb enough to just believe a stupid card...

But e... everyone did. H-Hastings did, a-and Rapunzel, and... [Belle...]

[Knowing that she's not the only one who chose to believe the cards makes her feel less bad, but still...]

Why can't those dumb scientists do like, a useful experiment for once instead of just messing with us all the time!? This is the second time they've messed with my memory and I'm like, for real getting pretty sick of it!

[At the reminder of the Malnosso, he is reminded of the darker side of the experiment. His voice hardens.]

I know. But they... they don't care about that.

Y-Yeah...

It's kind of scary that they can even do stuff like that...

[It's even scarier knowing that it's not even the worst they can do.]

Just because they can... they shouldn't. Not to us.

They shouldn't do it to anyone! But...there is isn't really anything we can do about it, is there?

[Frowning, she hunches her shoulders. Though she doesn't like saying it, the Malnosso never seem to fail to make her feel a little weaker and a little more powerless with each experiment. And given that she had always thought of herself as being pretty weak in the first place, it's not a great feeling.]

N... n... n-no. [He lets out a deep sigh that seems to represent all of the frustration he has contained in the last year over the Malnosso. He hates it. It's like another prison, except they don't just trap you, they hurt you and trick you and make you think something that isn't true.]

Well, I came and went this last cycle, but it looks like the Malnosso went and fixed my age.

[Which is weird, but he definitely doesn't mind.]

Can't really complain, though. I'd hate to have to turn seventeen a third time around.

So you've already been seventeen twice...So, I guess you remember turning seventeen the first time, right? That must feel totally weird!

But...what do you mean they "fixed" your age? Like, how?

Well, the last time I considered it my eighteenth birthday, since I kept all my memories.

As for fixing it... Basically, I was gone for a split-second, and as soon as I came back, they kidnapped me. Came back an hour or two later with my age in check.

It's been about a month, and the effect hasn't worn off yet.

I guess that's a good way of thinking about it. I mean, really, a birthday is a birthday, huh? And even if it's the same one you had before, you might as well just say it's the next one. Or...Um...

[She's trying to rethink that. Even though she's the one who said it, she's not sure she can really make sense of it.]

W-Well, something like that! You know?

I guess the Malnosso really can do anything...

Well, physically I might've been bumped back down, but I kept all my memories from before.

[And as for the Malnosso, he laughs.]

Can't really complain this time, though. Getting my age fixed sure beats coming back with pink hair or getting turned into a kid.

Well, I guess if you have all your memories, it doesn't matter all that much. Maybe age only matters when you're really little or really old or something?

I guess you're right, though. Of all the things they could have done, having your age fixed is probably the least awful. I wonder why they decided to do that, though...?

[Hah.]

Probably. But I'm not even twenty yet, so I won't have to worry about for a while.

As for the Malnosso... maybe they were bored.

They seem to get bored an awful lot, though. If they're gonna kidnap people all the time, you'd think they'd do more useful stuff. Like, fixing stuff instead of just making people miserable...

Unfortunately, the guys heading the kidnappings are generally pretty sadistic. You're way more likely to see someone affected by a Shift or come back injured than to see any useful changes.

So I've heard. I guess it's not surprising though, considering all the other stuff they do. I'm probably lucky that I haven't been grabbed yet.

Might stay that way for a while, too. I've only been kidnapped twice, and it took two whole years before they nabbed me the first time.

Only twice? I'd think once is one time too many! Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll just leave me alone. It kind of makes me wonder why they take some people and not others. Maybe it's the kind of thing I shouldn't think about though...

You weren't yourself? Who were you, then?

Uh...!

[Considering his previous insistence on her being a gang leader, she's not about to tell him what she was up to during the weekend.]

Well, I was me! But um, I was a me that I'm not normally!

Ehh...was it a you who was more fun to be around?

You...!

...No, it wasn't. Besides, I'm plenty of fun to be around, which is more than I can say about a certain super rude bear.

Ah...! Pillow-ette, is there another bear in town? You're talking about Grizzly-san, right?

[What. Pilouette wonders for a moment if he's serious. The she realizes of course he's serious. Look who she's talking to here.]

I'm talking about you, bear!

But there might be some other bears in the forest or something. Why don't you hang out with them for a while instead of laying around doing nothing all day?

Don't call me that...! Panda is such a cute name!

Hmm, I tried that, but I don't think they liked me very much...they're not as smart as Polar Bear or Grizzly.

You're a bear, so I'm calling you a bear!

[Well...The fact that Panda can speak just like a human does make Pils think he's probably smarter than the bears in the forest, not that she'll admit it.]

I don't know if I can even like, imagine what you could have said to make those other bears not like you.

[Well, she can but...]

You should at least call me a Panda Bear. Ahh...maybe I should call you human, then! That could be fun for us, right?

[It's a game now. 8D]

I asked them to make dinner for me.

I-It's not supposed to be fun at all!

[Mental note: vacuum bear later.]

You seriously just asked a bunch of bears you don't even know to make you dinner?! Like, do you have any manners at all?!

Hmmm...can't all bears cook, though? Polar Bear-san has his cafe, and Grizzly-san runs a bar.

[Give her a second to take that in. He lives in a place where bears can cook as just an every day thing.]

Uh....W-Whether they can or can't isn't the issue! I mean, you don't just ask random peop-...bears you don't know for stuff like that! It's like, so super rude!

But I guess I should expect stuff like that from you by now...

Ahhh! So you're expecting it? Will you make me dinner, Pilouette?

[What]

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

You're always badmouthing me to people and saying rude stuff to me! Are you seriously asking me to make you dinner?! Like, SERIOUSLY?!

Yes! Yes, I'm really expecting it! Should I come over now...?

[Pilouette is just completely flabbergasted for a second, only managing to sputter a little. But once she gets her head together, she is just not having this.]

NO! You should come over NEVER! I'm like, not making you dinner now or ever! Why would you ever think I would!?

Hmm...I haven't had a cooked meal for a while...my mom usually cooks dinner every night, but I haven't seen her in months...

What should I do, Pilouette?

[When he mentions having not seen his mother...well, she can kind of sympathize with missing one's parents and it does make her feel kind of bad.]

You really don't know how to cook or anything...?

I can make coffee. Does that count?

No. Not really.

So, this whole time you've just been eating uncooked...whatever pandas eat?

[She had always thought that animals eating uncooked good was a normal thing, but as far as she knows, he's not a normal panda.]

Do you want to know what pandas eat? I'm an expert on pandas, so if you ask, I can tell you.

[He just wants her to ask.]

Uh, sure...I guess?

[Even if she does feel a little bad for him right now...well, maybe if she knows what kind of stuff he eats, she can use it to lure him into living on another floor. Or better yet, another building!]

Pandas like to eat bamboo...! But we eat rice, coffee, cake, and chestnuts, too! We can't just eat raw bamboo all the time...there's bamboo juice, bamboo ice cream, bamboo sprouts, bamboo leaves, bamboo stir fry, bamboo dip...

[The bamboo isn't that surprising, but...coffee...and cake? He better not be the one who's been getting into her cakes in the fridge ~~because she certainly hasn't been snacking more than usual of course not no~~. Not to mention...]

So there's that much stuff made out of bamboo...? And here I thought bamboo was just...bamboo. I'm not even sure I'd know the right way to cook like, half that stuff.

Hmmm...bamboo is a part of a balanced diet. Isn't it a bit embarrassing that you don't know how?

[He doesn't know how either.]

Well, it's not like I eat bamboo or anything! How am I supposed to know?! Plus, if you're so smart, why don't you try cooking your own dinner?

A-ahh, that's right...I don't know how to, either. It's fine, it's fine.

[She lets out an exasperated sigh. Yeah, now it's fine. Geez.]

Have you tried asking at Seventh Heaven? I mean, I'm pretty sure the chef there could cook just about anything.

Come on, come on, that's not the same! It's not home-cooked at all.

[She wonders for a moment just what the difference is between having it cooked at home and having it cooked at Seventh Heaven is. Either way someone else will be cooking it for him. But then the starts thinking about something else.

On one hand, if he's been going this long with just regular bamboo, he'll probably be fine right? But on the other hand, she wouldn't want to eat cold food all the time either. But if she helped him he would probably just complain about it. But...

She can definitely sympathize with missing a family member's cooking. She's been missing her grandmother's potato soup herself. Pilouette never could get it quite right.

She's pretty sure she's going to regret this but...]

...I'll help you out this time. But you'd better pay attention because next time you're doing it yourself!

Ehhh...maybe another time. Talking to you made me hungry, so I'm already at the restaurant.

[Because what is making life easy for Pilouette. He's been walking in between his replies this entire time.]

[Pilouette stares at her journal for a moment. Wordlessly, she shuts it and stares just a little more. She then stands and screams, hurling it to the ground.

Stupid bear.]

[Precis has been spending most of her time vanishing into the tunnels to try and hack a numberpad, so she's been sparse for a while. It just so happens that on her way to get some food, though, she runs into Pilouette!

...Okay, she feels a bit bad about not talking to her for a few days, but...she'll understand, right?]

Oh, oh! Pilouette! Over here! [And she's running closer, Robbie moving behind her.] What're you doing?

[Pilouette is actually pretty grateful she didn't run into Precis over the weekend, given the way she was acting.]

Oh! Precis! Hi! I just thought it would be good if I had...um, a chair. I mean, it's probably better than having an empty apartment, right?

Ohhh, is your apartment still empty? [Given her room is a constantly accumulating new things, she kind of assumed Pilouette was the same way.] Do you need a hand? Robbie's pretty strong!

Yeah, it's pretty bare. I mean, after my floor got all crazy a couple months ago, I've been meaning to get some stuff, but I guess I just never really got around to it until now.

[She looks down at the folding chair she's holding and thinks for a moment.]

Well, it's just a little folding chair, so I think I've got it...But I might need some help with some other stuff later.

Your floor...it was all crazy? If there's something wrong with it, I can probably fix it. What happened, exactly?

[Precis is kind of disappointed it's just a folding chair. Robbie could use a work-out.]

W-Well, it's better now! But do you remember that one super weird over summer? You know, doors leading to everywhere, food not tasting right... all that stuff?

Well, I fell asleep in my living room and next thing I know my floor turned into lava! But even though it was super hot, it wasn't burning up the blanket I was on or anything...And since I didn't have any furniture I got all stuck in the corner!

Ohhhhh, that. I was working on a mission back then, so I don't remember it at all.

How'd you get out of it, Pilouette?

Ohhh! Maybe it's better you weren't around for it. It was like, super weird. Half the time I went through a door I ended up in someone's washing machine...

It's like, kinda funny you should ask...Like, that Rin guy you told me about? He was looking for a bathroom and the experiment kind of um, made him happen into my apartment instead. And he like, burned up all the lava...And my floor with it. It was like, so totally weird.

That...doesn't sound like a lotta fun, Pilouette. Hmm...

Wait, wait, Rin was there? He didn't try to do anything funny, did he? I mean...he's kind of a weird guy. All he did was help you?

It wasn't. It was like, the opposite of fun.

H-He didn't do anything weird, really! I mean...well...I did see his underwear. [A bit of a blush. How embarassing!] B-But that's only because his pants fell down when he punched a hole in the wall!

[It only occurs to Pilouette how incomprehensible that might sound after she's already said it.]

B-But, Rin really did help me out! If it wasn't for him, I would have been stuck for like, an entire day!

Oh, you did, huh? He's totally a weird pervert. He probably does that kind of stuff on purpose. It's getting a bit too convenient, how often it happens these days.

I guess it's good he helped you, though. I probably could've done it with my pants on...sorry for not being there.

I-Is he really?! Omigod, that's like, so totally gross! He seems like such a normal guy, too! Besides the making fire and having a tail stuff. But still! Gross...!

W-Well, don't worry about it! I mean, it would have been like, totally rotten for you to have ended up in any weird places, you know? I'm glad you didn't have to deal with all that!

It's kinda hard to tell sometimes! He might be okay, but we should probably be careful just in case.

If you say so. I'd rather be helpful than be stuck away when things like that happen.

Yeah...We'll have to keep an eye on him, just to make sure he doesn't do anything grody...!

[After all, her dad had always warned her about guys like that, it's definitely a concern.]

If you don't mind me asking...what kind of mission were you on during that, anyway? Anything big?

You and me both, huh.

[She shakes her head as they walk.] Nope. It was just something routine. I signed up for it to get some more points. I'll need them for something someday.

...I've been thinking that maybe I should try a mission one of these days. Like, one of the little ones that aren't dangerous. They probably have stuff like that, right?

I mean, it's not like I don't have a bunch of free time, so I should at least do something useful once in a while, right?

[Precis doesn't even hesitate.]

I think you should, too. There's an easy one where you have to use these lifts to load cargo, but it's not that hard at all. Anyone could do it.

Buuut...I don't think you should think of it like that. It's a good learning opportunity, but you shouldn't force yourself into it.

That really doesn't sound all that difficult...as long as the lifts aren't too hard to learn.

I guess you have a point. It would really be good to learn some new stuff, but it would be nice to feel like I'm being useful somehow, you know? As it is, I'm not really helping out anyone much.

[Not that there's a lot she would be good at helping out with, but...]

They really aren't. I could explain how they work if you ever decide to go, just to give you some pointers. It's easier than driving.

What do you want to learn, Pilouette? I mean, I think you're great...but I know what it's like to want to learn something and be more helpful. Have you picked out what yet?

If I decide to do it, then you're the first person I'll ask!

[Easier than driving...Not that Pils knows how to drive, but if anyone can teach her to do something, she's sure Precis can.]

Now that I really think about it, I guess I'm not sure. I've been taking cooking lessons with Mr. Sanji, but...besides that I haven't really thought about what else I want to learn.

Oh, that sounds good! I have plenty of time when it comes to you. If it was anyone else, though, I'd probably give 'em a hard time.

[She's brutally honest.]

I'm not really a good cook...I learned how to because I kinda grew up needing to. Buuut...hmm...what kind of things are useful to learn... [Pilouette doesn't seem like the weapons type of girl.] Oh! Oh, Pilouette, I know! You should learn first aid!

First aid...

[She takes a minute to mull that over in her head.]

First aid...Yeah. Yeah, that's a great idea! You're such a genius, Precis! I could help lots of people that way! It's probably not easy, but I bet even I could learn that!

Well, no, it probably isn't easy...but there's lots of doctors. I bet they could teach you! I'm not good at that kinda thing, but I bet you would be. Oh, and it'd help if you ever got drafted, too.

You really think I'd be good at something like that?

[The mention of drafts gets Pils thinking a little. The possibility of being drafted had loomed over her head for quite a while especially after a conversation she had shortly after arriving in Luceti. "Putting little girls on battlefields is hardly below them!" Definitely not a comforting thing to hear.

The idea of being sent into combat is still pretty terrifying to her for obvious reasons, but if there was something at all she could do...just in case...]

Yeah! I could stay in the back and help the doctors patch people up instead of ...doing whatever else I would have ended up doing on a draft.

And there are a lot of doctors...Between that and school starting up soon, it'll be a lot to do, but...yeah! I think I'll do it! I'll probably ask over the journals or something next time I get the chance!

I do! I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I don't think I'd be that good at dealing with people...I tend to hurry a bit too much to be a doctor. But we could team up! I know how to make herbal remedies from plants. Oh, I could even make you a machine or two to help if you get good enough...

[It's exciting to her, too. The idea that they could be partners in a way. There are probably better herbologists in the village, but Precis does try hard and know pretty well what she's doing.]

I think you should go for it. I'll be rooting for you the entire time, okay? And if I ever get hurt, I'll know right where to go.

[She a little scared of the idea of someone actually depending on her in some way, even if it's just a little. But working together with Precis to really help people...just the thought makes her kind of happy.

For the first time in a long while, she feels like she might be able to do something important, like she might be useful to someone in some way, like she'll really have some worth!]

Yeah...Yeah, I'm gonna do it! And I'll try really hard so I can help you whenever you need me to! Or when anyone does!

Yeah, that's the spirit! I'm sure you'll be totally great at it! Hmm...you'll have to let me know when you start. I might build something to help you out.

[She's been looking for an excuse to build something for Pilouette for pretty much...ever. She doesn't want to force it too much, though...]

You're the first person I'll tell! And whatever you make, I'm sure it'll be totally awesome! Whatever I'm doing, I usually need all the help I can get!

[She lets out a sheepish little laugh. She's just joking. Well. Kind of joking.]

IT IS I WHO MUST APOLOGIZE! MOST WHOLE-HEARTEDLY!

[Pilouette jumps a little, surprised from the sudden blast of noise coming from her journal. She does her best to compose herself before answering.]

Oh! Uh, n-no, it was like, totally my fault. I mean, I was the one who tried to pick a fight with you and stuff, you know?

I only encouraged you, and I said such cruel things to you. It is most unbefitting of me.

W-Well, I wasn't exactly nice, either! I feel like, so totally bad about it!

[She feels a little worse now that he's apologizing to her, so she tries to redirect the conversation a little.]

And this isn't even the first time they've messed with my memories. But from what I've heard the Malnosso really pulled one over on everyone...

What do you refer to?

Back in spring there was this shift when a lot of weird stuff happened and...the Malnosso turned me into a boy. They even rewrote my memories so I didn't know that anything was wrong with me!

[Just thinking about it gives her the willies. The fact that the Malnosso can completely rewrite someone's life is probably the scariest thing she's faced up to this point.]

And to think that this time instead of rewriting memories, they just...erased them all.

That sounds... most horrid. As sure as I am that you must have been a most charming man, the things they do to us and our lives are inexcusable. But... at least we have ourselves back now.

Inexcusable is right! Like, I'm really gonna give them a piece of my mind one of these days!

[No she won't.]

But I guess you have a point...At least it wasn't permanent. I mean, I can't even imagine what kind of a person I'd have ended up being if any of this stuff was! Especially this last one...

If I may be frank... you did not seem to be very good at acting the persona you believed to be your own. So... you may very well have wound up becoming something like your true self after all. [Pause] And perhaps the same is true of myself.

I really didn't...?

[And she thought she was really starting to get it...!]

I guess that's a good thing. I mean, it's kinda nice to know there are some things about us that they can't change so easy. I guess no matter what they do, we just kinda...are who we are or something.

Yes. After all, we are youths in the prime of our lives - the springtime of our youth. We cannot be changed so easily. And we can always endure!

[It takes her a second to kind of comprehend what he's just said and she can't help but think it was kind of dramatic.]

Springtime, huh? I think it's fall already, though... A-and you're right! It i pretty hard to change people if they don't want to change.

[Though, she can't help but think that it's pretty hard for someone to change even if they do want to.]

I speak of the seasons of our lives, not of the current year! We are young and our wills are strong. Change is the least desirable option here - we must hold onto who we are to overcome these strange threats.

[She takes a moment to think about that.]

But...it's not like it would bad to change just a little, right? Maybe it would be better to change. ...For some people.

Ah... of course! The key is being in control of yourself. Let change only happen when it is something you truly want - something that can better yourself!

Okay! So change if I want to, but don't change if I don't!

...That's easy enough to say, but..It's probably a lot harder than that, huh?

If you know in your heart what you want and resist everything in hear that tries to direct you otherwise? Then it may turn out to be easier than you think, Miss.

...Thanks.

[Even though she still thinks he sounds a little dramatic (who says this kind of stuff outside of a movie?), it still makes her smile a little. Plus, when was the last time someone called her "Miss?"]

Um, you can call me Pils.

Very well. Pils-san! Meeting you is an honor. As for my own name, it is Rock Lee! I am also known as Konoha's Beautiful Wild Green Beast!

Oh, uh, n-nice to meet you, too.

[Konoha's....what.]

That's um...some kind of nickname, huh?

It is. Do you like it, Pils-san? It summarizes my attributes.

Um...W-Well, it's like, probably the most interesting nickname I've ever heard, you know? Whoever came up with it must have been like, super creative or something.

Why thank you! My mentor, Gai-Sensei, his intellect and imagination know no bounds!

[His mentor? She can't help but wonder what kind of reasonable adult comes up with something like that.]

Your...Your mentor came up with that? ...Really?

Oiiii! You're Precis's friend, ah- [...What's her name. It's something like "drugs" but not drugs. Tylenol? Tyri? No that's dumb. Uh- oh, duh! ] Vita! [Like "vitamin!"] Why're you carrying a fold out table?

[As he passes her carrying a, well, fold out table]

V...Vita?

Oh, well, since my apartment is pretty empty, I thought it would be nice to have...well, stuff. Especially after that thing with the lava, you know? What about you? Like, what are you up to?

Just wandering- but wait, you're furnacing [That's "furnishing"] the place with something like that?

Furnacing...?

[Rin, you're starting to confuse her a little. Not like that's hard to do, but...]

Well, it's not like I can carry a regular table up to my apartment. I'm not exactly strong, you know?

[She holds up her arm in kind of a fake flex. She's not very muscular. At all.]

Oh, no problem! I'm strong! [He makes his own muscle. To copy her. He actually does have muscles, and he nods] I mean... I made... uh. [Bad first impression. He gulps and sighs] I mean I'm owing you something 'cus I nuked your floor. So let me bring some nice stuff over!

[Though she had been pretty upset at the time, thinking about it now, the only alternative to Rin burning up her floor was sitting in the corner in a boiling hot apartment until it was over. But since he's offering to help...]

Oh, um, sure! Thanks! Are you sure? Like, if you have other stuff to do, I don't wanna take up your time, you know?

What, no! This won't even take that long or anything! [And he'll feel less bad now. He grins ear to ear and then goes to tap her on the shoulder, energetically]

Well...Okay! If you say so! I was really just going for what I thought might be useful, so I guess I'm not sure where to go from there.

[She looks down at the fold out table she's holding and frowns. She's sure that a table like this would be convenient...even if it is kind of ugly.]

Well let's go back to the shop and we'll find something you think'll look good. [And he holds out his arm for the fold out table. See, he'll take that]

Okay!

[Carefully, she hands the table over to him, doing her best not to drop it.]

Either way I'll need a table. And a chair, too, I guess. It would probably be better than doing my homework all over the floor and stuff.

[Though, she's not going to mention that it would probably be better than falling asleep on the floor all over her homework. How unladylike!]

[He, meanwhile, grabs this table in one hand and holds it over his head like it weighs nothing, nodding]

Alright. So that's a few trips, but we got this.

[Even though she's already seen how strong Rin is, she's still just the tiniest bit impressed at how easily he lifts that table. Luckily, she wasn't able to get too far from the item shop before running into him.]

You know, this actually kind of exciting...!

[Now that she thinks about it, decorating an apartment, picking out furniture...It's kind of a grown up thing to do, isn't it? She giggles a little, grinning.]

Yeah? [He didn't get to pick out too much furniture for his house... mostly because the living room is dominated by plants and sun lamps for said plants. Blame Shiemi. but he sounds genuinely curious as he says that]

Well, yeah. When you're picking out stuff for your own place, it kind of feels like growing up a little...

Besides! I bet my apartment will feel a little more lived in if there's actually stuff in it.

Yeah, I hear that! I mean our house looks all individual because there's plants in there!

Plants, huh? Having some house plants must be nice...Like having a little garden right in your own house!

Oh! Maybe I should go by the flower shop later and get some flowers for the apartment! Oooh, that would be really nice!

Hey, you name it, I can help or something.

[But they're back at the item show though. HE gets the table under his arm to get the door. Or try to. It's sort of awkward between the tail and the table]

Oh! Oh, I'll get it! Sorry, sorry!

[She scrambles over to try and get the door and in her hurry, accidentally kind of...swings it open a little too energetically. She stumbles a little, doing her best to maintain her not-falling-on-face status.]

[He would try to catch her, but from his position and with the tale in his arm, he's not in a good position to- so he just reaches out with his free arm to try to grab some part of her to keep her standing-]

Whoa there.

[He seems to have caught the back of her jacket and, indeed, it keeps her on her feet.]

Haha, than-

[What was it that Precis said about him earlier? "He's totally some weird pervert." "He might be okay, but we should probably be careful just in case." Did he really mean to grab her jacket? Pilouette kind of stares at him for a minute. He hasn't done anything obviously creepy...and he is helping her. She should probably make a mental note to be careful anyway, though. She puts on a sheepish kind of smile and holds the door for him.]

Uh, th-thanks for that!

Yeah, you gotta be careful. [With a little sage nod. And that done, he's in! He'll just find a likely looking place to set the table down in here.

...Huh, the music inhere isn't as loud as usual]

[Pils notices the music (or lack thereof?) as well.]

I wonder if the girl who manages this place has already left for the day...?

[She feels like she should really know that person's name as often as she's in the item shop. She starts to glace around at various things, wondering what would work well in her apartment.]

Let's see...something that looks nice, but that's useful...

Rogue? Yeah. maybe. [And with the table set down, he can follow behind her. From a little bit of a distance, but trying not to look bored]

Rogue...That's such a cool name...!

[Ah, but that's not the point right now! She's supposed to be finding stuff for her apartment! After a few minutes of passing things over (too small. too big. too gross.) she stops as this catches her eye. She walks around it for a moment, inspecting it.]

Ooooh. This one looks like, totally sophisticated, huh?

Oh...Oh wow, it totally does! It's like something you'd see in an old fancy dollhouse or something!

I know, right?!

[She moves about excitedly. As childish as it may be...she's just really excited about this chair. It's sophisticated, yet kind of...princess-y.]

Oooh, it's like, so totally perfect! I guess if I get this, I'll have to look for stuff that would look good with it...

[He goes to lift it up and...

...Actually this would be cumbersome to carry around. Maybe they should get a cart or something]

Man, that is cool, actually.

Like, I know, right?

[She's still looking around, using her cellphone to snap photos of things she think might look nice. Since she found the thing, she might as well use it for something useful.]

I'm gonna make my apartment look so totally super high class and stuff...! Let me know if you see anything cool, okay?

Hey, it's your apartment, you gotta set it up yourself, right? I'm just lifting stuff for you.

[That said, he is glancing around too]

[She pouts a little, looking at him over her shoulder.]

Well, it never hurts to have a second opinion, you know! Especially since you've seen my apartment. Even if the floor was lava at the time.

Yeah but it's not like I'm stylish anyway! I'm not a J-Pop star or something.

So what? It's like they say...um...

[What is it they say again? ...Oh yeah!]

It doesn't take a chef to know when the food is bad! But maybe it would be better to just decide on all this stuff by myself. Like, I pretty much know what I'm going for, I guess.

[Siiiigh... He shakes his head and then sees- the coolest couch ever.]

That! You gotta get that-!

Edited 2012-11-09 22:15 (UTC)

[She looks over and...what.

Pilouette stares at the couch. Then at Rin. At the couch. Rin again.]

...Like, um, are you for real?

Of course I am! Look at that, it's the coolest couch ever!

No, it's not!It's weird! Besides, I want something totally sophisticated and super classy! Like, you might as well be telling me to get one of those plastic race car beds!

What, you just said you wanted me to look, and that's the coolest thing in here!

[smirking some, that is]

[She sighs.]

Well, I'll like, totally remember this next time I think about asking for you opinion...Are just into weird junk like that?

It's not weird, like I said, that's the coolest thing in here! [He gestures with the hand not holding her chair]

Maybe it's cool if you're decorating for like...some kind of...race watching party. If you think it's so great, maybe you should take it to your place or something.

[...Clearly, he did not even consider that until this moment] ...Maybe I will! As soon as I'm done helping you out.

Like, I'm totally sure the people you live with will be like, super jazzed about it. It'll probably look way awesome with all your plants and whatever.

You think so?! [SPARKLE in his eyes. He figured Izumo would think it was lame, but despite being difficult and rude, she's also a pretty girly girl, like this person! If she thinks they would, maybe she would!!]

...Like, seriously?

[She wonders for a second if he's joking or not.]

Not really. It's sort of big and loud, you know? I mean, I don't really know any of the people you live with, so...maybe?

If you don't think so, don't lie to me like that! [He even pouts at this, her chair still over his shoulder. He probably looks pretty sad sap, between that and his tail drooping]

I-I wasn't lying! I was joking! They're like totally different!

[She does feel a little bad about it just seeing how sad he looks.]

If you do take it home, maybe they'll just...get used to it being there? Like, after a while they won't mind it so much. L-Like our wings! Most people don't like them at first, but after a while they're just kinda...there!

Heh he. Mine still sort of itch a lot, but you're probably right, Vita. [He nods, smiling now] Now let's find some more stuff.

Right! Let's see, I'll need a table...

[Hey, wait a minute there's that "Vita" thing again...!]

Um, okay, like, I have to ask. What's with this "Vita" stuff? You said it earlier, too.

Your name's some big long thing I forgot and I remember you've got a shorter name which sounds like some medicine. So it was obviously Vita, like in vitamin.

[/FLAWLESS LOGIC]

[what]

P...Pils. M-My nickname is Pils.

Maybe if my name is that hard to remember I really should just start using something else.

Pils! Right, sorry, Pills! I knew it was some sort of drug thing!

...I guess that would probably make it easier to remember since my name is kind of weird...

[Except he didn't. She continues to talk as she keeps looking at various pieces of furniture.]

At least one of us has an easy name. It's hard to forget something simple like "Rin" you know?

Oh, yeah, it's true! But... uh, your name's like... foreign or something, right?! It's not like it's totally weird like some others I know.

W-Well, yeah, it is, but even then...

Even if those other names are weird, they're probably like, actual names, right? Like, real names that other people have.

Yeah but like... Mephisto. It's a weird name, right?

Mephis...Geez, I guess that is kinda strange. Like, what kind of name is that? I've never heard it before!

Isn't it?! It's the name of the headmaster guy at my school! [...Wait, doesn't he use an alias? ...Oh well he can't remember the alias]

So even someone with a weird name can get an important job like that. You'd think people would get like, a bad impression or something...

Maybe I won't have to change my name, after all...

I don't think people hold off on hiring because of names or anything...

B-But names can really be important when you're making a first impression, you know! I mean if there's one person with a regular name and another person with really weird name, the person in charge is gonna like, totally start thinking stuff before they meet either of them!

But your name sounds French or German or something, so won't they think that you're fancy!? So it's a good thing!

F-Fancy...? You really think so? I never thought about that! I mean, I guess if someone didn't know French, it might sound kinda fancy...

Maybe if I start dressing really fancy, too...! Wow~! A high-class looking apartment! A fancy sounding name! A totally classy new look! This could totally be like, the start of a whole new thing for me!

[She's...pretty excited by this thought. It's almost kind of silly.]

Well if you're gonna furnish it up before Christmas, you need to pick out more than this chair.

[which he bounces on his shoulder for impact]

Oh! I guess I won't get anything done by standing around talking about names, huh?

[She lets out a sheepish little laugh. She glances about for a bit before picking up a floor lamp with a pink beaded shade and a silver base.]

Hey, this is pretty cute! ...Oh, uh, and thanks again for helping me out today. If you ever need a favor or whatever, like, let me know!

Oh, sure. I'll keep that in mind. [He offers a hand for the lamp, but honestly, it might be better just to keep him to heavy things]

Oh! No, I think I can get this. It's not very heavy at all!

[She smiles, putting her other hand on it and gathering up the electrical cable.]

Now, if I can just find a nice little table, that should be enough for today...

Well apparently, you don't even like my style, so you gotta pick it out. [A little huffy. Just a little.]

Well, if your style wasn't so weird...

But of course I'm going to pick it out! The stuff in my apartment has to be like, super classy! Totally uppercrust! Like...like...

[Her gaze wanders as she looks around the shop while she talks and soon her gaze falls upon a fancy looking table. She trots over to it and inspects it, a grin forming on her lips.]

Like this! Omigosh, it's like, so totally perfect! Like, totally super fancy!

It looks a little small... [But then, it's just an apartment coffee table, right? He shrugs, shifts the chair, and then goes to try to figure out how to lift and carry it too. It's not the weight, it's the positioning]

Well,that's okay! I mean, since I live by myself, I'll probably be the only person to use it most of the time, so it doesn't really need to be big. It'll make it easier to clean around it, too!

Do you think we should carry it together? Like, I feel kind of bad making you carry all the heavy stuff...

Oh no, this isn't heavy at all. It's just sort of awkward in terms of positioning.

[...There, that's good enough]

Do you need help with that?

[Have an athletic, fairly strong (at least for her age and size) girl offering to lend a hand, Pils.]

[She stops dragging her folding chairs, a little surprised that a stranger is just offering to help her, but...]

U-Um, are you sure? I mean, like, I don't wanna be a bother or anything, you know?

It's fine! I don't want you to hurt yourself.

[If Pils has more than two chairs with her, Pao-Lin will take two of those chairs and easily haul them up with just one arm. Otherwise, she'll just take one of 'em to lighten the load.]

[Pils knows she doesn't look very strong, but...doesn't want her to hurt herself? Ouch. Still, she appreciates the help and allows Pao-lin to to take the chairs, leaving her carrying just one on her own.]

Thanks! With that many I probably would have gotten really tired before I even got to the building...

Oh, where do you live?

[This is probably an important fact to know, isn't it.]

Oh! I live in Building 4! Um, I hope that's not too far!

[For Pilouette, carrying something there would make it feel like miles, but she's not sure how difficult it would be for someone of decent strength.]

Not at all! I'm in building 7, you know.

[Building 7...Ah! Where Roji lives...]

So you live even further than I do, huh?

[She looks at how easily Pao-lin is carrying those chairs under just one arm. She's a little embarrassed needing both arms to carry just one of them.]

I bet stuff like this is no trouble for you, huh?

Nope! I'm used to helping people out.

[...that probably wasn't what Pilouette meant, Pao-Lin.]

[Definitely not.]

Huh? O-Oh, I meant, um...You're like, having no problem at all carrying this stuff! It's like, kind of cool.

Anyway, it'll be kind of nice to have some furniture, you know? I've been here almost a year and my apartment is still nearly empty!

[She gives kind of a sheepish laugh. She definitely doesn't want to come as as sounding lazy.]

Wow, you've been here about as long as I have...you really didn't get a chance to get stuff for your apartment?

[It's true that Pao-Lin (like everyone else) was taken here against her will, and she certainly didn't really expect to stay here as long as she has, but she was so excited by the idea of a place of her own that she furnished her apartment fairly quickly.]

Edited (wrong icon!) 2012-10-30 03:03 (UTC)

Well, it's not that I didn't get the chance. It's just that I'm not very strong so I can't carry anything really heavy. Besides, it's a lot easier to clean without a bunch of stuff to move out of the way, you know?

[Pao-Lin giggles.]

I guess that makes sense! But it must feel a bit lonely, too, with all that empty space...

I guess it does feel a little bit lonely sometimes...

[Oh, but...Pils has to remember! She's nearly an adult! Especially now that she's seventeen! Something like that shouldn't bother her...right?]

But, it's not a big deal. I mean, back home, Daddy worked a lot, so I was by myself a lot.

[That gets a nod out of Pao-Lin.]

Yeah, it was kinda the same for me, too. I had to live away from my parents for my job, and my caretaker got busy sometimes with work so then I'm left alone in the condo.

It must be a pretty big job if you had to move away for it...And if your parents are anything like my dad is, I bet they worry and call all the time, right? Even though you're totally taking care of stuff.

Yeah, I have to call them at least once a month. And my dad texts me a lot too, but it's mostly because my mom makes him because she doesn't like texting. [Pao-Lin's glad for this, because she has a feeling that she'd be getting texts from her mom every day if it were otherwise.]

[Pils smiles, letting out a friendly little laugh.]

My dad doesn't text, but he calls a few times a week. Even when he's not home, he still wants me to tell him everything I'm doing. Plus all the normal dad stuff. You know "Be home by ten, no boys at the house," that kinda stuff.

Yeah. Parents are so annoying sometimes, aren't they? But...it's just because they're worried about us, that's all.

[It doesn't quite make their antics any less of a hassle to deal with, but...]

Well, I get that, but...Sometimes it can feel like they don't take us seriously because we're young, you know? ...Well, that's how I feel anyway. Like, maybe it's just me?

No, no, I feel that way too! It feels like they don't trust us enough, right?

Yeah! Exactly! It's like, they don't need to check on us all the time! We're not little kids or whatever, you know?

[Pao-Lin laughs and nods. You are coolbeans, Pils.]

You said your dad worked a lot. What's he work as?

My dad's an investment banker for a big company in France. Well, he works for the US branch, but...He's on business trips a lot, so I don't see him much these days.

...Or, um, I guess I didn't see him much before I came here. It think it had been a couple weeks...

Wow, that sounds pretty important! He probably makes lots of money, doesn't he? [ALL BUSINESS-TYPES ARE RICH, CLEARLY.]

I guess he does...I'd hope so with how much he works! To be honest, I really don't know like, exactly what an investment banker does...thinking about it, I should probably look into that.

Oh! You said you had a job, right? Like, if you don't mind me asking, what do you do? It must be really big if you had to move, right?

Yeah! I'm a Hero with HeroTV. So I catch criminals and help civilians and things like that.

[On TV for points while also showing off her corporate sponsors. But she'll leave that out for now.]

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