nexuses | 13 | the boy who ran

[ He's about to explain his case – as much as he's allowed to, because it's classified – when another question gets asked. 13 opens his eyes and raises his head, letting his propped arm drop to the table surface. ]

I'm not from here.

[ To date, he's yet to witness any military brutality. He's only heard, and no more than fragmented pieces. There's a thing about fear and resentment, and it's that the former can lock the latter in with tight lips. His statement invites the boy to elaborate, if he's willing. ]

[ Well, instead of elaborating right now, he'd rather just be shocked at this revelation. So his eyes will widen a bit and he'll lean forward and talk a little louder than before. ]

Th-Then what are you doing here?! [ Akjhsdg quieting down a bit though because they're not supposed to attract attention right now. ] What's wrong with you?

[ This place isn't exactly a tourist attraction, if he couldn't already tell. People don't just visit this kind of place because it's fun. He guesses that could be why he was all the way out there so close to where the military resides — maybe he just didn't know? Of course, he still can't dismiss the idea that all of this is a lie, but ... ]

[ 13 blinks, just a bit thrown by the question coming from the ragged boy. The wonder fades, giving rise to a small smile as he thinks on the circumstance that brought him to this town. He draws back a little, enough to dispel the air of secrecy that might have surrounded them. ]

I was asked to come here on business. It didn't exactly have a brochure.

[ He can probably owe that to the looming military presence. ]

[ ... S-Smiling? Smiling? There must be a lot wrong with this guy, regardless of why he came, honestly.

He's still suspicious of this, so he's going to keep asking questions. ]

'Business', huh? [ Sitting back again and sinking into the seat a little, while he crosses his arms. And he eyes him with a bit of suspicion. ] What kind then?

[ What could possibly bring him here? ]

[ Oh, all manner of things. There's nothing stopped him from entering an open town, as tense as it is. But 13 sticks to the most basic reason, expression watering down to a milder smile. ]

Inspection. The rest is classified.

[ Nobody likes an inspector on the premises. Add to that the stress of an escapee, and the result would have been ugly. ]

[ Inspection. Uh huh. While that can be a valid answer here, he doesn't like the second thing he says. ]

That doesn't help you look any less suspicious.

[ Saying things are classified is, like, the most common way to cover things up while pretending to be official! ]

[ A corner of 13's lips twitch upward from an insistent tug. Just then, the bartender returns from the back with a small kit, and that's 13's cue to rise from his seat. ]

It can't be helped. You don't have the clearance for me to talk about my job. [ His hand drags over the surface of the table to the edge as he heads for the counter. ] I can at least say that you have nothing to do with it.

[ Then he's gone, off to pick up the kit. The second he returns, he'll offer the kit of gauze and adhesives to the boy. ]

[ H-Haah ... He can say that, but without any sort of proof, there's only so much believing it that Aiden can do.

He'll give a huff, then, and sink further into himself when 13 leaves. Dealing with this guy is hard for him, especially without Elise to back him up. He doesn't have anything to fall back on — no one to bail him out if he makes the wrong judgement. And he's nothing like her in terms of fighting ability; he'll be cornered the moment anything gets bad.

But he'll watch closely as 13 leaves and returns with the kit, and inspect it carefully once it's offered to him. His only reaction is to ... be a little shocked, oops. ]

You ... were telling the truth about this, at least.

[ Okay that's ONE THING. ]

[ As a general rule, 13 tends to be honest. Whether he tells the whole truth is another story, which doesn't make him too special. The world's a complicated place, though, and he doesn't take the slightest offense to the boy's words. ]

You'll have to clean your injuries first. [ He motions to a narrow corridor near them, next to the bartender's counter. ] The washroom's that way.

[ From the way he stands still in front of the table, it's evident that 13 doesn't intend to follow. He's not the nanny. The boy can do what he wants. ]

[ Wow, it's not like he even wants 13 to follow. He doesn't need 13 there to clean up his injuries, okay. He's an adult and he can take care of himself! ]

Uh, right — okay.

[ Then he'll pick up the kit and look down at the floor as he awkwardly makes his way to the washroom. It's not until he's in there that he feels concerned that 13 might do something suspicious out there while he's in here, but all he can really do right now is take this chance to clean himself up so he's not as suspicious-looking. There's still cuts and stains on his clothing, but the least he can do is fix himself up ...

As fast as he can. Because he gets more nervous about 13 the longer he spends separated from him. Even if he told one whole truth so far. ]

[ After Aidan goes off on cleaning duty, 13 finds himself approached by the server. He orders a light drink and slides back into his seat, where he folds his arms atop the table.

This wasn't part of the plan. But he might as well help out while he waits for the military to calm down and disperse again. Then he can infiltrate the area again, unseen, and investigate what 4 had asked of him. How troublesome . . . and, yet, this is exactly what he'd offered to do. At his core, 13 doesn't mind at all.

The server beats Aidan to their respective jobs. By the time the latter returns, 13 will still be at his seat in the booth, nursing a drink. ]

[ Hahah, the military calming down after this ... That's hilarious. Now that they've been shaken up over the issue of Elise, like hell they're going to calm down.

But he'll finish up as quickly as he can, and emerge from the washroom a little cautiously. Hopefully no one sees him slowly opening the door a crack just to make sure nothing is outside waiting for him. And then he'll walk out as casually as he can and quickly move back to the table where ... 13 is surprisingly still sitting. Well, that's some sort of relief, he guesses.

He'll sit back down across from him, silently placing the kit on the table. ]

I, ah — I finished. [ A pause. Aiden's a good kid, at the very least. ] Thanks, I guess.

[ For getting him the kit, and stuff. It's hard thanking someone you're still suspicious of but he'll feel wrong not doing it. ]

[ The boy is a good kid. 13, having looked up from his drink, smiles upon being thanked. ]

You look better. [ Cleaner. ] How do you feel?

[ Of course, the clothes still look banged up, but there's nothing they can do about that. Taking care of bodily needs is priority. Looks are secondary, if advantageous for better blending in with the crowd. That's accomplished easily enough in the bar. ]

[ Having a stranger concerned enough about him to get him that kit and now ask how he feels ... is weird. He'd gotten used to not associating with many strangers, for fear of anything bad that may come from it.

Awkwardly hesitating for a moment before answering, kind of quietly and looking down. ] Th-There's still some pain, but it's better.

[ Ew, being honest with 13. Gross.

Aiden is just going to quietly sink down into the seat now out of this odd embarrassment over his honesty. ]

[ Fingering the rim of his glass, 13 eyes the boy. The improvement he's seeing this soon is quite remarkable, given that the boy had been ready to hit the ground back at the military base. It highlights a small part of what people are capable of accomplishing and doing to each other. ]

They must have been harsh. I heard they were brutal, but nobody would spare me the details.

[ Rather, the reaction he'd received from asking had been much like the one evoked by the boy. "Common knowledge," an elder had said in the typical old voice before hobbling away. ]

[ Ghh, don't remind him. He quietly shuts his eyes tight for a few moments, before inhaling deeply and letting it back out, while his eyes relax a little and then open again. Awkwardly glancing back up at 13. ]

I — I hope you're not expecting me to detail it for you.

[ He'll only feel more embarrassed with that, and it's so fresh it's a little difficult to talk about in the first place. ]

[ That's not a good sign. No, it's more like a hint of trauma.

13 raises the glass and takes a large sip. It's his way of giving the boy some time to relax in the quiet while he enjoys a drink. The good news is that he wasn't expecting to have it detailed for him, so he won't press the subject. ]

I wasn't asking. You don't have to explain anything.

[ A lot of the things that happened are hard to get out of his head, okay.

He'll cross his arms, remaining sunken into the back of the seat a little bit. ]

Good. You can make up mental pictures on your own.

[ He should have enough information from how Aiden looks to be able to figure it out for himself, anyway. At least, that's what he thinks. When you're covered in wounds, especially when they still hurt, it just feels like they stick out a lot. Too much. ]

[ They stick out like glowing signs. 13 knows the feeling – the vulnerability and the brand of fresh injuries – all too well. Even the superficial wounds are more than skin-deep, penetrating deeper into the core and provoking a sense of humiliation, among others. Bandaging them doesn't conceal what lies underneath.

13 doesn't indicate that he can "make up the mental pictures" with depressing ease, because it's something he doesn't need to do. He'd rather not.

He takes another sip. ]

What are you going to do now?

[ Mmnn, that's a bit of a difficult question — one he hasn't thought enough about yet. He knows in a situation like this he's going to have to figure out pretty quickly what he's going to do next, but — he's kind of lost on that. He's got ... an idea of what he should do next, but it's daunting and scary and he doesn't know if it's even worth it. As far as he's aware, Elise might still be back there, somehow. She could've gotten away, of course — it's not like he can see her — but she wasn't around him at all before and that's weird. Really weird.

Mmnn. ] I-I don't know, I — [ Shaking his head in defeat, closing his eyes. ] I don't know what I should do.

[ Go back? In case Elise is still there? Not go back and avoid risking it? Agh ... Maybe his indecisiveness is clear, he doesn't know. ]

[ Holding the glass in front of his face, 13 appraises the boy's response. There's clear evidence of indecision for a situation that seems to have a simple enough solution. If the military is after him, it should be fair to just find the exit.

He sets down the glass. ]

You can leave town.

[ WELL that's because 13 doesn't know the whole story! But he's not so keen on telling him it, so.

He'll shake his head. ]

That wouldn't fix anything.

[ In fact, ditching Elise would make everything worse. He can't just leave with a clear conscience.

Ghh, and the more he thinks about what he should be doing right now, the more stressed (and afraid) he gets over it, and he sinks a few more inches into the chair. Ugh. ]

[ The boy's choice of words is interesting, coupled with the physical display of distress. Based on the indecision, this is something that would probably benefit from being talked about.

The issue is the fine line between discussing and being nosy, the latter of which 13 doesn't intend at all. That serves to do nothing for him. ]

What are you trying to fix?

[ Everything. He's trying to fix everything. First and foremost, though, he needs to help Elise, if she's really back there. But his inability to tell that is making this an even harder decision than it needs to be.

And the thought of talking about any of this makes him feel even sicker.

So a huffy sigh. ] Nothing. What do you care, anyway? Aren't you just here to inspect something and leave?

[ Indeed, he's here to inspect "something." Depending on the result, though, whether he leaves or stays is debatable. ]

I'm gauging if our interests coincide. You're refusing to leave town, so your business must lie in town.

[ Which is to say that, if their destinations are entirely different locations in town, he has no desire to meddle. But if they're the same – the military bases – then it's in both of their interests to collaborate to some degree. The last thing 13 needs is another high-strung group of soldiers on the prowl and happening upon him. ]

you asked just as i went to bed oops - but good eat all e-chocolates

pfff yeah i noticed and was like 'lol dat timing oops' but DEVOURS THEM

your timing is incredible and summoned my bed also yes GET CHUBBY

but i don't wanna summon your bed ;o; also KJHSDG OH GOD DON'T EAT ME

but we can roll around on it ;u; I'M THE KIND OF WITCH WHO CAN'T EAT JENAS; IT'S OKAY

uu ok as long as we roll but don't sleep ;w; CAN I BE SURE OF THIS .... YOU COULD BE TRICKING ME

but sleep is important . . . ! I JUST WANT MY FRIENDS TO BE HEALTHILY CHUBBY

not more important than rolling around together!! IS THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE MOST RIPE THEN??

this is a convincing argument . . . NO IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE THE CUTEST THEN

see so we must roll forever ... SO I HAVE TO BECOME CHUBBY TO BE AT MY CUTEST FOR JAEJAE ...

rolls forever with jenajena . . . TO BE HONEST YOU'RE ALWAYS AT YOUR CUTEST

never stopping only rolling ... U-UU HIDES FACE IN HANDS

rolls after jena and pets hehe

rolls away from the witch and blushes kjhsg

lies on bed and cries

gjkhsg crawls back to you and pats your back? ;w;

purrs uwu

;w;!!! shhh shh i didn't mean it you're my favorite witch

huu . . . i'll strive to be the best witch out there for jena

aaa but you already are!! as long as you never eat me

how could i ever eat you. we must chat

i'm sure your magic could make it possible for me to talk to you from your stomach O^O

what happens after i digest you tho

you use your magic to summon me back to life. just don't mess it up like ed and al did

nnnnnnah too much effort