re_alignment_logs | Chasing a lie I thought I believed in

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Chasing a lie I thought I believed in

WHO: Kay and whoever stumbles upon her.

WHERE: Junkpile

WHEN: Today

WHAT: Kay's exploring the Junkpile for some items. If you cross her path and talk to her she'll most likely find an item for you.

WARNINGS: She's a little grumpy after being embarrassed in front of Alpha Trion. Feel like cheering her up?

There's nothing worse than being made a fool in front of your idol. And Kay had learned that all too quickly. Cliffjumper had not only pranked her into thinking he'd been turned into a guitar (a guitar that was now gone, whether by Trion's correction or her own disposal), but some things, like your own competence shouldn't be called out on. At least that's how Kay saw it. But bottling yourself up in your room was getting old, so she took it outside, trekking all the way to the Junkpile to relieve some teenage-girl steam. Although this didn't keep her from her promise to Kagerou either. She sent a text to the robot saying she'd meet him there if he was well enough to go.

From pile to pile she leapt, searching for anything and everything. There wasn't much to find that didn't get scavenged earlier, but it provided a great distraction from everything. She sat crouched, examining what looked to be a whisk before tossing it to the side, scanning this pile once more.

"Stupid."

Whether she was talking about the whisk or something else was to be debated. She flipped her hair out of the way, giving a big sigh before hoisting herself to her feet.

Maybe the next pile would have something.

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Then everything will be as it was.

Well. Not everything. There were still... problems. Still lingering memories. Still things he didn't want to think about. Maybe not as much as some, but forgetting things, even the small things, wasn't something he could bring himself to do.

Best, then, just to not think on it. To distract himself. And what better way to do so, than the one thing he enjoyed?

Flying.

Easy to ignore the past week or so, this way. You had so much more to concentrate on, up here. In the sky and wind. It was better. It freed him to think on other things. And to notice what he might very well have passed over, otherwise.

He slowed, hovered. Then dropped, too swiftly than should have been safe for something human-made. Regardless, he landed lightly, watching the figure climbing around the junk. For a moment or two, he crouched in silence, then ventured a few words.

"Kay?"

... Okay, just one word.

It took a few moments for Kay to even register that she'd been addressed. She was still pretty upset, and this piece of junk that seemed interesting was being quite troublesome in wanting to come out. However, Kagerou's voice was soft, but heard, and her head turned to see the ninja looking at her.

"Oh, Mr. Kagerou...did you get my text? I promised I'd let you know when I was coming here."

She left the piece stuck in the pile, going over to see the robot.

"Are you feeling better? You got your old body back!"

As she got closer, he went from crouching to kneeling, watching her until she was near enough for him to actually speak with. No sense in shouting across the pile when you could simply talk instead. Or... maybe he was just that fond of quiet.

He shook his head slightly. "I haven't... been looking at my messages," he admitted. He'd been trying to clear his head, after all.

And after another pause, he nodded. Feeling better? Not really. But he was in his rightful frame. So there was that.

"It was put back as it should be, yes."

There's a slight smile from her.

"I'm glad that Mr. Trion worked things out for you. I'm...I'm sorry I confused you about all that stuff. You know...the cyborg thing."

She rubbed her head sheepishly, looking off for awhile.

"I did a lot of silly things that week."

He tilted his head, then shook it slightly. "It was confusing all around," he said. "You didn't harm anything."

Not like others had. Looking back on it all, it seemed like he and Kay had gotten off rather lightly. Something to be thankful for, he supposed.

"Silly is preferable to what others were doing," he said. It came out soft, almost to himself than to her.

"I...I was kind of stupid." She rubbed her arm sheepishly. It still hurt to admit that. Even if she knew it was kind of true.

"And now Mr. Alpha Trion knows it."

With that, she slumps against his leg, heaving a sigh.

He stiffened a little when she leaned on him. Best to go still. Lest he accidentally shift too much, and harm her. He didn't want that.

"You... aren't the only one," he told her, stiffly.

No, he didn't want to admit that, either. He didn't want to discuss that conversation at all.

But they were friends... weren't they? Didn't you do these things for friends?

"So...we're both pretty big dumbs, huh." Her hand twists some of her hair nervously, sliding down to a sitting position on his foot.

"It couldn't have been as big as mine."

"Big... dumbs...?" he repeats. The words come out foreign-sounding, as he shifts, keeping one leg still and stiff as he peers at her.

For a while, he just looks down at her, reluctant to say any more than he already has. Even so...

"I asked if I could keep his frame."

It sounds bitter. Embarrassed. A little bit pained. Not his most shining of moments, to be sure.

Well, she certainly wasn't expecting that. Even she has to admit that's a little creepy. But...Kagerou is sharing this with her. There's no way she's going to belittle him for that, especially when he was dealing with an out of body crisis, emotional attachment, and self worth issues.

"I almost turned my friend into a cow."

Not really in the same league, but she leans against that leg again, looking up at him.

He's silent for a moment or two, processing that. No, it's... not nearly as bizarre or even as mildly disturbing as his request had been. He'd just wanted -- no. Not important anymore. But still.

"A... cow?"

He looks down at her, too, blinking. How did that even happen?

"It's...it's a long story."

And the story ends with her being stupid.

"He has cow horns. That's all you need to know."

She slumps a little against him, looking back at the junkpile.

"I don't have anything urgent to do."

Which is kind of sad, but it's true. The mention of 'cow horns' does nothing to help out the mental image. He doesn't have a frame of reference for that.

"And that... makes him a cow?"

"Heh, me neither..."

She stands up, idly walking over to a pile of junk and starting to work some of the debris away, finding a little hint of something useful deep inside. She just had to dig it out.

"Well, I thought it was a cute nickname or something. But...I guess I went too far. And then he tricked me saying he got turned into a guitar. But he told Mr. Alpha Trion the truth and said I had no common sense..."

She seems really angry about that. As if she wasn't made a fool already by her investigations.

He follows her. Like a big metal dog -- even though this one isn't purple, or even remotely dog-like. Just big. He still follows her, though, keeping watch on the piles of junk, just in case.

When she starts digging, he kneels, slipping his hand into the mess to help.

"If he lied to you, how is that your fault?"

And, for another thing...

"Who was it? The person you're talking about?"

She appreciates that help, using his hand to pull some trash out around it, like a little badger digging at loosened soil.

"Because I should have been smarter."

She hesitates.

"It was Cliffjumper."

She'd clarify which one if she knew there were more than one.

A badger? Or a crow looking for shiny objects? He holds his hand steady, only splaying his fingers out when the pile needs more support.

"None of us knew what was happening. It isn't our fault."

He tilts his head in the other direction. Thankfully for her, he's only met the one.

"Then he is wrong. He shouldn't have upset you."

"Then why do I feel so stupid about it...?" Kagerou's efforts certainly help her, and she finds something relatively squishy in that pile thanks to his assistance. She gives a few tugs on it, watching as garbage falls around her.

"I know he shouldn't have...but maybe the problem wasn't him."

"Likely... for the same reason everyone else feels foolish," he says. His weight shifts, bracing more of the pile against his arm, keeping it from falling on her. He said he'd look after her, after all.

"He took advantage of your confusion. I think it is."

"Is it a bad thing to feel that way?

Yeah...he said it was just a prank..."

She ducks under that arm for slight shelter as she continues to pull, that pile starting to budge as she presses her foot against it. When it starts to come into view, her eyes widen, and puts more effort into it.

Whatever she had, it was something she wanted.

"Maybe not. If it was our fault."

Which he's not sure it is. Not anymore.

"A prank... to make you feel like this?"

He watches her for a moment longer, before bringing his other hand around and pinching whatever it is she has. Then it's his turn to pull.

"I wouldn't care so much if...if it wasn't in front of Mr. Alpha Trion..."

She'd be lying if she said she didn't want to make him proud. She sees Kagerou grab on, pulling in unison with him, and with the extra strength, a green blob falls out of the pile, along with a blue one of the same size following after.

"Oh my god..."

"If you weren't the only one to make a fool of yourself... does that help?"

He's trying. Really, Kay, he's trying. Whether or not he's succeeding is another matter entirely. It's good to see that something, at least, worked. He isn't sure what those blobs are... but he can always ask.

"What are those...?"

Like that.

"It...it might. I wouldn't feel so alone..."

She can tell he is, and honestly it just makes her want to hug him all the more. He'll probably get one sooner or later out of this anyway. When asked about the blobs, she drags them over in a clear area, a smile on her face.

"It's...a beanbag chair! Two of them!"

"Then you aren't the only one to be a fool."

Hopefully, that helps. Then again, he tended to feel foolish on a regular basis around here, so maybe that wasn't as much of a comfort as it was meant to be. The beanbags he simply stares at.

No, he's never seen them before.

"Beanbag chairs...?"

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