chikaidestroyer | ∞ 104: Five years gone [voice/action]

[Forwarded to afternoon of Sunday, November 4]

[voice]

As we have entered the sixth cycle year for Luceti, there are new calendars available for the upcoming year. Copies may be picked up at the library or the Welcome Center. Thank you.

[Right before the journal stops recording, there's the sound of loud banging against a far off window, followed by said window shattering.]

[action]

[Albert stares at his broken window. Or, more precisely, he stares beyond the broken window at the huge eyes peering at him from outside. Then there's the flutter of equally-huge wings and a resounding thump on the roof.

He hurries out of his room and into the spare room, quickly setting up the ladder and climbing up onto the roof.

And out there, standing there as patiently as can be, is a somewhat familiar giant owl, hunched over as to not look as imposing as it would at its full 12 feet of height. It is dressed with a big turquoise ribbon around its neck, which holds an envelope in place.]

...No.

[Three minutes later, after getting the owl to allow him to remove the envelope, Albert sits on his roof reading the enclosed letter.

A shame that you are still trapped in this world, my boy; we are still working away on solving this issue! Here is a gift in commemoration to when you first started contributing to the Organization. I had a feeling you would like it!

- With sympathy, Sir Catherine]

Bil.

[Above him, the giant owl clacks its beak almost understandingly at his exasperation.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Indeed. 'Mr. Stephanie' is a busy man. [Clearly he still had contacts within the Organization, but the level of influence was still unknown.]

Ha. I forgot for a moment you were there too.

[That droid mission. It wasn't that much longer than a month ago, but it feels like more.]

[He nods faintly, glancing away as he thinks about that particular mission. With the missions taking up time in between drafts, there seemed to be more going on in general.]

I suppose it bodes well that he spares some time to continue with his ... quirks. [It seemed he had eluded those who had wanted to keep him weak and out of the way.]

And ship owls to people. We heard a lot less of him during his last few months here.

[Coma discluded, of course.]

They did say he'd be more dangerous.

They did. I have to wonder how much insight they have into his current activities. [Considering what they had managed to hear themselves.]

When I spoke to Rem, she outright said the mission was a secret. What we did, at least, wasn't an official mission to anyone but CJ, most likely.

[Another slow nod.] Quite a convoluted affair. And a curious partnership. [It would be interesting to know the terms that led to the two cooperating.]

Him and CJ? [He folds his good arm behind his back.] Maybe someone could pay him to find out someday.

Perhaps. In person, of course. [If there was something he actually valued that they could obtain. But they had little contact with the man, for all the work he did for them in his current capacity.

...Now then, after that detour in the conversation...]

Since you stayed through the evacuation, I wanted to ask -- was Moro slain out there? [He presumed she would have been, but there was always a possibility something else had happened, considering how she had apparently reacted to the virus out there.]

[--ha. That brings back to mind why he's out here, and his mood sombers.]

Yes.

She caused quite a number of deaths in her state. Utterly brutal. [With the lack of hordes of monsters in Luceti, it had been awhile since he had seen something rampaging through the battlefield devouring its enemies.] The forests have thus far been quiet.

You don't have to tell me.

[He saw it for himself, and some of what came after. And the part about the forest, well that goes unsaid.]

[But he did have to. To gauge his reaction.]

I take it you want to ask her about it?

There's nothing to ask. But stuff happens here when you die.

[There's nothing to ask. Then perhaps there were not many survivors who had contracted Moro's curse, or the wounds had thus far been thought of as magical burns. He would have to see if he could somehow get into contact with a Vaskothan resident in the future to check on the only other he knew had the same wound.

But to Shikamaru's comments, he blinks slowly and nods once.]

Then I should let you get back to what you were doing.

[He didn't miss the interest. And that response is weird, even for Albert.

He bends his knees and makes to jump from the tree, but speaks instead of taking his leave right then.]

She got you.

[He glances back over, having intended to turn his attention back to the owl. When he sees Shikamaru's stance, he smirks faintly.]

Just enough to make me remember it. [He doesn't doubt Shikamaru would be able to tell if he was lying on this matter; it was a little too raw, too human for him.

But he tries not to dwell on that part. Frustration brought with it cycles of pain.]

[He has no idea about the curse. He's only making this connection because of what happened with Jiraiya, who caught that virus because of her.

Albert's not the type to usually inquire about others, Shikamaru's found. His circle is so small it's hardly a shape, or maybe it's just so guarded. He doesn't talk about anyone else otherwise unless he has an interest, for the most part.

...he does wonder if there's more to it though. To his knowledge, Albert didn't die. But it's too troublesome to think on more, and he's not going to ask.]

Let me know what I can do.

[...not ask doesn't mean not tell.

Shikamaru salutes and drops down from the tree without waiting for a response.]