nysalogs | 頭は間違うことがあっても血は間違わない

[Something about the armor is definitely familiar, enough to make Atsushi sneak a little closer, but it's the voice that finally convinces Atsushi that, as shocking as it is to see her here, it really is Ana. He barely keeps himself from shouting out her name, realizing just in time that shouting suspects' names in public may not be the best idea ever. Instead, he stalls, hovering at the entrance of the alley, trying to decide what to do.]

... Are you doing all right?

[It's a stupid question, really, but at least he's sincere about it - a little shy, almost. It feels a little dangerous talking to her, as if acknowledging her will make other people see her for who she is, too.]

Is it really okay for you to be here?

[ She turns as she catches sight of the shadow at the mouth of the alley. She knows who it is before he speaks, and her heart drops into her stomach. This is exactly what she didn't want - getting any of the children involved in this mess. It's why she'd asked Alan to check on them instead of getting anywhere near them herself. ]

I must be here. I won't be made a fool of by terrorists. Come. [ Now that he's here, it's better if he moves further into the alley so that he won't attract as much attention.

Ana abandons the sleeping terrorist and walks up to meet him so she can put her hands on his shoulders, then his face. It's a habitual worried mom gesture, but she's not really thinking about that. ] It's dangerous for you to be seen with me but - are you alright? And your friends?

[With a glance over his shoulder - more likely to raise suspicion than to avoid it; but hey, he's trying - Atsushi joins her in the alley proper, a little surprised at the way she touches him... but also very happy about it. It makes him feel like she's really there, with him.]

I really don't think it's me you should be worried about. [He doesn't even manage a sheepish smile, the situation far too serious for his liking.] Some people have gotten sick, but everyone is working on finding a cure.

[There are a lot of things he wants to say, and it's hard to pick. Finally he goes with the easiest one: someone else's words that he'd promised to convey.]

Mr. Reinhardt told me to tell you that he is your shield, and he'll do what he can to help.

I'm trying to help, too.

[ She nods at the first part. She hopes that they manage to cure the disease before it gets worse, but there isn't much more she can do in that department. ] I'm glad that you're both trying to help. Just be careful - I can't watch over you right now.

Of course Reinhardt said that. [ Her tone is a little exasperated but clearly fond. ] He wants me to turn myself in and explain, I'm sure.

[ It's not a question, but only because she can't see him advocating any other course of action. ]

What do you think I should do?

Edited 2017-10-11 15:34 (UTC)

[He manages to be a little surprised at that. Does that mean she's usually watching over him? It's not that he doubts that she cares, but actively watching over is a lot of effort to put into someone like him, and... well, he's just not used to it.

Times like this, he's almost happy that he ended up here. He's met so many people that he's honored to know.]

... I don't know. At first, I thought running and hiding was the safest option, but even if we catch every one of the terrorists, it's not as if they'll testify for you.

Turning yourself in... is probably the only chance you have to get your life back. But it's still very tricky. I have no idea how reliable the law is, here, either...

[He's convinced that she's innocent - or at least: that she didn't mean to be a part of a terrorist attack, which is as good as being innocent in his book - but will that mean she goes free?]

That said, between Reinhardt and myself, I'm sure we could spring you from jail.

[ She's always watching over him and the other children she's taken a liking to. As much as she doesn't want to think about it, she's put down roots here, and now that she can have a life -- a part of her wants it back.

Being a fugitive doesn't bother her, but it requires leaving everyone behind all over again, and she's not sure she's ready to do that.

She wouldn't mind if he had wanted to know what happened, but she appreciates his faith in her ].

Let's not get carried away. If anything bad happens to me, I want you to stay out of it. You shouldn't live this kind of life when you have the chance for a better one here.

[ The last thing she wants is for Atsushi to become a fugitive too. ]

Edited 2017-10-15 17:17 (UTC)

With all respect, a better life doesn't involve letting my friends be punished for something they never meant to do.

[Already shifting a little in his determination, acknowledging that she may have done something now - but not judging. If anything, he believes in her the more for that subtle shift in nuance.]

And it shouldn't have to be that way. This world has been very kind to us all, so far. I'm sure we'll overcome this, too.

[Maybe that's just what he wants to believe; maybe he even knows that that's what he's doing. But he can't give up on his - their - new life yet.]

[ She's never seen Atsushi get so worked up. Of course this is the sort of thing that brings out a stubborn streak. ]

It doesn't matter what I thought I was doing. The results got innocent people hurt. I don't know if turning myself in is the right answer - or if I'll get the chance - but I don't want to see my friends get hurt any more than you do.

[ Ana exhales softly. She's had this same fight with Fareeha too many times to not know she's going to lose it, but she has to try anyway. ]

Atsushi please, let someone take care of you for once.

[Atsushi may have little confidence and less self-worth, but without a considerable stubborn steak, he would never have survived his time at the orphanage. Besides, this isn't about him, and that makes it easier to stick to his guns.]

I wouldn't get hurt. [That's a lie. He'd sacrifice himself immediately if it got her off the hook - but that only makes sense, to him.] You've seen what I can do...

[It feels awkward to "boast" like this, but he's doing it for a good reason, so he manages.]

I can't just ignore this and keep going as if nothing happened. If there's anything I can do to clear your name... I will.

[And that is a solemn promise.]

[ She's seen him get hurt, in fact. It's not a matter of strength or skill that concerns her. Just like with Fareeha, it's a matter of principal. Children don't exist to take care of adults' mistakes.

But still - Ana is starting to accept that sometimes that isn't her choice to make. ]

Let's hope it doesn't come to anything drastic. [ Her shoulders slump a little. She's relenting. ] If it does, maybe you should help Reinhardt with whatever foolish thing he decides to do. He's an old man, I don't want him to go at it alone.

[ Reinhardt can handle himself, Ana knows that, but she also trusts him to be a shield. She would put her own life in his hands, and lives that are much more valuable to her, like Atsushi's. ]

Whatever happens, I'm proud to know a young man with so much courage.

[He feels a little better when she relents, not because he needs to have the final say no matter what, but because he doesn't want her to be angry with him. He can't compromise his principles about this, so he can't do what she wants - but she ended up hating him... that would be really depressing, even if it couldn't be helped.

That said, anger would be a hell of a lot easier to handle than what he ends up with, instead. It's rare for him to get a compliment, and rarer to get one from someone he admires so much that he can't simply discard their opinion as being ill-informed at best. It's a shock, almost physically painful for how hard his internalized upbringing tries to deny it. He almost cries, just from the emotional backlash, and being completely unable to process it.

But he takes a breath, recovers a little, smiles - a beaming smile that makes him look every bit the child she thinks him to be. He wants to say something, but his throat won't cooperate yet. No - maybe it's better that way...]

... You get along really well, don't you? Reinhardt and you.

[That's better, safer. He can't really handle such a huge compliment - though at least he isn't denying it either, the way he might have not so long ago - so it's easier to simply change the subject.]

He cares about you a great deal.

[ Ana gives him a small smile in return, sympathetic. She never gives a compliment that she doesn't think is well-deserved, and the fact that he doesn't immediately try to refute it makes her prouder still. He has a nice smile, she'd like to see more of it.

She doesn't say as much, but only because she can tell he's already a little overwhelmed.

She tilts her head a little, curious about the change of subject. ]

I care about him too. [ There's clear warmth in her voice. It's an easy admission. ] He's always been a good friend, even when I couldn't say the same.

You didn't always get along?

[Too personal a question, really, and part of him knows it - but he's always been curious, in his own way. Maybe that's one upside to seeing people almost as a separate species from himself: an almost childish interest in them, and a lack of prejudice.]

[ It's the opposite, in fact. Ana had gotten along with Reinhardt nearly immediately after meeting him, and that hadn't changed in the time it took for her to reunite with him.

Still, she has a feeling that she knows where this line of questioning is going.

She glances behind her. Sure enough, the terrorist she'd put to sleep has long since vanished while she was preoccupied. ]

Look at that, I've got to go.

[ Is she avoiding the question? Absolutely. ]

[Atsushi wants to protest. Look, that's too blatant an evasion, even for him! if she'd rather not talk about it, she just has to say so! But then he realizes why she is cutting him off (or her other reason for doing so, at least), and all he can feel is guilty.]

No way... He escaped because of me?

[That's terrible! He has to make it right - as much as he can.]

Please let me help you catch him again!

Don't be silly, it's not your fault. [ She instinctively wants to argue that he has no business getting involved with something this dangerous but -- they've had this argument already, and it's not as if he doesn't have experience. ] Do you have a way to track him down again?

[ Ana can find him the old fashioned way, maybe, but it'll probably take a while if he's been smart with his head start. ]

I can try to track him by scent, but... I've never done that before.

[In a busy city like this, it's probably impossible. He can do things like smell whether someone's just had coffee easily enough, but tracking someone down by scent is a whole different ballgame. Even if he managed to - which is unlikely - he'd be far too slow about it to be useful.]

... At the very least, it could help if we're not sure which way he went!

[That much, Atsushi could probably do: if it's a matter of determining if the terrorist went left or right, Atsushi might be able to sniff it out. And, even failing that, at least they could split up.]

We should hurry!

[Excuse him while he gets to the ground and sniffs where the guy had been lying. For something that probably won't even pay off, it's pretty embarrassing...]

頭は間違うことがあっても血は間違わない

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