pencilcase | patterned useless pretty boy call-out post

You think I chose it?!

[Albert blinks, surprised.]

Huh. You mean you didn't?

[That was the one thing that was always made very clear to them right at the outset, in Sabra: they were all there because they had chosen it. "I do this willingly." Words Albert will never forget.]

Not in—Aather. Not really.

. . . got what I wanted anyway, so it doesn't much matter in the end.

Still. Not giving you a choice in the matter-- I'm glad you got what you wanted, but there's no call for that.

[ It's clear he's mad on Kanda's behalf. ]

Life's like that.

[taking a drink of too-hot tea, just scowling at it when it scalds him a little]

We've been out on our own for a while now. No more going back.

Huh? To your world, you mean...? What about all your friends?

They can take care of themselves. I'm not taking Alma back to that.

Ahaha... wow. That bad, huh?

I told you what they did to me. It was always worse for Alma.

I got out. He didn't.

Ah...

[Albert looks away for a moment, recalling some of what Kanda told him about his past. Sabra seems like such a long time ago, now...]

So you wanted to go elsewhere. But you got separated. Across different worlds...?

When crossing. There was some kind of interference.

[shrugs a shoulder]

He's around here somewhere, though. My golem's looking, too.

[He doesn't know what a golem is, but that's not the important thing here. The important thing is:]

--Ah! You're certain? [He barrels on before he gets an answer to that. It's a rhetorical question, almost. Albert doesn't doubt for a second that Kanda is certain.]

Then-- what are we doing sitting around having tea for! I know my way around the city better than you do. [He stands.] You should let me help!

Alma's fine.

[draining his tea, though, and standing up]

We'll go look, though. I'll stay the night if there's no luck.

Of course. Come on! It'll be easier before we lose the daylight.

[There's a small whiteboard by the doorway and Albert scribbles a quick message to Franz on it, before grabbing his keys and dashing out.

OUT THEY GO AGAIN. At the bottom of the stairs, however, Albert doesn't turn out onto the street. Instead, he turns into the building's small garage. Sitting in his space is an old-school motorbike.]

We'll make better time around the city this way.

You expect me to hold onto you?

[easygoing enough, though, for Kanda]

[Albert shrugs, not fazed in the slightest.]

Well, you can't very well be the one driving. You don't know your way around. And you're the one who knows what he looks like. It makes more sense if I keep my eyes on the road so you can have yours free to look.

... Besides. You don't have a licence. If you get thrown in jail... it's not like I have the money to bail you out any more.

[He says, like once upon a time he had enough money to just casually bail someone out of jail like it was no problem at all.]