01. un: hound - [Voice]

[cantilevers]

[He was still learning this whole earpiece device, so excuse him for it turning on and there sound like someone was fiddling with the setting. Where was his far more technologically inclined smart kid to help him? Ah well, he did realize it was on sooner than later thankfully.]

Uh... sorry? [Chagrin tone.] I was curious about an idea, since I still consider myself fairly new to this situation. Here's hoping you all with entertain me here:

What does a sense of community mean or feel like to you?

[A beat of a pause.]

Is it friends and family? Is it gathering places and camaraderie? How about a sense of people uniting for a specific purpose in mind? Everyone here has their own agendas and their own interests, and, with no overt crime present at the moment, it's curious to me how we could build a sense of community around these parts.

Comments

[levelshift]

And you decided to pick community instead of some basic bullshit that comes up in casual conversation.

[That's a very sociological choice.]

Just Accelerator.

[cantilevers]

Community is important to me. Why wouldn't I ask about something I value?

That's a mouthful. Can I shorten it and still be respectful?

[levelshift]

I guess that's understandable.

It isn't that long. The other titles I go by aren't any shorter, aside from #1.

[He seriously doubts Vander would want to call him that.

................. Nevermind the fact that Laura calls him 'Axel' and he's grudgingly allowing Jayce to call him 'Ace.']

[cantilevers]

So, I know we've talked about it, but what part of community, if any, is important to you?

Ah well, I'm not exactly comfortable calling someone by a number.

[They all had numbers in the mines, and those were how they were provided their work assignments for the shifts. It was demeaning.]

[levelshift]

I'm not the right person to ask that. I don't care about community.

[Yeah, he figured. That's fine.]

It's a ridiculous ranking anyways. Just stick to Accelerator.

[cantilevers]

Alright, why don't you care?

May I call you Ace?

[levelshift]

Because I haven't been part of one for years, and I've got no desire to change that at this point.

Absolutely not.

[cantilevers]

I see. That's unfortunate, but I respect your need for privacy on that. I'd consider you welcome if you ever change your mind.

Alright, message received, Accelerator.

[levelshift]

[Ugh, that's such a patient response.]

I'm never changing my mind, so don't expect me to.

[At least he doesn't have to suffer another 'Ace'???]

Good.

[cantilevers]

That's fine. I won't make the effort to change your mind either. I hope you won't undermine or stand against a community if it forms.

[levelshift]

I won't. It'd probably be good for the other kids here.

[cantilevers]

Probably.

I'm sensing you're being a bit testy today. Are you alright?

[levelshift]

[Well, he's learned Connor's got some mission that could be putting everyone here in danger. And Vincent just confirmed there's no way to get his memories of what his guardians from back home look like. Plus basically everything with the train, having to kill more people and send those kids off to god-knows-where without any guarantee the ones in the Dregs and Sprawls won't get a better life. Not to mention having to tell Harold that he's basically catatonic without his choker, something he didn't want to tell anyone in Etraya, and that conversation with Jayce that went completely south (he's pretty sure the guy hates him now).

Getting out of bed is becoming harder, again.]

I'm always in a bad mood. That's nothing new.

[cantilevers]

No, this is different. Where are you? I'm coming over.

[There wasn't a option for 'no' here.]

[levelshift]

You don't need to.

[God, this is a futile effort but he's going to try anyways.]

[cantilevers]

I want to. Where are you?

[Vander was already grabbing his coat and heading out of his apartment. Good luck trying to stop him, kiddo.]

[levelshift]

[Siiigh.

He'll give him an apartment number. Different than the one he was living in before the train mission. It's better to just get this over with quickly.]

Text -> Action

[cantilevers]

[Oh good. Vander showed up knocking on the door within five minutes of receiving the number. They were both in the apartment complex after all, and he didn't take him long to walk down the stairs to Accelerator's level and find the room in question.

He waited for the kid to answer rather than just barging in as he otherwise might with other people. Besides, Accelerator knew to expect him.]

[levelshift]

[Accelerator, having been waiting around irritably, opens the door pretty quick and moves aside so Vander can come in. He's scowling.]

You didn't need to come over.

[The interior of the bedroom - a 2 bed place rather than Accelerator's one 1 bed - is pretty plain. It's clean, aside from one or two horse toys on the coffee table in the living room. Perched on a branch that's been attached to the wall is one small, sleepy-looking owl who blinks lazily at them.]

[cantilevers]

I told you: I wanted to.

[He was not above the repeat correction as he stepped into the place, and he was struck immediately that this abode was larger in size than his. It wasn't difficult to determine the reason was that there was a second bedroom here.

Accelerator had a roommate, hmm? He looked around, walking around the living area, noting the figurines.]

Those belong to your roommate, I suppose?

[levelshift]

[Closing the door behind Vander, he heads over to the couch in the living room and slumps down onto it, letting go of his crutch.]

She's eleven and likes horses. [He shrugs, absently rubbing his right forearm.] I don't see the appeal.

[cantilevers]

[Vander walked over to look at the little horses, nodding his head at the explanation. He had come to know that Accelerator was protective of young kids, so this made sense. He had no idea this place dragged in young kids, but it also made sense. Children had a lot of potential.]

It's what she likes. All we need to do is support her in that. [He stood and looked over at Accelerator.] What's gotten you all twirled up? You're not normally that snappy with me.

[levelshift]

[That's true. Even if he doesn't get it he'll absolutely support Laura with her horsegirl dreams.

He reaches for a half-finished can of coffee, then sits back on the couch and sips it. At that question, he pointedly looks way.]

I told you, I'm always in a bad mood. This isn't any different than normal for me.

[That's bullshit, he knows it is. But talking about his feelings isn't something he enjoys doing.]

[cantilevers]

[He folded his hands behind his back, clasping one wrist with the other hand as he observed Accelerator. He didn't take a seat but continued to cast his gaze around the room as if he might have missed something on the first assessment. He had not, but it allowed him to observe the kid a bit more subtly.]

Not like this. You know there's something going, and if I'm not the person you want to talk about it with, that's fine. I'm offering you a listening ear regardless.

[levelshift]

[He isn't sure he wants to talk to anyone, honestly. That isn't something he does. Back home the most he ever got were adults poking and prodding at him. Which was sometimes for his own wellbeing - Yomikawa and his doctor would lecture him even if he was resistant to opening up - but it's only been here in Etraya where he's really gotten people who want him to talk. It's uncomfortable and he's debating whether he should just kick Vander out.]

.....

[That would be cruel. Vander's only trying to help.

Outside of Laura's stuff and the owl is bare of any real signs that the place is being made a home. The reasons for that are twofold: the two of them only just moved in, and Accelerator has never been one to own a lot of personal belongings. He has a laptop, a gun, and borrows a few books from the library. That's it. He spends a lot of his time sleeping, so he's never felt any desire for much stuff.

The apartment is at least clean. He's lived on his own for long enough that he knows basic day-to-day tasks like dishes and the laundry, so he can handle that and make sure Laura learns.

He sighs.]

... Do you think things are actually going to work out for everyone aboard the train? [From his doubtful tone he clearly doesn't. It isn't even really all that important to him since they're probably never going to see those people again; their circumstances just have him thinking about his own city.]