spellbinders | here we go again...

[9S glances around. It's more than a simple look; as a Scanner, he has other detection methods at his disposal. After a few moments of silence, he returns his attention to Alphonse]

...So it's sort of like our situation now. We're missing something, right?

[He and 2B had both lost their pods, and now they're repaired. He's not sure how he feels about that exchange, when Pod 153 was always there]

Anything you can do while we're in a place like this?

Exactly.

[Al gives him a nod as they step back out. It's a good comparison; Qri seems to operate on her own strange version of equivalent exchange.]

There are all kinds of resources here I'd never have access to back in my world. If I could learn more about magic and how it's powered, there might be a way.

[He should probably stop right there, and even Al's not sure why he doesn't. Maybe it's the stress of the situation or the overall persuasiveness of 9S' inquisitive nature, but somehow he finds himself rambling about personal matters in a way he hasn't done since he's been here.]

But to be honest, it's not really my priority right now. I left home at a bad time, so nothing's more important than getting back there.

You're not the first person to mention bad timing...

[And 9S can sympathize with that, even if he's a case of what should simply be impossible timing. If he had unfinished business to attend to, or if he'd been dragged here when 2B needed him, he knows where his own priorities would be too]

Well...I'm made for information-gathering. We'll figure something out.

[He pats Alphonse's arm lightly before ducking under some fallen support beams that leave only a small opening in the doorway ahead. At least his compact size is useful during occasions like this]

[Al's size, meanwhile, is anything but useful for checking out this one. He could transmute a way in, but he's not too keen on messing with the structure of damaged buildings until he's sure there's no one inside. He'll hang back and let 9S investigate solo for the moment. And probably try to convince himself that last bit wasn't the casual offer of help it sounded like.]

What about you? [He steps closer to the doorway, his tone as conversational as he can manage, given the circumstances.] Is there anything you're in a hurry to get back to?

2B's here, so this is where I should be.

[It's the easiest answer for 9S to give, though it's far more complicated than that. By the end, he was convinced of a bleak reality, and that nothing remained to him. Here, mankind exists. Here, 2B exists.

A life that felt so ruthlessly drained of purpose suddenly has more than he could hope for. He doesn't like being here under dubious circumstances for more reasons than one, but he can't claim he's got unfinished business]

...Looks like this place is cleared out. No blood this far back, at least.

I hope that means they got away.

[He's trying not to be too disappointed. The longer this drags on, the harder it's getting to find Palai who've managed to hide themselves. Still, Al thinks he's better suited to hunting down stragglers than taking on the endless onslaught of Uvi. He fights them when he has to, but from a numbers standpoint it feels pretty futile to keep it up.]

I've seen 2B around. You guys were close back home?

[Of all the people from someone's world who could possibly show up, that's really lucky.]

Chances aren't bad...there's no sign of struggle back here...

[Not to mention the Uvi would be hard-pressed to get through that opening. The Palai being smaller, they could squeeze through this space at least. So hopefully any locals that were here managed to avoid detection.

He ducks back through the doorway, dusting his coat off once he emerges]

We're partners, her and me. When we were deployed together, I acted as her support.

[There's a crash in the distance, close enough to be heard over the din of combat. Whether it's actually someone or just another faulty building is hard to say, but it seems like the most promising route to investigate.]

So YoRHa are basically military?

[There's familiarity in the language, at least.]

That's right, we're soldiers.

[Because there's nothing absurd about somebody so easily dwarfed in size next to Alphonse saying such a thing with some small measure of pride in his tone.

But for all that he knows, and all that he's seen and done, he does still take pride in his service. That's a part of himself that he isn't letting go]

[The ease with which he can believe it is probably the most disturbing part. Al's closest point of comparison is the State Alchemist program, and from the things he's picked up on so far it's easy to imagine androids being sent out to be used as living weapons. There's something inherently sad about the idea, despite 9S' obvious pride. Not that he's going to say that now.]

You know, you don't look much older than me.

[9S shoots Alphonse an assessing glance, for all that he has far from forgotten his outward appearance and apparent size. He knows that armor isn't going to give one an idea of someone's age, but he's still trying to gauge based on their interactions so far.

Of course as a unit who'd been rolled out four years ago, he doesn't have the best conception of age]

How old are you then?

[Despite the circumstances, he manages to sound the tiniest bit amused.]

I guess it's impossible to tell in both our cases. I'm fourteen.

[9S looks about the same; older is a careful word choice born from years of operating around height sensitivity.

The question is: do androids age or is 9S' appearance completely by design?]

How about you?

I was first rolled out four years ago...although not in this body, specifically.

[He's gone through quite a few in that span of time. What remains is his personality data. There were some units that were deployed earlier than him, of course, but YoRHa hasn't existed for a very long time.

Of course even if it had, he wouldn't change one bit physically]

That'd technically make you the older one, right?

Four years?!

[His voice rises almost comedically in pitch, and he actually stops for a second, too stunned to really hear the question. He'd known on some level that it was a possibility, but... wow. Does that mean 9S has never known any life outside of being a soldier? And if he's changed bodies then that sacrifice talk from earlier must have been self-experience... (Well. Now Al definitely feels bad about arguing with the guy when they first met.)]

You're um... mature for your age.

[He manages, finally. He has about a thousand questions, but 9S is fortunately spared by another noise up just ahead of them. From behind a makeshift hiding spot in the wreckage, a terrified looking Elto child crawls out to peer at them.]

I've been more or less like this since my first activation.

[Give or take a lot of painful experiences, anyway. In terms of mental maturity he doesn't think that they really change very much in that respect. They're never children, nor are they capable of producing them. That sort of thing is limited to their creators, and he's never really minded it. How strange that difference seems when actually discussing it...

But with the emergence of a civilian, 9S supposes comparisons will have to wait. His strides are quick, if only because they have no way of knowing when trouble might spring up, and it'd be best if they could collect this little Palai and go]

Looks like we'd better see this guy to safety.

[Curiosity isn't the priority right now, but still, that's fascinating. Maybe by the time he's able to ask more about it he'll have thought of a tactful way to broach the subject.

For now, Al kneels in front of the little Elto and murmurs reassurances. It's lucky for him that any face not attached to an Uvi is probably a comforting sight today. He's about to pick the kid up, but he stops and gives 9S a long look instead.]

You're a lot faster than me.

[He's not particularly happy to say it--capable as 9S is, he doesn't like the idea of anyone being out here on their own. But between the speed and the loud clanking that accompanies Al's every step--potentially signaling their presence to enemies--he has to admit he's not the most efficient option for a sensitive escort mission.]

If we stick together, I'll probably slow you down.

[9S is hard-pressed to argue that point. As impossibly agile as Alphonse is, the armor that serves as his body is quite bulky and generates noise. The Uvi seem capable of picking up on their presence easily even without the added sound. Still, he hesitates where he stands]

Maybe so, but...would you be alright on your own?

[The numbers with which they're faced are a concern. At the same time, if either of them is carrying a Palai child, that'd render them useless in a fight. He'd be as much a liability in a fight as Alphonse might be outside of one, where getting the Elto is safety is concerned.

Not that he likes admitting that to himself. He knows how frightening it can be to press on alone]

I'll be fine. [And then, jokingly:] Armor's not very hard to put back together.

[That the only person capable of doing so is worlds away is a technicality he won't mention. The last thing he needs is for anyone to waste time worrying about him, especially not when the sounds of fighting are drawing closer. Any planning has to be done fast.]

Once you get moving, I'll try and create a distraction. Alchemists are good at being flashy.

[9S wants to ask if Alphonse can actually put himself back together, if he fell apart like that. Somehow, he suspects the guy would be no more able than he would, if he were to lose several limbs. Not for lack of trying, of course, stubborn as androids are...

But the concern makes him hesitant, all the same.

He understands the reasoning though, so after a few tense moments, he relents with a sigh]

I'll check on you after I drop this guy off then.

[Said with a tap to his temple as indication. Telepathy's a bit intrusive, and really weird, but handy at times]

here we go again...

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