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Yeah.

[ And since he trusted Max, Majima would pull the gold chain around his neck about, and carefully detach one of the links. At first glance, it'd look like any other segment of jewelry... at least until one examined the edges more closely, saw the delicate seams hinting at something more inside. ]

Not bad, exactly, just... confusin'. I think I was somewhere else, between Tokyo and Reims. You know, like how Eddie and them were on a space station before they came here?

But I ain't remember everything about it.

[She watches as he pulls the gold chain around and detaches a link from it. She stares at it intently, frown etching into her features.]

Yeah. [She knows exactly what he's talking about because a lot of people here seem to have been in places other than their home worlds before arriving here. It's strange, but it gives her hope, too.]

So you think... [She motions to the necklace.] That has something to do with wherever you were between this place and home?

[ He nodded. ]

They gave it to me to communicate with the others. Like they did with the devices here.

[ Then Majima replaced the link. ]

Too bad I still ain't got any idea how to get outta here, though.

[She smiles faintly at that, nodding. Even she's less keen on this place now than she was before.]

So what's it like? I mean, what do you remember?

[ Majima stepped into the library as he gave it a moment's thought or two. ]

There was this group that grabbed people from all over. Kinda like here.

Only not exactly, 'cause I'm pretty sure it was a choice. Everyone there wanted something -- and if ya agreed to join, and did what they said, you'd get it.

[She follows him inside the library, reading his message when he sends it.]

Like...some kind of a deal? You do them a favor, they do you a favor?

Yeah. Like a retirement package.

[ He paused. ]

...Alright, that sounds sinister, but I think they were actually tryin' to help.

[ Inside, the library was as quiet as always, and at least this time he knew where the reference section would be. But what about the books they wanted? Under pets, maybe? ]

I remember being in a room and gettin' asked all these weird questions, like in an interview. 'If a crystal ball could tell you the future, what would ya want to know?'

[...yeah that definitely sounded sinister so she's glad he clarifies.]

Did they have a crystal ball?

[Because at this point, that wouldn't even surprise her. She makes her way toward the non-fiction section, perusing the titles until she comes to a section on dogs, figuring rabbits should be there somewhere close, too.]

Nah... but there was a flame in the room, between me and the other guy. Maybe it was to test if we were tellin' the truth?

[ Hmm... an entire book on Angora cats. So fluffy. ]

Hey, while we're on the philosophical stuff here: ya got anything you wanna ask me?

[ The question was delivered casually, at least from the way Majima was scanning the shelves while he asked it... but it wasn't often that he simply made the opening for someone else to ask him about himself.

At the same time... the dust storm had been a lot. And another one of the questions he'd been asked was rolling around in his mind. If someone was to get close to you, what would they need to know?

He still wasn't sure of the answer to that one. ]

[Annnd now they're back to sinister. Seriously, this place sounded creepy, and she was from Hawkins. Sort of. She runs her finger along the spines of the books, finding one on snakes. She grimaces. She's not scared of snakes but she's not a huge fan either. She's just not a fan of slimy reptiles.

The question he sent her made her pause momentarily though. She had enough questions for everyone she'd met her to last a lifetime. But she also knows what tends to be expected when you ask people questions.

She hesitates, deciding to start with something pretty basic.]

What do you do back home?

Right before I left Tokyo?
I was the manager of a cabaret back in Sotenbori -- a nightclub, basically.

That was just a temporary thing, though.

[ He skimmed past a book about mice. Getting closer. ]

I was only doin' it to get back into the yakuza.

[ Might as well be honest here, right? The others could get the cover story -- it was even true, though like most truths it wasn't the whole picture. ]

[Okay that's not entirely surprising considering he's opened a bar here. She stills momentarily and then turns to face him with a surprised expression at the rest.]

That's like the mafia right?

[Holy shit, Majima.

...actually that explains a lot...]

What, you heard of it? That's a switch.

[ Usually this was the part where he had to explain what the heck the yakuza was. ]

But yeah. I was an enforcer with the Shimano family up until a couple years ago.

[Her cheeks flush a little and she looks away because - okay she hangs out with nerds and maybe she's a nerd, too.]

I read a lot. [A lot. English is her favorite and best subject, because it's easy for her to get lost in a story, regardless of its format - fiction, non-fiction, poetry - she's not all that picky about it. When you need an escape, you use whatever's handy. Also...]

And my friend Lucas likes history a lot.

[She glances at him again, raising her eyebrows.]

Are we talking...more of a bodyguard or a hitman?

[ There was a flicker of some unidentifiable emotion in his eye; Max had hit upon something... complicated. ]

Most times, you're dealin' with other guys in about the same boat. Sometimes it's a loan shark that owes your boss money, and ya gotta rough him up to make him pay what he borrowed. Sometimes it's a rival clan.

Guns're restricted in Japan, and no one wants a dead body and the cops up in their business. So actual hitmen're pretty rare.

[She's really good at doing that exact thing, but to her credit she feels bad almost as soon as she hits send on that question.]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like I thought you were a hitman.

[She really didn't. Until he'd mentioned the yakuza she never would have jumped to that idea.]

[ Frankly, Majima didn't really want to talk about this, but he had offered. And if he dissembled now, he figured he'd never offload that guilt. ]

There's nothin' to be sorry about. Yer part right, anyway. My bosses did order me to kill people. Twice.

[ Now didn't seem like the time to be looking for books, so instead he merely turned to face her, moving no closer or further away. ]

But for one reason or other, I never did end up goin' through with it.

[She looks from the device and his explanation up to him, meeting his eyes and nodding slightly. She offers him a faint smile before looking back down and typing up a message.]

Weren't you afraid of what they might do if you didn't follow orders?

[ Questions he wasn't really sure how to answer for 500, Alex. The truth was that the likelihood of death or dying hadn't played much part in Majima's personal decisions for some time now.

And what did he have to be afraid of now that he'd already paid the price? ]

When ya take an oath like that, you gotta accept that things like that might happen -- and take responsibility for 'em. That's all it is, when ya come down to it.

[ What struck him as so strange about Max and the others was how calm they were, how curious. Because they'd faced death before? Monsters? Maybe it gave you perspective. ]

You don't seem too surprised.

[He's so nonchalant about the possibility of dying that it unsettles her. She's not that nonchalant about the possibility of dying. She has no desire to die. It scares the hell out of her.]

I knew there was a story behind the fighting and the weapons stuff. I just wasn't sure what it was until now.

[Granted, right now it's kind of hard to picture considering there's a rabbit in his coat.]

[ A rabbit that had retreated into his pocket only to stick his whiskers out, in fact. ]

Well. Most of the weapons stuff I know, I learned it after I was out.

Met a weird old guy who was into martial arts, he started introducin' me to his acquaintances... kinda snowballed from there.

[ There was a tinge of fondness to his expression as that particularly message appeared on the devices. ]

Anyway, now ya know.

Edited Date: 2018-04-11 05:57 am (UTC)

[Help, it's so cute.]

Oh.

[Isn't that kind of how she'd started out, too? Met a weird old guy who was running a fight club? And no, she's not thinking about Mike.]

Now I know.

[She glances at him, giving him a quick smile before turning to peruse books once more until she finds one that says "Bunnies for Beginners." She holds it up then types back another message.]

Okay so...what about you? Do you have questions for me?

[ Majima gave her a thumbs up, and placed the rabbit carefully on top of a low bookcase. The bunny hopped along the surface, but didn't go far. ]

Guess I was kinda wonderin' about your family situation. Y'know, how big a jerk yer brother was, or if you were okay livin' with your mom.

You ain't have to tell me, though. Don't see much point in bringing up bad memories.

[She glances down as the rabbit hops along and then looks back at Majima for a moment.

It's only fair, really. Since she'd asked him a pretty personal question that he'd answered. She considers for a moment, then types up a message.]

My mom and I don't really have that much in common and mostly I try to avoid my stepdad. Billy's harder to avoid. They basically make him try to look after me.

[Aka, breathe down her neck 24/7 and control her as much as he possibly can.]

We hate each other. He's an asshole.

So neither of the adults really understand ya, and they just kinda foist ya off on your stepbrother 'cause family or whatever.

That blows.

[ It made sense, though, that Max gave off the impression that she could and did take care of herself -- it sounded like she'd basically had to. ]

If he ever showed up here, you think he'd shove off to do his own thing, or get up in your face about it?