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Video; UN: Rubitsune

[ The video starts and the girl on the other side of the camera looks... Concerned. ]

Just how many of us are there? [ She starts, almost tripping over her words to elaborate. ] Kids, I mean. Just how many of us here are kids?

Are we all staying at the inns?

[ She pauses, biting her lip for a moment before speaking up again, her voice a little more sure this time. ]

I think we should look out for each other. [ Because adults can't be trusted to. Even the ones who mean well. ] A lot of us are small, I'd bet. And a lot of the other kids I've seen don't really seem like fighters. Those of us that are, we should help them.

Those of us who don't know how to fight can learn from those of us who do know, and those of us who don't want to know how to fight can be taught how to keep a better eye out for themselves and the rest of us.

The more of us that know how to defend ourselves, and the more of us that can keep an eye out for each other, the better chance of survival we have in a situation where we are at a noticeable disadvantage.

[ She wasn't quite suggesting a gang of feral children, but close enough. ]

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Well... I was thrown out of every club at my school because of it. That's how bad. Eheheh...

[She ponders what Ruby has to say and nods in agreement]

I think that works, yes! Working together to make sure everyone is safe and sound!

Oh my. That is impressive. It's okay though. We'll find ways to work around it. So long as you're careful that no one gets hurt it will be fine.

That's the goal of what I'm proposing. I think a lot of us are without consistency, and if this world isn't going to offer it to us, then its our jobs to create it ourselves. We'll all be better protected if we work together rather than waiting for someone else to do it for us!

[Oh, well, now you got Nozomi's gears turning, rusty as they may be.]

You know, strange idea as it may be, maybe we can do something else to help us kids. In one of the worlds we lived in, they didn't have many places to keep us, so they ended up building their own town near by and we made it our own.

I don't think we need a town, but maybe a big house to keep all the kids in!

[ Ruby smiles at that. ]

That's a later goal. If we have our own house then we can even further reduce our costs, and have an easier time looking out for those of us who need extra help. When we're first starting out, even some basic structure will be good, but I hope to eventually be able to get a building or two. I've been saving as much of my money as possible... [ Okay. Well. There is the cafe she visits... ] Almost as much of my money as possible, and while I don't think that will be enough for a house, least of all one as big as we'll need for a lot of kids, it should at least be enough to start with a meal on top of the one we get for free.

I think the hardest part will be getting enough funds for a building. I'm not going to demand entry fees of people. What matters is that as many people have the tools they need as possible, even if that means money is tight at times. [ She's silent for a moment. ] I'm familiar with a lot of the odd jobs that come up, and I'm really good at helping people to find things they're good at, so maybe I can request a cut when I suggest a specific job to someone? I know how to fight, so I can do some of the more dangerous jobs, and leave less dangerous ones to other kids who might otherwise have hard times finding work to do that fits their skills.

Hmm, a cut, huh? Maybe not a big cut as to leave the other kids in a rut, but enough to help build up the plans and make sure everyone can get what they need.

Wow, I forgot how hard it was to plan things. It's hard work.

No, absolutely not a big cut. [ She shakes her head. ] If a group can't be run without hurting the people in it, then it isn't being ran very well, is it?

[ She sighs and shakes her head again, this time looking slightly distressed. ]

I don't know what a reasonable cut even is. Or if it should vary based on the rewards of the job. A lot of the jobs are mostly things that the shopkeepers offer when they see me wandering by, not things put up on the job board, so they don't pay like the things on the job board do. That said, almost all of them are either within the city, or only just outside it, so they're safer jobs.

If we can get a reputation for being reliable though, we may get more reliable work offered, too... [ Thoughtful, thoughtful... ] I've even had people ask me to water their gardens, and they've been sad that I wasn't able to promise to water them every day. So there are jobs that would be repeat jobs easily... Hmmm.

I think no matter what, we'll need someone good at math to help us figure a lot of things out.

Where are you at? I wanna meet up with you and we can work together. Is that okay? If this needs to be planned out, then we're gonna need to put our heads together!

...besides, I'm lonely and I could use a friend or two right now.

I'm in my inn room. One moment. [ The camera moves as she picks up the phone from where she had it resting. She taps around a bit, and soon the inn and room number are sent in a private message. She then places the phone back where it was. ] I'll welcome all help!

[ A part of her wanted to say 'but I'm not good at friendship', but she knew better. Even if Leader Korei came, she could find a way to make things work if he found people calling her a friend. She'd just lie and tell him that she was using them all to survive... Yeah. That should work.

Instead, she smiles. ]

I'm not sure how good of a friend I am, but I'm not bad company at the least.

[ Well. In her own opinion, anyway. ]

[Nozomi's going to get the message and smiles, nodding as she responds.]

Hey, I'll do my best not to upset you. Company, friend, to me, they're the same. My name's Nozomi, by the way. It's nice to meet you!

[And her video feed cuts off. A few minutes later, there's a knock at her door.]

You'll find I am very hard to make upset. [ She smiles back. ] My name is Ruby. It's nice to meet you too!

[ Ruby's own feed cuts off moments later. When the knock comes to the door she calls out. ]

Nozomi?

It's me! Ruby, right?

Right! [ Ruby opens the door and steps back to let her in. Ruby herself is dressed in some... distressed clothes that have clearly seen better days, and a hoodie that is at least three sizes too big for her.

The room.. Well. It looks fairly sparse. It is an inn room, after all, and she has no illusions that this is a permanent living place. Though, there is, oddly, a live crow perched on the footboard, dozing quietly to itself. ]

Do you live in the same inn?

[Nozomi looks over Ruby as she steps through the door. Nozomi herself is dressed in clothes that look somewhat like a combination of modern and medieval that equally looks distressed. Her long pink-magenta hair and the odd twintails she wears also show some distressed.

She calmly pets the squirrel perched on her shoulder as she nods.]

I do, but I guess we just missed each other...

[ Ruby instantly feels more at ease - someone else who has been wearing the same clothes for an age and a day is less likely to ask her why her clothes aren't in good shape.

Ruby instinctively reaches out to the squirrel with her mind - forgetting that if it's a familiar there will be no connection - sending a general feeling of greeting and calm. ]

I spend a lot of time outside doing odd jobs. Sometimes I even spend nights doing stuff. I think it's easier to miss me here than it is to find me here. [ She laughs a little. ]

[Being a world traveler makes it hard for her to get clothes and let it stay in one piece, especially if there's action. It does give Ruby the idea that Nozomi is of the same age, if not slightly older, than her.

Sadly, she won't get a connection - the squirrel is Nozomi's familiar.]

Oh, I see! [She giggles a bit] I understand completely - I knew a few people here and there who were like that. Oh, it's so good to meet someone that's my age. Ish. I think. I'm so screwed up I can't make heads or tails anymore!

[ In Ruby's case... Well. The cult has to make cuts in their budget to make up for all the weapons. Though, she'd just state that she assumes they'd keep the kids in clothing that's going to rags even if they had all the money in the world, if that wouldn't get her killed. Instead, the thirteen year old makes excuses whenever someone brings it up. After all, she's only really bothered by it when people brought it up.

There's a moment of sadness when there's no connection, but she gets over it quickly - she's long since decided that the ability to connect with a sapient creature would probably be overwhelming. Instead she focuses on Nozomi. ]

I've been saving money in case I needed something expensive, so I've been working a lot, [ and she genuinely has no idea how to not be doing something productive 95% of her waking hours, ] and it turns out I was probably right! Just not what I was expecting. [ She laughs, then looks closely at Nozomi, trying to figure out how old she might be. ] I'm surprised you can tell. People tell me I look like I'm ten. [ She is pretty scrawny... ] Why aren't you able to tell how old you are?

It’s a long story, but I’m technically... a clone. I was created in a computer world. When everyone escaped, I was brought to another world where I didn’t age for over two years.

Sooo... yeah.

[ Ruby looks thoughtful for a moment, and in the end she shakes her head. ]

No wonder you don't know how old you are. Do you count physical age? Do you count the number of years you have memories for? Or do you count the number of years you've existed? Which may or may not be the same as the number of years you have memories for! [ She sighs a little. ] If I were in your shoes I'd probably take advantage and say that technically I'm ageless and let people make their assumptions from there.

It's okay either way though. [ She gives her a smile. ] In the end, you're whatever age you feel, I think, considering your circumstances.

Me, I'm thirteen.

[Nozomi smiles at that. She honestly sounds relieved at that.]

Thanks. I think that makes things a lot easier. I’ve always felt I was older, like an adult, but I think it’s easier to say that I’m still fourteen.

[She looks her over again, gauging a proper response... before hooking a pinky with an index finger.]

If it's easier that way, then I sure won't be the one to tell you to stop. [ She can't help but giggle juuuuust a little. ]

[ At the hand motion, Ruby tilts her head a little. ]

What's that mean?

You weren’t sure how good a friend you were, so I wanted to make it easier on you. I... wasn’t sure if you wanted affection because I can be really affectionate!

[ She looks stricken for a moment, then smiles brightly. No one had ever asked her before being affectionate, and she can't help but appreciate that Nozomi thought ahead. ]

I don't mind affection if I'm warned ahead of time. A lot of people don't warn, and then they get surprised when I jump. [ She laughs a little. ] I'm told I'm very tightly wound, but I think that's what makes me mature enough to look after even kids around my age, not just the little ones!

Being tightly wound is good. It means you're ready for anything! I have to admire that, Ruby!

[She blushes bashfully as she adds in]

Would you be okay if I were affectionate?

[ Oh, Ruby can't help but smile a little at that. ]

I'm okay with it. Just give me a warning if you're coming up from behind me for a hug or something. I don't want to accidentally hurt you! Broken ribs are not any fun.

[ The little giggle she gives really seems a little out of place with what was basically an admission of having broken someone's ribs... But she seems oblivious to this fact. ]

Gotcha!

[And Nozomi's hand moves to take Ruby's as she pulls her into a hug.]

...I miss doing this. I miss my friends.

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