Alice finished pulling on the bodysuit, then took the jacket from her bed and slipped it on. As she buttoned it up, a small brown cat leapt up, claws digging
into the sleeve as she climbed up and took what she considered her natural position.
"Completes the look," chuckled a voice behind her as she studied her reflection. Alice glanced over her shoulder, grinning at the sight of Ifrit
Barnes, her flatmate, and as Lady of the Peace, her former commander in Riot Force. "You make the Legendary uniform look good," she smiled. "Bit
surprised you went with the mens jacket though."
Alice shrugged with a smile. "One thing I've learned while I was short a jacket," she replied. "Neko here has sharp claws."
The cat in question let a soft laugh escape. "Oh, like you're one to talk," she scolded. "When you're the one on my shoulder, you pick
at my jacket." Alice had the good grace to look embarrassed as Ifrit laughed.
The winged woman smiled, patting her on the catless shoulder. "Congratulations Alice, you've earned it."
Alice gave her an amused look. "You sure? Because I've gotta wonder. I mean, being offered a place on a team like a Legendary... and I'd have
thought you'd be more irritated about it. Lora'lai did kinda poach from you." She blinked at Ifrits laugh.
"Hardly. We're allied with the Legendary, remember," she pointed out. "Most of the time we're out there, we're working with their
members. So you're not leaving us behind-"
"Oh god no!" Alice exclaimed, the amused expression wiped from her face in an instant, replaced by sharp horror. Ifrit suddenly remembered a
conversation with Duel Sabre about an encounter Alice had with an Outcast in the Hollows, and cursed her poor choice of words. The girl trusted her, even
though not so long ago, she'd been a rather quiet young woman, afraid to trust again, before she'd run into some of Riot Force...
"I know you're not," she said, reassuring her. "Frankly Alice, I don't know if you'd know how to, and I'm glad you've got no
interest in finding out." Ifrit patted her shoulder again gently, giving her a gentle smile. "This is just taking the chance to do more good. Anyway,
you still live here," she pointed out. "So don't worry about it." Alice smiled faintly, ears ceasing their panicked motions as the older
womans words sunk in. "Now, if you're done trying on your fancy new outfit, I think Neko had plans for the day."
As Alice blinked and nodded, Ifrit smiled and left the bedroom, wandering into the living room to find Nene sitting on the floor in front of a dismantled
computer and tools. "If I step on some screws again, I'm melting that tower," she warned, drawing an annoyed protest from the buma. She casually
bickered with Nene for a few minutes, before a small, brown haired catgirl emerged from Alices room, a purple kitten perched on her shoulder. "You guys
got a plan?" she asked.
Meganeko smiled, pulling a massive war hammer out of nowhere and twirling it casually. "Oh, just meet a few friends for lunch, then visit the Row and
break some Skulls. Maybe some clockwork as well."
"And I was going to sit on her shoulder and watch," Alice added, smiling as only a small purple cat can. "I don't get to as often as her,
given she's lazy-"
"I could stop you from getting at my string," Neko warned, shutting the cat up. Smiling, she bowed and left. Ifrit chuckled, returning her attention
to making a sandwich. After a moment, she paused, then looked up at the pink haired girl leaning on the other side of the kitchen bench. She raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, I've been tryin' to work it out, but I can't see it," Nene said. "I give up. Why'd you talk to Lora about considering
Alice for the Legendary?"
Ifrit smiled, taking a slice of ham. "She'd already gotten the Legendarys attention for tracking down Sam Wincott," she pointed out. "Heck,
she asked me to go talk to them about pulling a Task Force together to rescue him." She chuckled. "Four years heroes have been looking for that boy,
but she pulled it off. You have to admit, that draws attention-"
"Not what I meant!" Nene scowled. "You talked to Lora'lai about having Alice join the Legendary. Don't deny it, I hacked your phone
calls."
"...Why?"
"I was bored," she shrugged. Ifrit accepted that with a shrug of her own.
"Remember how she started out?" she asked the Buma. "She joined with Wreckage, Kentucky and Tae... And she was this quiet, sullen little thing,
not trusting anyone really. Heck,we didn't even know she was crashing in a burnt out house in the Hollows until she and Neko met and their powers merged.
Now look at her."
"... So she's happier. And you move her on?" She squeaked as Ifrit flicked her nose.
"Don't be silly. She's come to trust us. She's learned to trust again, which you know is a big one." She sighed, finishing making her
sandwich. She studied it for a moment. "She needs to meet more people, learn to trust them too. The Legendary is like Riot Force on a larger scale again.
A wide array of heroes from a load of different origins, with conflicting personalities and goals... but they're good people, people you can trust. Alice
needs to experience it."
Nene looked at her as she ate her sandwich. "So why not just tell her?" She managed. "Let her know what's going on. She trusts you... heck,
she looks up to you."
"Because you know she'd take it the wrong way," Ifrit responded. "Especially given the other reason."
"Which is?"
"There's no way she's eighteen," Lady of the Peace said. "And Lora'lai's a smart woman. She set up a little support program for
Legendary members that..." she paused, then smiled. "Need assistence with their education." She shrugged. "I'm not certain she'll
go for it, but she's a smart kid, and she'll grab at any opportunity that presents itself."
Nene scowled. "You should have told her."
"She doesn't take charity, remember? Her own words when we offered her Nekos room," she said. "So I can't just GIVE it to her, no matter
how much I want to." Ifrit sighed. "I love the kid, but she can be so frustrating sometimes."
into the sleeve as she climbed up and took what she considered her natural position.
"Completes the look," chuckled a voice behind her as she studied her reflection. Alice glanced over her shoulder, grinning at the sight of Ifrit
Barnes, her flatmate, and as Lady of the Peace, her former commander in Riot Force. "You make the Legendary uniform look good," she smiled. "Bit
surprised you went with the mens jacket though."
Alice shrugged with a smile. "One thing I've learned while I was short a jacket," she replied. "Neko here has sharp claws."
The cat in question let a soft laugh escape. "Oh, like you're one to talk," she scolded. "When you're the one on my shoulder, you pick
at my jacket." Alice had the good grace to look embarrassed as Ifrit laughed.
The winged woman smiled, patting her on the catless shoulder. "Congratulations Alice, you've earned it."
Alice gave her an amused look. "You sure? Because I've gotta wonder. I mean, being offered a place on a team like a Legendary... and I'd have
thought you'd be more irritated about it. Lora'lai did kinda poach from you." She blinked at Ifrits laugh.
"Hardly. We're allied with the Legendary, remember," she pointed out. "Most of the time we're out there, we're working with their
members. So you're not leaving us behind-"
"Oh god no!" Alice exclaimed, the amused expression wiped from her face in an instant, replaced by sharp horror. Ifrit suddenly remembered a
conversation with Duel Sabre about an encounter Alice had with an Outcast in the Hollows, and cursed her poor choice of words. The girl trusted her, even
though not so long ago, she'd been a rather quiet young woman, afraid to trust again, before she'd run into some of Riot Force...
"I know you're not," she said, reassuring her. "Frankly Alice, I don't know if you'd know how to, and I'm glad you've got no
interest in finding out." Ifrit patted her shoulder again gently, giving her a gentle smile. "This is just taking the chance to do more good. Anyway,
you still live here," she pointed out. "So don't worry about it." Alice smiled faintly, ears ceasing their panicked motions as the older
womans words sunk in. "Now, if you're done trying on your fancy new outfit, I think Neko had plans for the day."
As Alice blinked and nodded, Ifrit smiled and left the bedroom, wandering into the living room to find Nene sitting on the floor in front of a dismantled
computer and tools. "If I step on some screws again, I'm melting that tower," she warned, drawing an annoyed protest from the buma. She casually
bickered with Nene for a few minutes, before a small, brown haired catgirl emerged from Alices room, a purple kitten perched on her shoulder. "You guys
got a plan?" she asked.
Meganeko smiled, pulling a massive war hammer out of nowhere and twirling it casually. "Oh, just meet a few friends for lunch, then visit the Row and
break some Skulls. Maybe some clockwork as well."
"And I was going to sit on her shoulder and watch," Alice added, smiling as only a small purple cat can. "I don't get to as often as her,
given she's lazy-"
"I could stop you from getting at my string," Neko warned, shutting the cat up. Smiling, she bowed and left. Ifrit chuckled, returning her attention
to making a sandwich. After a moment, she paused, then looked up at the pink haired girl leaning on the other side of the kitchen bench. She raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, I've been tryin' to work it out, but I can't see it," Nene said. "I give up. Why'd you talk to Lora about considering
Alice for the Legendary?"
Ifrit smiled, taking a slice of ham. "She'd already gotten the Legendarys attention for tracking down Sam Wincott," she pointed out. "Heck,
she asked me to go talk to them about pulling a Task Force together to rescue him." She chuckled. "Four years heroes have been looking for that boy,
but she pulled it off. You have to admit, that draws attention-"
"Not what I meant!" Nene scowled. "You talked to Lora'lai about having Alice join the Legendary. Don't deny it, I hacked your phone
calls."
"...Why?"
"I was bored," she shrugged. Ifrit accepted that with a shrug of her own.
"Remember how she started out?" she asked the Buma. "She joined with Wreckage, Kentucky and Tae... And she was this quiet, sullen little thing,
not trusting anyone really. Heck,we didn't even know she was crashing in a burnt out house in the Hollows until she and Neko met and their powers merged.
Now look at her."
"... So she's happier. And you move her on?" She squeaked as Ifrit flicked her nose.
"Don't be silly. She's come to trust us. She's learned to trust again, which you know is a big one." She sighed, finishing making her
sandwich. She studied it for a moment. "She needs to meet more people, learn to trust them too. The Legendary is like Riot Force on a larger scale again.
A wide array of heroes from a load of different origins, with conflicting personalities and goals... but they're good people, people you can trust. Alice
needs to experience it."
Nene looked at her as she ate her sandwich. "So why not just tell her?" She managed. "Let her know what's going on. She trusts you... heck,
she looks up to you."
"Because you know she'd take it the wrong way," Ifrit responded. "Especially given the other reason."
"Which is?"
"There's no way she's eighteen," Lady of the Peace said. "And Lora'lai's a smart woman. She set up a little support program for
Legendary members that..." she paused, then smiled. "Need assistence with their education." She shrugged. "I'm not certain she'll
go for it, but she's a smart kid, and she'll grab at any opportunity that presents itself."
Nene scowled. "You should have told her."
"She doesn't take charity, remember? Her own words when we offered her Nekos room," she said. "So I can't just GIVE it to her, no matter
how much I want to." Ifrit sighed. "I love the kid, but she can be so frustrating sometimes."