[ Esper activities? That hardly sounds like a 'typical' school to Five, and who knows if a curriculum from another planet will make sense to him. Thanks to his memory being wiped, he can't even tell what level of schooling he's supposed to be at! But it's not like he needs to graduate, he just needs a place to tide him over until Peil's stopped looking for him. It could be months, but it probably won't be years. They'll have moved on to the next subject by then. ]
Let's say I get in. Won't I just stick out for not being an esper? That's kinda the opposite of what I'm going for here. It'd be better if I didn't make any waves.
[ School just isn't that important to him. At least to someone who hasn't flipped the switch from survival mode back to civilian life yet. ]
[Thankfully, Accelerator has an answer to that. He gives a small shrug.]
Most of the espers in the city are Level 0 or Level 1. That means they're either too weak to manifest any kind of ability, or their ability is so weak that it's practically useless. Even though a Level 0 will still read an esper on certain medical examinations, they're functionally the same as a regular person.
[So even though everyone goes through the same process to become an esper, more than half of those kids don't end up with a super cool power.]
If your medical records were faked it'd be easy for you to pass as a Level 0. That would also mean you're more likely to get placed in a regular school, instead of one of the top ones.
[ So you're telling him powerful staircase-crunching psychics aren't the norm? Since Accelerator is the only esper he knows, he kinda assumed they're all nuts... ]
Okay...I can work with that. [ He says slowly, like he's turning the idea over in his head. So far, it checks out, and it might not be bad to start over somewhere new where his past can't catch up to him. If it doesn't work out, he can always bail. He's pretty good at that. ]
Why not? [ He throws his hands out. ] It's not like I have anywhere else to go.
[ A statement like that might have come off kind of depressing if he didn't deliver it with a wholly nonchalant attitude. ]
[It's a bit of a relief to hear Five agree with this option. Accelerator isn't about to make him do anything he doesn't want to, but his choices right now are extremely limited and from what he can see, this is the best one. At least, it's the only one guaranteed to put a roof over his head and ensure he can eat. As long as they can get back to Academy City safely, it won't be difficult to fake some medical records and get him registered as a Level 0.
Accelerator gives a little snort.]
Not unless you wanna be homeless. [His tone is dry. Thankfully, he doesn't add "or go back to Peil."]
Yeeaah, about that. Can't say I'm a huge fan of sleeping on the streets, so hurry up and recover.
[ He's had a taste of homelessness over the past few days and it sucks. Sleeping on benches and library couches, not knowing where his next meal will come from... He'll adapt, as he always does, but considering the effort for the gain, of course he'll accept free stuff handed to him. Five shakes the now empty cup in his hands. ]
Speaking of homelessness...sneak me a meal. Tell them you want extra helpings.
[However casual Five is about his situation on this planet, Accelerator feels a little pang of guilt for putting him in it. If he hadn't gotten shot they would've avoided all of this and been back in Academy City by now.
There's a brief, troubled shift to his expression before he forces something more neutral, and sighs.]
... You're desperate enough to go for hospital food, huh? [Really, it isn't great, even if it's better than starving.] Any preferences?
[ While Five isn't above a little guilt tripping for a nice meal, don't take his words too seriously. He likes to talk shit. ]
Got any slop that's not bland?
[ He replies with emphasis, staring into the tasteless coffee cup. He's not sick. He could use some flavor in his meal, but honestly, he's not picky at this point. What's the saying. Beggars can't be choosers. ]
[Accelerator mulls over their options as he sighs.]
No, sorry. It's all flavourless garbage. It wouldn't be hard to sneak you some sandwiches, though if there's some way to take some cash out using my bank card without it being too noticeable you can use it.
[He's kind of loaded so cost isn't an issue, the (digital) paper trail is.]
[ He can do a whole lot with a card. Get himself a nice place to stay, even a ticket away from here... He doesn't think like someone with integrity would. The temptation is there, but he lets it pass. Five would already have lifted cash if he thought he really needed it. ]
Sandwiches are fine.
[ He sighs. It's fine. Eating slop won't kill him. As nice as it would be to have money on hand, the bank might flag it suspicious if someone suddenly started withdrawing money from the other side of the world. They don't need to take unnecessary risks. ]
[Accelerator's response is a short nod. Lucky for him, money has never been that big of a deal and he doubts his bank account will ever go down in any measurable way. More importantly, the goal here has always been to get Five out of the scientific guinea pig life, so while he'd prefer seeing him come back to Academy City (for a bunch of reasons) if he was to successfully take off and start a new life... well, that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
It's good he's picking the sandwiches over the bank card, though. Accelerator takes another sip of his coffee.]
Then we can both suffer through hospital food together. [What a way to build camaraderie.]
[ He complains, but after surviving mad scientists, terrible food is a minor gripe compared to everything else they've had to deal with. With that settled, he crumples his cup and looks down the length of the courtyard, opting to change the subject. ]
You want to hang out here or head back in?
[ He hasn't asked, but he guesses Accelerator's still not feeling 100%, but he could also be tired of sitting in his hospital bed. ]
[It could be infinitely worse. Bad sandwiches are a small price to pay for freedom.
Accelerator's gaze trials over to the entrance back into the hospital, a little reluctant. While he's pretty tired, the fresh air and getting to stretch his legs with some company has been nice.]
... I should head back in. I don't need the staff hassling me about being out of my room for too long.
[ Spouting off this kind of idle chatter, Five accompanies Accelerator back to his room. He hangs around long enough to have his fill of bland hospital food, which despite his complaints he digs into without problem. He had understated just how hungry he is. When visiting hours conclude, he bids him goodbye and ducks back out into the city to... do whatever he wants to do. He's free now. ]
[He can't really argue with that, and he's pretty sure he's never going to get over the embarrassment of getting shot. They eat some sandwiches and by the end of visiting hours he's legitimately exhausted.
The next day, as they discussed, he contacts the city to arrange for transport home. It isn't difficult to do given he's the person in charge, though he imagines when the board of directors hears there is going to be a lot of grumbling. Oops, the board chairman isn't missing or dead, and in a couple of days he'll be back in power. The only real threat are information leaks, Peil learning what's happened, and them trying to interfere. He makes it clear in the call that the company is likely out for blood, so Academy City needs to plan accordingly for this retrieval as well as send the hospital his bank details to cover whatever bills he's racked up. Once he's explained things and knows one of his employees will contact hospital administration for his medical records and to organize everything all that's left to do is wait.
It's a tense couple of days, but no Peil mercenaries or assassins show up. Only the Academy City transport that takes the two of them back to Earth. By then Accelerator is well enough to travel, so while it isn't a pleasant trip for him it isn't dangerous. They reach Earth without any major incidents, and even though Accelerator is transported to the city's best hospital he gets to work immediately arranging for Five's registration. He's enrolled into an unremarkable school, medical records are fabricated to make him an unremarkable Level 0, and he's given an unremarkable apartment and stipend to live off of. That gives him enough to settle in while Accelerator finishes recovering and gets back to work.]
[ It's not until Five sets foot in Academy City does it start to sink in that he's really escaped and can cautiously begin to look towards the future. What follows is a whirlwind of change. Accelerator wastes no time whipping up papers for him - medical records, a place to live, even a legal name. So far "Ian" doesn't feel any more like his name than "Elan" had been, but it raises fewer questions, gives his teachers something to call him by, and is easy enough to tune out.
School life in Academy City turns out... painfully mundane, or so it feels when he's surrounded by peers whose troubles are as trivial as schoolwork and relationships. Still, Five keeps his impressions to himself and makes an effort to blend in. That part comes naturally. Putting up an act and talking his way around his secrets, it almost feels like attending Asticassia again, just minus the element of coercion and plus a whole curriculum around cultivating esper powers.
Knowing he won't be developing psychic abilities anytime soon, Five's elected to skip out on today's exercise, deciding to take a walk around the vast city instead. He dons a beanie and sunglasses before heading out, both purchased with the stipend. He doubts he'll be recognized for some CEO a galaxy away, but it doesn't hurt to obscure the resemblance now that he doesn't have to live as a clone. ]
[Getting back to work feels kind of surreal, but it's a good distraction. Just because he was gone for a bit doesn't mean the city stopped running, and it hasn't even while he recovers from the gunshot. After the two of them get back to Earth he's transported to a nearby hospital, and from there he dives straight into paperwork. Once he has Five's finished and has him registered with a school he turns his attention back to the other crap that's piled up. That includes some incredibly irritating politics with the board of directors, several of whom try to use his less-than-legal trip as a way of undermining his control. Thankfully Academy City is essentially a totalitarian dictatorship, so the threat doesn't seem all that serious to him, but it's still irritating.
It takes less time than normal to release him from the hospital thanks to the city's advanced medical offerings, and once he is he immediately heads back to the office. The Windowless Building is gone, but he has some replacement office space in District 7, the same district as many of the middle and high schools. It's strange jumping back into being in an office for most of the day. He hasn't been the board chairman for very long, and prior to that he had dropped out of school (which had technically been a classroom containing only himself), so this is still an experience he's getting used to. He doesn't know how adult office workers do this every fucking day, and in a cubicle. At least he has his own office with a nice desk and a view of the rest of the district.
He's in the office today, pouring over reports that have come in over his recent actions. Unsurprisingly, Peil wasn't thrilled, and in order to maintain the safety and security of Academy City there are a mass of intel and surveillance he needs to review. It isn't exciting work, and by the time the afternoon rolls around he's downing his umpteenth can of coffee to get through it.]
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no subject
Let's say I get in. Won't I just stick out for not being an esper? That's kinda the opposite of what I'm going for here. It'd be better if I didn't make any waves.
[ School just isn't that important to him. At least to someone who hasn't flipped the switch from survival mode back to civilian life yet. ]
no subject
Most of the espers in the city are Level 0 or Level 1. That means they're either too weak to manifest any kind of ability, or their ability is so weak that it's practically useless. Even though a Level 0 will still read an esper on certain medical examinations, they're functionally the same as a regular person.
[So even though everyone goes through the same process to become an esper, more than half of those kids don't end up with a super cool power.]
If your medical records were faked it'd be easy for you to pass as a Level 0. That would also mean you're more likely to get placed in a regular school, instead of one of the top ones.
no subject
Okay...I can work with that. [ He says slowly, like he's turning the idea over in his head. So far, it checks out, and it might not be bad to start over somewhere new where his past can't catch up to him. If it doesn't work out, he can always bail. He's pretty good at that. ]
Why not? [ He throws his hands out. ] It's not like I have anywhere else to go.
[ A statement like that might have come off kind of depressing if he didn't deliver it with a wholly nonchalant attitude. ]
no subject
Accelerator gives a little snort.]
Not unless you wanna be homeless. [His tone is dry. Thankfully, he doesn't add "or go back to Peil."]
no subject
[ He's had a taste of homelessness over the past few days and it sucks. Sleeping on benches and library couches, not knowing where his next meal will come from... He'll adapt, as he always does, but considering the effort for the gain, of course he'll accept free stuff handed to him. Five shakes the now empty cup in his hands. ]
Speaking of homelessness...sneak me a meal. Tell them you want extra helpings.
[ He can't subsist on coffee alone. ]
no subject
There's a brief, troubled shift to his expression before he forces something more neutral, and sighs.]
... You're desperate enough to go for hospital food, huh? [Really, it isn't great, even if it's better than starving.] Any preferences?
no subject
Got any slop that's not bland?
[ He replies with emphasis, staring into the tasteless coffee cup. He's not sick. He could use some flavor in his meal, but honestly, he's not picky at this point. What's the saying. Beggars can't be choosers. ]
no subject
No, sorry. It's all flavourless garbage. It wouldn't be hard to sneak you some sandwiches, though if there's some way to take some cash out using my bank card without it being too noticeable you can use it.
[He's kind of loaded so cost isn't an issue, the (digital) paper trail is.]
no subject
[ He can do a whole lot with a card. Get himself a nice place to stay, even a ticket away from here... He doesn't think like someone with integrity would. The temptation is there, but he lets it pass. Five would already have lifted cash if he thought he really needed it. ]
Sandwiches are fine.
[ He sighs. It's fine. Eating slop won't kill him. As nice as it would be to have money on hand, the bank might flag it suspicious if someone suddenly started withdrawing money from the other side of the world. They don't need to take unnecessary risks. ]
no subject
It's good he's picking the sandwiches over the bank card, though. Accelerator takes another sip of his coffee.]
Then we can both suffer through hospital food together. [What a way to build camaraderie.]
no subject
[ He complains, but after surviving mad scientists, terrible food is a minor gripe compared to everything else they've had to deal with. With that settled, he crumples his cup and looks down the length of the courtyard, opting to change the subject. ]
You want to hang out here or head back in?
[ He hasn't asked, but he guesses Accelerator's still not feeling 100%, but he could also be tired of sitting in his hospital bed. ]
no subject
Accelerator's gaze trials over to the entrance back into the hospital, a little reluctant. While he's pretty tired, the fresh air and getting to stretch his legs with some company has been nice.]
... I should head back in. I don't need the staff hassling me about being out of my room for too long.
no subject
[ Spouting off this kind of idle chatter, Five accompanies Accelerator back to his room. He hangs around long enough to have his fill of bland hospital food, which despite his complaints he digs into without problem. He had understated just how hungry he is. When visiting hours conclude, he bids him goodbye and ducks back out into the city to... do whatever he wants to do. He's free now. ]
no subject
[He can't really argue with that, and he's pretty sure he's never going to get over the embarrassment of getting shot. They eat some sandwiches and by the end of visiting hours he's legitimately exhausted.
The next day, as they discussed, he contacts the city to arrange for transport home. It isn't difficult to do given he's the person in charge, though he imagines when the board of directors hears there is going to be a lot of grumbling. Oops, the board chairman isn't missing or dead, and in a couple of days he'll be back in power. The only real threat are information leaks, Peil learning what's happened, and them trying to interfere. He makes it clear in the call that the company is likely out for blood, so Academy City needs to plan accordingly for this retrieval as well as send the hospital his bank details to cover whatever bills he's racked up. Once he's explained things and knows one of his employees will contact hospital administration for his medical records and to organize everything all that's left to do is wait.
It's a tense couple of days, but no Peil mercenaries or assassins show up. Only the Academy City transport that takes the two of them back to Earth. By then Accelerator is well enough to travel, so while it isn't a pleasant trip for him it isn't dangerous. They reach Earth without any major incidents, and even though Accelerator is transported to the city's best hospital he gets to work immediately arranging for Five's registration. He's enrolled into an unremarkable school, medical records are fabricated to make him an unremarkable Level 0, and he's given an unremarkable apartment and stipend to live off of. That gives him enough to settle in while Accelerator finishes recovering and gets back to work.]
no subject
School life in Academy City turns out... painfully mundane, or so it feels when he's surrounded by peers whose troubles are as trivial as schoolwork and relationships. Still, Five keeps his impressions to himself and makes an effort to blend in. That part comes naturally. Putting up an act and talking his way around his secrets, it almost feels like attending Asticassia again, just minus the element of coercion and plus a whole curriculum around cultivating esper powers.
Knowing he won't be developing psychic abilities anytime soon, Five's elected to skip out on today's exercise, deciding to take a walk around the vast city instead. He dons a beanie and sunglasses before heading out, both purchased with the stipend. He doubts he'll be recognized for some CEO a galaxy away, but it doesn't hurt to obscure the resemblance now that he doesn't have to live as a clone. ]
no subject
It takes less time than normal to release him from the hospital thanks to the city's advanced medical offerings, and once he is he immediately heads back to the office. The Windowless Building is gone, but he has some replacement office space in District 7, the same district as many of the middle and high schools. It's strange jumping back into being in an office for most of the day. He hasn't been the board chairman for very long, and prior to that he had dropped out of school (which had technically been a classroom containing only himself), so this is still an experience he's getting used to. He doesn't know how adult office workers do this every fucking day, and in a cubicle. At least he has his own office with a nice desk and a view of the rest of the district.
He's in the office today, pouring over reports that have come in over his recent actions. Unsurprisingly, Peil wasn't thrilled, and in order to maintain the safety and security of Academy City there are a mass of intel and surveillance he needs to review. It isn't exciting work, and by the time the afternoon rolls around he's downing his umpteenth can of coffee to get through it.]