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The Unwilling Slider [Azecreth & Wingshadow]

Kyon waited patiently for Nagato as she remained silent, hoping that she hadn't merely been putting up a front for Haruhi so she wouldn't worry about her while she was around. That sort of activity might make things easier for Koizumi, but it wouldn't really benefit them if she was only acting. Nonetheless a silent sigh of relief escaped as Nagato revealed that by her standards she was doing alright, even if those standards were very different from those of everyone else. Most people weren't a nigh reality warping alien after all, so he could only use what he saw and assume that she was telling the truth.

"That's good to hear," he replied with a nod as Nagato explained that Haruhi might have helped her subconsciously, an actually useful use of those godlike powers that didn't happen too often when she was involved. It usually got them in trouble, but it was worth it for the occasional good spots like this. He took a moment to eat a bit of his lunch as he thought, reflecting on what she had said. "The sooner you get back to normal the better." Nagato was the one he trusted in most when it came to situations like this, so having to work without her was really difficult, to say the least.

Under the intense stair, he frowned in thought before he began to speak. "Well, in the second plane I met you and got you to agree to help out. You said that if I try to act different than I usually do it might keep the planes from drawing together as quickly. And in the third plane I met someone who'd come in contact with the fox fires. Apparently they spoke to her, but she couldn't understand what they were saying. Other than that, I wasn't able to come up with anything that could help our problem." Unfortunately, it seemed like things would be slow going there, at least for a bit.
 
Nagato blinked twice at Kyon's comment, the gears turning in the back of her head before she formed her reply, the words flowing slowly from her lips, "In what way should I be normal?" For a data interface whose very being, or whatever it was that comprised her "data", her current state of developing thoughts, desires, and emotions independant of the Data Integration Thought Entity could only be described as abnormal. Granted, the Data Integration Thought Entity most likely had anticipated some changes to occur, being so close to the source of autoevolution for extended periods of time, and the Entity itself certainly had more important issues to consider than the abnormalities manifesting in a single one of its many interfaces when entire planes of existance were in danger of colliding with each other. Even so, Kyon's offhanded remark did bring to light an important question. What exactly was normal for Nagato? An improvement in her heath certainly went along with it, but what else might it entail?

"Understood," Nagato gave him a subtle nod, "While the root cause may be Haruhi Suzumiya, in this case it seems the source is external. This complicates matters, as Haruhi may complicate matters if she becomes aware of the situation. Furthermore, the Haruhi in the other planes may not follow the same line of reasoning. A false move may cause the planes to become further destabilized and draw closer together. For this reason, I advise against involving her any more than necessary." She stepped behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders as she stood behind Kyon's chair, looking at the back of his head.
 
"Huh?" Needless to say, the sheer absurdity of what Nagato asked him took Kyon off guard. What had prompted this, and why was she asking what 'normal' meant all of a sudden? She didn't seem to have a problem with that sort of thing before. The status of her apparent recovery was starting to drift backwards in his mind, even if it was through no fault of her own. Yet he couldn't simply leave it unanswered, if only because his conscience demanded it. His glance traveled towards the ceiling for a moment before he answered. "Well, healthy, and acting however you feel is natural for you I guess." Who was he to say what normality was for an alien? He could only try and make sure that no one was controlling her against her will.

The rest was as much as Kyon expected, Nagato advising him to involve Haruhi as little as possible. "I was already planning on doing that, but alright. Not like she would believe me anyway." If she didn't believe him when he told her about aliens and espers and what have you, why would she believe him about colliding realities? He'd like to convince her otherwise, but it didn't seem like that would be happening anytime soon. He glanced back at Nagato as she came to stand behind him with her hands on his shoulders, unusual for her. Still, remembering what she had said before he didn't protest just yet. As long as Haruhi didn't walk in on them it would be fine. Probably.
 
"Understood," Nagato nodded once again, the tension in her shoulders relaxing somewhat when he replied. Either he had given her a reply she had already expected, or his words had given her some amount of reassurance, but either case certainly improved her outlook. She may have been an alien, but even aliens understand that the easiest thing to do would be simply do what comes naturally. In her position behind him at the table, she began to rub her thumbs against him. At first, she began with small circular motions, with hardly enough pressure to distinguish her efforts from repeated nudges. As she continued, however, her movements began showing more skill and focus. Her face, however, betrayed no indication that she occupied herself doing anything out of the ordinary at all.

"Do not assume that the Haruhi's from the other planes have the same relationship as you have with the Haruhi of this plane. While I have no way of confirming this, your counterparts may enjoy a greater level of direct influence on her in the other planes," Nagato pointed out, but her focus had already shifted to something else entirely. She took half a step closer to him, pressing against the back of his head as she peered down at him, her stare shifting to an inquisitive gaze. Did she want him to comment on her massaging skills? She began putting more strength into her hands, her hands sliding down to his arms then back up toward his neck's base, working out his body's tension while spreading a soothing sensation in its place.
 
While Kyon was glad to see that Nagato had accepted his suggestion, her beginning to massage him was yet another unexpected thing that was being added to this interaction. He hadn't indicated any desire for a massage, nor any need, and this was out of the blue as far as his interactions with the alien were concerned. Not that she was bad at it, by any stretch of the imagination, and he eventually let his confusion seep away to relax into her gentle touch as she worked with the precision that only someone like her could match.

Still, he couldn't deny that what she was saying made sense, given what he had seen in the other planes. 'Yeah, especially that third one," he agreed with a nod. If he was the assertive one in their relationship there, who knew what he might cause, whether deliberately or on accident, and Asakura didn't help at all. The remaining plane was a bit easier, if only because Haruhi was thinking in terms of his relationship with Asahina, for better or for worse.

A sigh escaped at the soothing sensation that began to spread through his body, and he glanced up at Nagato with obvious confusion. "Not that I'm ungrateful but...when did you learn how to do massages?" There was no question of skill, since it would be pointless. He was just wondering when she had decided to make a decision to gain these skills.
 
"An in-depth understanding of the human body was necessary for my assignment to observe Haruhi. When the Data Integration Thought Entity created me, the Entity made sure that I possessed all forms of information that may be required," Nagato replied, "It took only a few cycles to draw from this anatomical knowledge to appropriate means by which to produce relaxation and relieve stress. However, individual humans respond differently to stimulus. I am practicing on you to determine the most effective proceedures, or as you call them, massages." In other words, based on what she already knew, Yuki simply played it by ear. One could only imagine how good she could get if she put her mind and effort to it.

While she did explain how she went about learning how to do it, the exact reasoning behind why she was doing it now remained unclear. Did she think Kyon needed to relax for any particular reason? Her blank expression certainly did not give him any hints. She drew her hands lower, nearly reaching his waist as her hands continued to prod him, releasing his strain while instilling a soothing glow wherever her hands touched him. She bent forward somewhat in order to reach, her chin hovering just over his shoulder. Her soft breath brushed his cheek, the sensation blending with the firm yet relaxing pressure from her hands. How much longer did she intend on doing this? Did she have any idea how Haruhi might respond to such a scene?

Yuki either did not care or did not actively consider the result, as she began working her way upward once again. Since the alien apparently did not care to pack a lunch, she needed something to fill her free time, and apparently neither books nor food could capture her interest as readily as learning how to get Kyon to relax.
 
"Oh, I see," Kyon replied with a nod. It made sense he supposed, though it didn't exactly answer the question of intent. He could see why the Data Entity would want Nagato to know this sort of thing, and it was impressive that she could do this much when she wasn't even really trying. Then again, if she did try she could probably manage it in a few seconds at most, judging from her ability to master other skills. But he soon found that hard to focus on as Nagato continued with what she was doing.

Honestly. he couldn't help but relax a bit and enjoy it. The soothing glow suffused him, and it felt like his strain was melting away. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that Haruhi would go ballistic if she saw it, he could get used to this. It definitely helped when one considered all the stuff he had had to go through in the past few days, such as his life being in jeopardy and all the reality hopping. It might not bring any solutions, but for the moment it allowed him to forget his worries and send some time to reflect upon himself.

Yet he couldn't let it go on forever much as he might want it to. It took quite a bit of effort to rouse himself from such a lulled state, a shake of his head before he looked back over at Nagato. "Uh, Nagato, I'm grateful for this, but what if Haruhi comes back? I wouldn't eant you to get in trouble with her again."
 
"Do not worry. I have sealed this room off from outside interfearance. Haruhi should not be able to enter this space, as I have already taken full control of the data within the room's parameters," Nagato's eye glinted. Sure enough, all sounds external to the room itself had dulled significantly or vanished entirely, the eriee silence similar to that of a closed space. Asakura had performed a similar feat, although her intention in doing so was anything but benign.

During thier last meeting, Nagato had mentioned that she wished to interact with him on a more regular basis in an effort to hasten her data's adjustment, but she had not discussed how she intended on accomplishing this. Considering that Taniguchi had stumbled upon the two of them in a compromised position before, it made sense that she would go to such lengths to ensure secrecy, but would even that much effort keep out Haruhi of all people?

"In the unlikely case that she does break through my defenses, I will resolve the situation myself. You need not concern yourself," Nagato reassured him, refusing his suggestion outright. "Seeking mode: Activate," Nagato continued, kneading his back and shoulders with building speed until her hands became a blur of motion, pressing against him in multiple locations nearly simultaneously. One could only imagine how effective her "spell" would be if Kyon had taken a prone position prior to beginning.
 
"O-Oh, I see. Good thinking," Kyon replied with a hesitant nod. Now that he thought on it it did seem like everything was dimmer in volume than before, and Nagato could be the only reason. He knew that she could do stuff like this, he just hadn't expected that she would. Still, it meant that they would have relative security, and he wouldn't have to worry about someone walking in on them while they were in an awkward position like this. Nagato might not care about stuff like that, but she didn't really have to. He, on the other hand, did. So, the more they could do to prevent it the better.

It did occur to him that this could be what she had aiming for, that the two of them could spend time together to help stabilize Nagato's condition faster. With how she had healed because of Haruhi he supposed that he hadn't expected her to do it in such a way, but if that was what she wanted then he wouldn't object. Especially since it seemed like she had taken ample precautions in the first place. There wasn't really anything stopping them now.

An eyebrow rose as Nagato activated some sort of 'seeking' mode, which he could only wonder about up until she seemed to become a blur of motion, hitting multiple spots on his back and shoulders at once. It was impressive to think about what it might have been like had he been lying down, but for the moment such thoughts were banished by the experience itself, the stress practically evaporating as Kyon held on to his seat and leaned back a bit, or moving to whichever position Nagato deemed easiest to work with. "Really though, thank you for this. It feels good, especially after the last near death experience."
 
"By that, I presume you are referring to an encounter in the last plane your conciousness visited, correct?" Nagato paused her ministrations as she spoke, pulling back his seat slightly away from the table. She slid in front of him, sitting down on his lap as her hands reached up to begin massaging his chest, sides, and shoulders while staring directly at him. The mention of death seemed to prompt her newfound boldness, as she did not hessitate in the slightest as she began to press her fignertips against his body through his school uniform, her eyes locked with his own, only broken by the occasional, momentary blink.

"Does this feel better?" Nagato verbally prodded him, her weight bearing down on his legs and her body's warmth gradually sinking into him as she held herself close. She scooted forward, her thighs nudging herself closer until she properly straddled his legs, shoulders mere inches from his own. Under normal circumstances, such a display would have doubtless garnered more than a few strange looks or outright protest. For anyone else, going so far would certainly qualify as a public display of affection, but how did Nagato percieve her own actions? Where they merely a means to an end, an attempt to stabilize her own data and nothing more? He had given her free reign to act as she saw fit, and all inquiries concerning her purpose for doing so resulted in only dull silence. Perhaps Nagato herself did not fully conceptualize the reason behind her own actions.
 
"Yeah," Kyon confirmed with a nod, flinching a bit as he thought back on it. "Asakura." Given the events in their own reality, that was all that really needed to be said about it. Sure, it hadn't been intended to actually kill him or whatever other excuse she was willing to make, but it was nonetheless an attempt in his eyes. He started a bit though as Nagato sat down in his lap, working over his front with a boldness that had not been there up to a few minutes ago. Had his mention of the near death experience brought this out? It didn't seem like there was any other reason for it.

Once again he leaned back, but this time he was trying to hold back from the physical contact that was being pushed on him. "N-Nagato," he protested, not used to situations like these. Even with the relationship that the other Kyon and Haruhi seemed to have, and that kiss of their own within that barrier months ago, this sort of thing still wasn't natural to him. The two of them were mere inches apart, Nagato straddling him in a manner that would have sent the gossip mills flying had anyone been able to walk in on them. "Isn't this a bit much? I'm feeling fine now."
 
Nagato did not reply, instead continuing to stare at him blankly as she rested her weight on him, leaning against him while her face remained close enough to his own for him to feel her gentle breath. Her hands gripped his shoulders firmly but not painfully, her gaze peering onward, directly into his own. Had she somehow failed to hear him? Did his words not reach her ears? She refrained from intensifying the situation any further, but neither did she back away. Instead, her expression remained calm and unwavering, while any other person doubtless would not have been able to maintain such an unreadable disposition.

"I have already sealed off this space from outside intervention. There is no need to fear interfearance from an outside source," Nagato finally spoke, but given the context her words were anything but reassuring. She tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, "Do you find contact of this kind undesirable?" The silence and complete stillness of the room only added to the impact her words carried.
 
While Kyon was aware of what Nagato had said, it was a natural human worry that kept him afraid of possibly being seen in such a compromised situation. Haruhi was God after all, so even with all reassurances there was always this kernel of doubt still lingering. But at least she had stopped for the moment, giving him the opportunity to catch his breath. Even if she did not back away either, it was better than nothing at all. So he was grateful for the reprieve, however long it lasted.

"Ah, n-no," Kyon replied swiftly, shaking his head when Nagato asked the obvious question. Of course he didn't find it bad, and that was beyond the sort of emotions that a high school student would generally have when a girl was sitting on his lap. As Taniguchi would attest to it was a perfectly normal bodily reaction. beyond that even, there was nothing ultimately bad about it. She wasn't particularly heavy, and he did care for her as a friend. Without the possibility of Haruhi or Koizumi walking in on them. there was no harm in it, right?

With his big mouth though he simply couldn't leave it at that however, and he would soon add to it, if only to serve as an explanation. "It just seemed pretty intimate for you." Especially considering he had thought he was just going to get a shoulder massage. But it was outside the norm for her, so it made an easy excuse to bring it as the focus. As opposed to something hard, like his relationship to both Nagato and Haruhi.

But back to basics. Hopefully she would find that understandable, and they could move on before he made things any more awkward.
 
Nagato gave no indication that she found the pose in any way uncomfortable. In fact, the way she assumed it so naturally, so willingly, would imply otherwise. The words he spoke caused her pause, however, the subtle rising and falling of her chest as she breathed continuing at a even pace as she considered his reply. "This sort of connection is not something you personally desire toward me," Nagato remarked, "Understood."

She lingered for a short moment, before moving back, sliding off his lap in a single fluid motion. She took half a step back from where Kyon sat, reaching down to smooth out her somewhat ruffled clothes while betraying no facial cue concerning how she thought about the matter. Nagato then stepped over to the wall, placing her hand on it before looking back toward Kyon.

"Did you wish to discuss any other matters?" the humanoid interface looked to him for confirmation, "Otherwise, I advise that we remove the lockdown program and resume the current timeline." Could this, perhaps be her way of attempting to escape the awkward situation as well? The calm expression on her face betrayed no hints as to what thoughts lingered behind her stolid mask. Even with the variety of emotions that one could assume she harbored within her mind, just how much was true, and how much was merely projection?
 
For a moment Kyon wanted to protest, to get Nagato to stop what she was doing and remain where she was. Even if it wasn't some sort of primal attraction, he didn't think that she had to feel obligated to do anything simply because she thought he wanted her to. That would be ridiculous with how much she did for him already, even if she did not see it that way. If this helped to repay her, then who was he to stop her?

Yet he didn't say anything as she stepped away, merely nodding slightly and remaining seated. Words died on his tongue, struck down by his conflicting emotions, his conflicting beliefs. Nagato, Haruhi, even Mikuru. it felt like his life was being torn between the three, and to grow closer to one risked alienating the others, perhaps even putting their friendship in jeopardy. He couldn't make up his mind, and that ended up not solving anything.

'Oh, woe is me. You should be grateful. They could be interested in Taniguchi instead,' he mentally chastised himself, a quick reminder that many others would be envious to be in his position. At the very least he had to maintain that standard, if nothing else.

After a few moments he shook his head, nothing immediately coming to mind that had not been said already. He'd have to continue his investigation of course, handle this rift entity thing, but he'd told Nagato everything he felt comfortable filling her in on at this point. "That sounds fine," he replied. "There isn't anything else." The day waited for them, whether they wanted it or not.
 
"Understood," Nagato nodded once again, removing her hand from the wall before walking back toward the door without further comment until she reached out and grasped the door handle, whispering one last word of caution, "Be careful..." She stepped through it, and as she did so the sounds in the hallway gradually faded back into his range of hearing, as if someone had turned back up the volume on the world around him. The door made a subtle click as it slid into place, leaving Kyon alone for a moment with his thoughts. The day had barely passed the halfway mark, and already the winds of fate had begun to blow upon the brigade members, in a manner of speaking in the very least.

The momentary repreave would last for only a moment longer, however, as the lunch break began to draw to a close, the other student's idle chatter in the hall intensified somewhat as the few students who frequented the old school building dispersed to their respective classrooms. One student, however, rather than merely passing by the club room, entered it instead.

Her distinctive flamboyant demeanor and prominant tooth revealed that the suddent intruder was none other than Tsuruya. Had she caught the Haruhi bug of entering whenever she pleased without even attempting to knock? In any case, she peered inside, spotting Kyon almost instantly, "Hey, Kyon... Have you seen Mikuru around lately? I mean... I haven't seen her at all since our last class together." One would naturally assume Mikuru had caught onto Haruhi's foul mood and made herself scarce...
 
"I will," Kyon reassured Nagato without hesitation. It wasn't like he enjoyed risking his life in situations of peril. But when Haruhi was involved it just ended up happening anyways. Now that Asakura was back in play, in at least one of the realities, he would definitely be careful with what he did when going forward. He didn't know what would happen if one of the other Kyons was seriously hurt or died or something, but it would probably not be good for their respective universes regardless of what happened to him.

With that she was gone, and he sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Seriously, this was all getting to be one massive headache. At least the sound of the hallways was returning, indicating that she had brought him back. Now he just needed to enjoy the few minutes he had left and compose himself before plunging back into the fire. Hopefully Haruhi wouldn't cause him too much trouble for the rest of his day.

Before he had the chance to do that, however, he found himself being interrupted by a sudden arrival. "Oh, hey Tsuruya," he replied as he straightened up a bit. Her barging in was not so bad since he knew it to be part of her general attitude and outlook on life, and he didn't have to deal with it as near constantly as he did with Haruhi. Small doses made it more bearable he supposed. Besides, for how overwhelming she might be she did seem to be a good friend, and he appreciated that.

That friendship was why she was here of course, and after a moment of thought he shook his head. "Sorry," he apologized. "She's probably making sure that Haruhi doesn't stuff her in another ridiculous costume or something." Or Haruhi had already found her and it was too late. He didn't exactly know since he had been here the entire time. Either way, he wished her luck in her quest.
 
"Running from problems has never made them go away," Tsuruya sighed, "I think it is far better to face them head on, and even if you can't overcome them, you'll be better off than before." Given her seemingly wide range of talents, Tsuruya failing to overcome something felt like a remote possibility at best.

The energetic young woman did not seem satisfied with his assessment of the situation, but grateful all the same. "Thanks anyway," she smirked at Kyon, "And admit it, you don't mind seeing Mikuru all dressed up anyway, do you?" She laughed and ducked her head back from the door, slamming it shut as she resumed her quest to locate her friend. One could only imagine what Mikuru even did in her free time. When directly questioned about a number of things, the explanation often involved liberal amounts of "classified information" after all.

The return of classes, however, promised more irritated glances from a certain unaware deity that happened to sit directly behind him, but with no reasonable excuse to skip out, his fate remained inevitable. Haruhi had already made her way to the classroom by that time, not-so-subtly hiding her frustration by balancing a pencil across the bridge of her nose, as if attempting to use the thin stick of wood to divide her vision cleanly in half or imitate the illusion of a floating writing impliment.
 
Kyon kept a careful eye on Tsuruya even as she mused aloud. He could appreciate her philosophy, and whenever they met his respect for her seemed to keep growing. She was a girl of many talents, always with a smile on her face or a laugh ready to leap free. It was like she was comprised of Haruhi's best qualities, and she was rich too. Even if she didn't know their secret she had been a good friend, helping them out in plenty of scrapes. It was surprising to think of how many things would have floundered without her to help.

The jab earned a sputter from him before she took her leave in turn, leaving him to flail against nothing. With a huff he frowned, admitting that it was true anyways. He just wished that it had been voluntary on Mikuru's part rather than being forced into it by Haruhi. The maid outfit aside, it dulled his enjoyment when she was clearly not all that thrilled with what she was doing. But Haruhi would never be convinced, of course.

Eventually though lunch ended and he found himself back in class, right in front of an annoyed Haruhi who seemed to bee doing balancing acts with a pencil. Was she trying to show off, or provoke a comment from him or something? He decided to ignore it for now as he sat down and focused forward. He certainly was not going to be falling asleep, both because of the reality jumping and because he was worried that Haruhi might decide to use one of Asakura's knives on him in her anger. It was going to be a long day.
 
Thankfully, Haruhi kept whatever knives or other tools she may or may not have had at her disposal to herself throughout the afternoon classes, without so much as attempting to speak to him between class changes. Either Haruhi had graciously given him some space, or she merely wished to delay the inevitable for later. The latter felt much more probable than the former. Time could only tell which of the two options, if either, held the truth of the matter.

When the last bell finally rang, however, Haruhi broke the temporary truce. She stood up from her seat abruptly and stepped over to his seat, placing her hand down onto his desk firmly to prevent any possible escape, "Come on, we need to talk." She turned and began walking, without so much as attempting to hold him hostage by way of her signature tie-grabbing technique. Apparently she either trusted him to follow of his own accord, or suspected that he had a well enough developed sense of self-preservation to realize that not following her would result in far worse consiquences.

She made her way up two flights of stairs before stopping just before the roof access area, crossing her arms as she turned back toward the stairwell.
 
Kyon was relived to find that even if he had not lived up to Haruhi's expectations in some area, she was at least willing to put up a facade of merely cold contempt rather than active hostility while other people were around. Not that he had any doubt she was still angry, but that was a fact of life that he had become used to by now. For now he just had to move through the day and hope that the fallout was not too bad. It couldn't be the worst he had ever gone through.

Soon enough school ended, and as he had expected he found himself confronted by Haruhi almost right away, with her demanding that he follow her. At the very least she couldn't be too angry, because she was letting him follow her at his own pace rather than dragging him along like she had in times previous. At least that was the hope, or the hope that she was becoming more mature. But in all likelihood she was at a level of anger beyond which the stars could not comprehend, and she didn't want to lash out where someone could stop her.

Either way he nodded, packed up his stuff, and then turned to follow her. They ended up just in front of the roof, and Kyon held on to his bag as he faced the oblivious Goddess. "So what did you want to talk about?" Hopefully it was important.
 
"You don't need to pretend like you don't know why I'm upset," Haruhi began, "But since you insist on putting on airs I suppose I should spell it out for you anyway." She pointed directly at Kyon's nose, "You've been relying a lot on Yuki lately, haven't you? Stop pushing your work off on others and work through it yourself. Just because you're one of the leading members in the brigade doesn't mean you can abuse your standing like that. In fact, I expect more from you! I mean, when was the last time Yuki has even been sick before? The way she just passed out like that, it must have been overwork..." The irony of her accusations failed to register in her mind, as she never once hessitated to abuse her self-appointed position to drop work into other peoples' laps. Granted, that she showed any amount of care at all about the well-being of her fellow brigade members did come as an unexpected surprise, even more so that she had taken notice of Yuki of all people, someone whose presence she often failed to aknowledge whatsoever. The altered video footage must have shaken her quite a bit if her thoughts still lingered on it. She had no way of knowing, of course, what the true reason behind Yuki's weakened state was.

"If we lose any more staff members, I'll have to delay my plans even further, and you know how I hate waiting," Haruhi continued, "I knew that the schedule would be tight as it is, so until Yuki is back up to full speed we might have to change things up a little. Put your work in the universal language on hold for the time being. Instead, I want you to look into something Yuki was researching for me." She swirled her finger in the air, "Go check out some books from the library about dimensional boundaries, or something. It would be a good idea to have a few on hand just in case they are hiding out there just beyond our grasp, right?"

She nodded twice, apparently rather satisfied with her monologue. Just before Haruhi turned toward the steps, however, she looked back at Kyon, "Hey... By the way... Do you know what is up with Mikuru today? I didn't see her at all during lunch break." She waved her hand dismissively before even hearing his reply, "Whatever, I'm sure its nothing..."
 
"Ha?" Kyon was confused for a few moments, genuinely not sure until Haruhi explained that she thought he was shirking his duties off on Nagato. Which might have been partially true, but only in the matters that she couldn't actually know about. The fact that she didn't believe him when he had told her was no ones fault but herself. Of course he internally huffed, pointing out her hypocrisy in this matter with how much she shoved off on people. But that would just make her angrier, so he didn't say anything to point that out.

Of course, beyond that she did surprise him. First was the concern for Nagato, when she didn't usually do that sort of thing at all. In fact she barely ever noticed her in the first place. The other surprise was Haruhi recognizing that he was actually important to the organization, rather than just being the delivery guy for the Brigade who did the miscellaneous jobs. "Alright, got it," he reassured her quickly. Yet he couldn't help but notice how odd the request was. Dimensional Boundaries? That seemed an awful lot like his current predicament, didn't it? And how would Haruhi have even come to a conclusion like that?

As she went on, he could only assume that it had, perhaps, been her God powers kicking in. Maybe she didn't even know it herself but had recognized it subconsciously. That would explain why she had been shaken up so much. At the very least it was the only working idea that he did have at the moment.

The mention of Mikuru brought him back, and he shook his head. "No, I haven't." So she hadn't seen her? It sent a little spark of worry into existence, but not a big one. If Mikuru was hiding from Haruhi then it would make sense that the two hadn't seen each other. Or maybe she was just busy with classified time travel stuff. It made the most sense. He would wait for Haruhi to go before departing himself, planning to swing by the library to gt those books along the way. It couldn't hurt.
 
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