menial | 1 ~ when did I stop believing in Santa Claus? [audio/action]

[ ... Oh Keiichi. She's so used to you going off on odd tangents (and she's so put aback by Kyon being here) she doesn't even stop you. there's no point in trying to. Even when he goes to draw on the white board. she does get progressively more :| but. She'll let this distract things for now]

Thanks, professor.

'Koizumi's spirit lives on.

Naturally, I don't understand any of that. Okay, well, I understood some of it. I guess I got the gist. The point is that this place is totally different, yada yada yada, and nothing I do can affect the old timeline? Is that right?'

[He finds himself getting increasingly :| as it goes on, too.]

I guess I should take notes.

So, Haruhi. When are you from, then?

[Keiichi just rolls his eyes at both of you. He was just trying to explain it so it wouldn't be too mind-blowing and because the old simple 'time stops at your world while you're here' may not cut it in this situation. Whatever, he takes seat again.]

December. After Christmas.

'More than a fair number of things have happened since then. Everything involving the Sky Canopy Domain, the time traveler bastard, Tachibana Kyoko, even that issue of the literary magazine, not to mention... But why am I bothering to recount these things, anyway?'

You remember everything up to December, but then you have three and a half extra years of memories? From this place?

'Is it my job to get her out of here? Haven't I earned a moment of rest, at least? This is definitely where I need help from Nagato or Koizumi. Even Asahina-san. She's the time travel expert, after all.'

Has a lot happened?

I said Christmas - we still haven't had our New Year yet as I remember it.

[New Years is important, so she makes that distinction. ~~Thus she has now experienced Love At First Sight, Snowy Mountain Syndrome, or Where Did the Cat Go? for those keeping score at home~~ but mostly she makes the distinction to excuse what she needs to say next. Has a lot happened? Of course a lot's happened, you idiot. She's loved, lost, loved again, encountered alternate dimensions and people and magic and gained magic-.

Actually. she mutters to herself and calls on Eferin. A fireball comes to develop in her palm as she holds it out]

A lot.

Right, Christmas.

[He makes a note to figure out precisely where that is some other time. Just now, Haruhi appears to have a fireball in her h--]

'Where the hell did she get a fireball in her hands?! Did some cruel deity think that Haruhi wasn't dangerous enough?! What kind of sick joke is this, universe? Haruhi looking like Koizumi. Koizumi's spirit being in some guy from the 80's. Still have these silly wings on my back, too! Can't forget that.'

[After a brief spazzing out, he calms down and stares at it phlegmatically.]

That's great. You're an esper now.

More like a witch or a magician. She's just using the powers of the fire filial spirit, it's not as if those powers are in her naturally.

[At least from the way he understands an esper is.]

What Keiichi said! Make a distinction, jeez.

[And now she closes her hand, putting the fireball out] ...As you said, the Brigade's expanded a lot. We're around a dozen members right not and out objective's changed a little too in the last few months. [A beat. She knows this must be alien for Kyon but oh well]

A lot's happened.

[And this time her tone just comes off... tired. A little distant. Because there have been good times, but right now she's thinking back to all the bad ones. Keiiching being in the room doesn't help]

'Oh, good, so they're remedying her excessive lack of natural powers, is that it?!

--But there are bigger matters at hand. A dozen members?! And Haruhi looking... strangely serious about it. Not that the Brigade isn't serious business sometimes, but that isn't an expression you usually see on her.

I can't say, in the bottom of my heart, I feel happy about this. I feel strongly that the Brigade is no one but us, but more than that, I don't like the way she's saying that.'

I can tell. You don't seem entirely yourself. And the objective of the Brigade has changed? To what?

[You don't seem entirely yourself. While Keiichi agrees that she's getting serious and distant, those words in the mouth of a guy who hasn't been here through all of what Haruhi has gone through... Keiichi pouts but decides to say nothing about that.]

In short? To help people with their problems in any way we can, offering support and advice. And if the issue is too much for us, we put people in contact with more prepared people to deal with it.

[...]

The Brigade here isn't the same as the one at home.

[Lightly. Keiichi did sum up her conclusion, yes, but now with Kyon in front of her, she somehow feels like she's betraying her memories]

'Yes, I'm sure the welling irritation I feel has to do largely with having been dunked in a cold fountain and being told I'm in yet another ridiculous mess. But maybe also to do with my going through all of that pain in the ass stuff to save the Brigade, and suddenly being told that it's a whole new thing.'

[He keeps his expression decidedly controlled, though that very levelness conveys a slight measure of annoyance in it.]

Same name, though, huh? And the new SOS Brigade is a support group.

There are many ways to bring excitement to people. And you can hardly do it properly when they are drowning in problems and issues with no one caring to even listen them.

[He doesn't see anything wrong in keeping the same name, or in what the Brigade has turned out to be.]

[...sigh]

Yeah, same name! And you know what, it's a hit! My Spreading Excitement All Over the World with Haruhi Suzumiya has lived up to its name, and it's got tons of members, tons of insight, and a lot of sway! Power and resources and- and- And none of you guys were there! [...He's going off topic, and advancing on Kyon again.]

Koizumi's never been here! His cousin was once but- Yuki's never been here - not the real one, from my memories, and even the alternates didn't last! Mikuru's never been here! And even you- This is only the secon- third? Whatever! It's been years!

[But as soon as she finishes, she folds her arms and, well, pouts. She still doesn't know how to react here and it's pissing her off]

'I listened to all of that calmly. Mostly calmly. 'Many ways to bring excitement to people'. 'Tons of members, tons of insight, and a lot of sway?'

Yeah, maybe that was one of Haruhi's dreams. But somehow it's just not the same as the Brigade that I signed up for. I honestly don't know if it's better or not. Helping people? The SOS Brigade only rarely manages something like that. Most of the time we just do what we please, and save the universe mostly from ourselves. So maybe it's better?

But all I can say is what I feel in my heart, that if it's not us, it's not the real SOS Brigade. All of us. Even Koizumi. I'll punch him in the face, but he can still be there. What is she trying to say? That she succeeded without us? That we're all replaceable? Does she really believe that?

Is that actually true? Or is she actually just upset that we weren't here and that she needed to make some other version of the Brigade to make up for it?

It reminds me of those stories where a soldier goes off to war and is presumed dead, so his fiance marries another man, but it turns out he was a prisoner of war all along and comes home. Not that I watch that kind of movie. My aunt loves that kind of thing, though.

Where was I? Probably just trying to distract myself, right? How am I going to treat it anything like the old clubroom without Nagato sitting by the window, or Asahina-san cutely serving tea, or Koizumi smiling that damned smile at me while proffering the board games?'

[A rather lengthy pause later, he sighs.]

It's hardly our fault that we haven't been here when we have no idea how to get here. If it's your brigade, you can do whatever you want with it. I'm not arguing.

[His tone doesn't speak agreement, though: it has clear overtones of "we'll have to agree to disagree".]

[Keiichi just sighs from his position. Honestly he hadn't had expectations out of this but he had hoped it wouldn't turn badly... He's not sure how the situation is right now, but he can tell that she's upset and maybe confused as well... And Kyon probably feels the same. Maybe he should say something, but he's not sure what to say. On one part he sides with Haruhi, for many reasons, on another he tries to imagine Kyon's position, but is this really even about sides? Probably not.]

Good, because you have no right to!

[ ... ]

...You do, however, have to right to object to jointing the new SOS-Brigade. You get that same chance I gave everyone else in it when the conversion happened.

[she pulls out a chair and takes a seat, still with her arms folded. An almost defensive position. There's a light pause before-]

You'll have every right to object once you go home.

'That's a rather drastic step, isn't it? I suppose I should take it as an encouraging sign that Haruhi is granting me any rights whatsoever, even my rights under the Geneva Convention.

Of course, there's another big question here. How she reacted to all the supernatural stuff around here. If our big secret is even still a secret. If this SOS Brigade also knows about that secret. All of that. It might be my best hope of getting home from this place, one way or another. Because, in spite of whatever else I can or can't deduce yet, this place and this Haruhi are not my home and my Haruhi. As always, I need to get back to there. I need to find out how it can be done again.

And by the way, don't misunderstand when I say "my Haruhi." I'm looking at you, Koizumi. The possessive is used in a decidedly unpossessive way, so don't even get started on that.'

No need for that. You're the leader.

[Not that he sounds like he's undergone any transformation of heart. He's still agreeing to disagree.]

Good.

[And she smiles at that. As it should be.]

'Hm. Then that's that. For now.'

Well then, mind telling me what all of these changes are?

[And now he waves at Keiichi]

Keiichi, explain.

[He nods at the order. Maybe she would be better for explaining "changes" but whatever, if she thinks he can do it he'll just assume the Brigade Kyon knows is the same structure as it was at first.]

I assume the way the Brigade worked in your world is the same as it worked here at the beginning. Based on that, as I said, we now work as a support group, answering to people's SOS messages and requests of any kind to the best of our abilities. We aren't an odd job group we aim to assist in self-improvement or interpersonal matters.

Examples of what it could be? Adaptation to the new environment could be one, we get many people from worlds different from ours in which there isn't even electricity, so it can be quite a cultural shock for them to be thrown to Luceti, besides the shock it is by default. Another would be help people to deal with traumas, though if it's too serious of an issue we just refer them to Paprika, ah, she's a professional therapist that's here and thus better qualified for it.

Besides that we still are the flagship of Luceti in terms of entertainment, so we will still organize events and the like according to relevant dates. [Not that there's anything planned at the moment but he assumes they will do something for Christmas or New Year like always.] Besides that the other most obvious change is the roster, but I'm not sure if that is bond to undergo new changes now or not. And you'll meet everyone else at the next meeting anyway.

[He has no idea if Kyon had a special position in the Brigade and if so if Haruhi will want him back on it. Which could alter the roster and current positions.]

I think that's all, in general terms.

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