#(And a mix of gratitude and resentment towards the FF)

[more-than-a-princess]

Sonia gave her a wary look: if she was part of Naegi's circle, they surely would've met by now. The five survivors had already been introduced to the members of former Class 78 who had survived their own killing game, one where the deaths were very real, and very permanent, for their former classmates. If any of them, Asahina in particular, were particularly jealous or spiteful of that fact, they didn't show it. But as some of the team were seen as more of a liability than others, Fukawa and Hagakure in particular, they were often kept at HQ or reassigned elsewhere while the others "looked after" the former Remnants.

No, this woman was part of the larger Future Foundation, one of the vast departments that likely didn't approve of Makoto Naegi's plans. For a moment, she wondered what she'd done to get herself cast away on Jabberwock. Most of the forgettable black suits from HQ were sent to their part of the world as a reprimand, and wanted little to do with the people who used to be Ultimate Despair, unless it involved slaughtering every last one of the former Class 77-B. She must've really cracked, then, if she wanted to spend time with a group responsible for mass genocide.

"Suit yourself, then. Though I'm not strong enough to carry you if you get heatstroke," She told her bluntly as she turned the key. Even dragging a human into the cart to take them to the hospital seemed unlikely, though not impossible: days of carrying (admittedly small) bales of hay at the farm had helped bring back some of her muscle tone, though her lack of interest in meals hadn't helped matters. "We're going to the hotel first. Future Foundation members either take up rooms there or in the cabins on the opposite side of the island, they don't stay in the former Remnants' side."

A choice Naegi's team had made: for one, they needed a break from their charges and two, Sonia and her friends would have to learn to sustain themselves eventually. After everyone was revived and rehabilitated, they'd be sent their different ways: the Future Foundation, or exile, or in the case of a select few, right back where they'd come from. As Sonia directed the cart down the narrow path, sand and dirt turning into pavement as they approached the side entrance of the Hotel Mirai, she wished she wasn't special, wasn't one of the select few. At least that hadn't changed from when she was seventeen, a member of Class 77-B and an entire life ahead of her.

Putting the cart into park and honking the horn twice, the door was flung open by Akane Owari. Her energy and enthusiasm was nothing like it had been before, and her hands were still covered in rubber dishwashing gloves, soapy water dripping into the gravel and running down the side of the door as she realized the error. Peeling off the gloves, she deposited them onto a bench before striding over: a few words exchanged with Sonia, a note passed to the former Ultimate Gymnast, a long look at the black suit and tie, and unloaded parcels later and Sonia had quickly driven the golf cart right back to the parking area on the edge of the beach.

"She helps Teruteru with the cleaning, and fixing up some of the cabins with repairs," Sonia explained as she hopped out of the empty cart and into the full one: this one with boxes and bags marked as medical supplies, and a few covered in black wrappings. "Having a lot of younger siblings and absent parents meant she had to do such things before. We're fortunate she remembers that. In any case, get in: we're going to the hospital now."

New arrival to the island or not, she wasn't about to veer off her daytime schedule. The hospital, further away from the beach, was a tranquil spot: a far cry from when the survivors had been moved into every last available bed and then some. It was part of the reason why they couldn't revive everyone at once: not enough support, from both supplies and human care. Tsumiki, along with Teruteru, had been the first two choices of comatose friends to revive purely due to their needed skills, the former Ultimate Nurse reviewing a folder of notes behind the desk in the lobby when Sonia approached.

"Supplies from the mainland have arrived, Tsumiki," She told her, though with the amount of boxes she'd begun piling up in the waiting area, it seemed a bit redundant. Still, Sonia pushed the small, swinging door aside that led behind the desk to pat Tsumiki on the shoulder, and pour her a fresh glass of water: as damaged as she was, just like the rest of them, she took her job seriously, to the point that she often forgot to eat and drink until she felt truly awful. "Medications, fresh linens and disposable products, and so forth. And a few things for Peko that Fuyuhiko ordered."

"Th-thanks Sonia," She uttered, a hand reaching up to pat Sonia's own, her fingers tracing over the former Princess's while the other busied itself with the glass, downing most of it in one swallow. "And he's in Peko's room r-right now, coaxing her to go to sleep. S-she needs rest!"

"She does, but it seems like bullshit after we were in a fuckin' coma for so long," Fuyuhiko's gruff voice chimed in as he shut the door behind him, making his way to the lobby. Sonia handed him the black-wrapped parcels as he narrowed his eyes at the newcomer: like Sonia, he too understood that the black suit and tie, and a firm expression, meant this woman was from the mainland. And probably assigned to the island, not choosing Naegi's team.

"It's the items you ordered for Peko, or the ones you wanted brought to the hospital when they arrived, if the labels are correct," Sonia chimed in, "Yukata, the brand of matcha she likes, and incense sticks with a burner. I hope they...comfort her, I suppose." Even now, she wasn't sure what to say: none of them were ever really comforted. They were able to forget for a little while, if they were lucky. Or had access to the right drugs. But not comforted: there was nothing anyone could really say to make it feel better, not after they'd left the simulation behind.

"Yeah, thanks a lot," He nodded. Gratitude, at least for those outside of the Kuzuryuu family, was still a new concept for him but Fuyuhiko, like the rest of the survivors, had a bond that even blood ties couldn't touch. Brainwashing, mass murder, and watching one's friends die in a digital simulation tended to do that. "But who's she?" He asked, the pronoun delivered curtly in Shinobu's direction as Tsumiki and Sonia both turned their attention to the member of the Future Foundation clearly unaccustomed to island life so far. Even Fuyuhiko hadn't bothered with a suit, opting for lighter trousers and button-down shirt instead. "Another FF grunt here to serve out their punishment? Doesn't look like one of Naegi's people."

"Truth be told, I didn't ask for her name," Sonia admitted. It was a challenge to feel guilty about it: not when there was a revolving door of HQ personnel every fortnight: two weeks was all it took for them to sincerely apologize for offending the higher-ups at the Future Foundation. No one wanted to be stuck in tropical hell with former mass murderers. "What do you want us to call you?"

"Mm." It was hot on the island, and while Shinobu had become quite used to conditions that others would blanch at, to suffer unnecessarily seemed a waste of her time, despite what Anzu would say about it. "I appreciate the advice, Miss Nevermind. I'll speak with Miss Asahina about it when the opportunity presents itself." Not now. Certainly not now, not when she'd seen Sonia after so long, in a way she'd never expected to see her again. "For now, I'll do my best to handle it without complaint." Even now, their own comfort came secondary to their duties.

"You're being kind of creepy, Shinobu-chan." Anzu had already climbed into the back of the golf cart, though Shinobu didn't doubt that she'd find some other space to occupy even if Shinobu took that seat. "It's pretty weird of you to keep this kind of secret from Sonia-chan. You know so much more about her than she knows about you - it's almost like you stalked her in a past life!" Her hand went up to her mouth, stifling a mocking laugh. "That's so gross." Shinobu bit her tongue. There was no sense trying to explain things to a figment of one's own imagination.

With a shake of her head, Shinobu looked to the mountain of crates, anywhere to keep her eyes fixed upon so her gaze wouldn't naturally settle on Sonia. "I've reported to Miss Kirigiri, and with allowances for the fact that I may be urgently required somewhere on short notice, my responsibilities are fairly open-ended." Perhaps some more of Naegi's meddling, or a sign of just how far she'd fallen in the eyes of the Future Foundation since Seiko's death. Tropical desk duty, a place without strict expectations, where all but the most colossal of failures would be unimportant in the scheme of things.

But even so, even if there was little Shinobu could do to truly ruin any professional developments occurring on the island, they felt a pressure not to ruin something else. The temptation was there, keenly felt in the back of her mind, to leave and not to come back. Returning to Japan was not an option, yet, but it would be easy to find a space with the cadre of other Future Foundation employees and handle some menial tasks, or no tasks at all, until she left. If Shinobu wished it, it would be easy to never see Sonia Nevermind again. She wasn't sure whether it was strength or weakness that kept her from that.

"You're right," she said with a small nod. "I'm not familiar with the general location of things. Unfortunately, Future Foundation does not see fit to give those of us stationed here a great deal of orientation ahead of time." Friction between Munakata and Naegi, perhaps. A belief that if agents assigned to the island despised their time there, it would bias them in favor of Munakata and against Naegi when they returned, as it was his plan that led to needing Future Foundation staff on the island in the first place. Clever. Political.

Standing near the golf cart, but not yet crossing some imaginary threshold, Shinobu brought a hand up underneath their hair, encircling the piercing they'd given themselves, impulsively, on their right earlobe just before leaving Japan. It was sore, to be expected of such a rush job. "If you want to stab yourself with something, I can think of sharper objects," had been Anzu's not-so-helpful addition, even as a few drops of blood had dripped down onto Shinobu's neck. It was healing, now, at least, and she took some faint comfort in wearing the small skull, especially in moments where what to say was hard to decide. Although Shinobu was too old and had seen to much to believe in any kind of secret power, she'd often seen Seiko fidget with it on her lapel, and it had seemed to give her some small composure.

"If you don't find the idea loathsome Miss Nevermind, it could be faster if I aid you in loading and unloading the cart," she finally said after a few moments of silence, having lowered her hand back to her side. "If these boxes are to be delivered across the island, as well, I could use the opportunity to familiarize myself with the layout." Assisting Sonia on a personal level, ensuring the completion of Future Foundation-sponsored tasks, and making herself more self-sufficient, without relying on others to navigate the island, all seemed to Shinobu unobjectionable. At least, from the likes of her organization.

But, what about Sonia? Someone she didn't know - a realization that seemed to come in sharp, stinging waves - showing up and inserting themselves into her life, her recovery, her circle of friends that did not include Shinobu Yaugchi. Not anymore, not for a long time. It was natural to be wary or unenthusiastic in such circumstances. "Although, if you believe it to be too much a disruption to your daily activities, I understand. If you prefer, I won't oppose being dropped off at the Future Foundation living space."