"Do our parents know?" Asuna had to ask the question that had been bugging her as they walked toward the visiting area of the campus. The only area on the base that made SAO survivors feel like they were at and looked like a prison.
Argo didn't need to ask for her to know what Asuna was talking about, "probably not. It's not like 'ey pay attention to little ol' me anyway," she gave her a smirk tinged with sadness, "Ima lost cause in their eyes A-chan."
Asuna was grateful she understood without saying anything, it wasn't that she was uncomfortable with her sister's orientation or anything, rather it was a surprise thinking about how it didn't surprise her. If anything Caylee's was more of a shock.
However, at the mention of her parents' opinion on the incredibly smart but also very playful and teasing blonde Asuna felt her heart squeeze, knowing it was true. Part of why she knew Caylee so well from before SAO was due to the fact that she had been Argo's closest friend since as long as Asuna could remember. Close enough that Argo was at Caylee's more often than their own home, and after a major argument now almost nine years ago the blonde had simply stopped coming home.
"How's Akira?" Asuna asked the brunette teenager walking quietly beside her.
Caylee's reserved blue eyes looked up from her tablet, where Asuna could see some homework assignment displayed on it. "You can tell your parents that she's well," Caylee told her the same answer she had been telling her for a couple of weeks now as she walked her home as per Argo's request.
"I know," Asuna sighed before she lightly shook her head at the thirteen-year-old girl, "I'm not asking for them though, I'm asking as Akira's little sister, Caylee." This was one of the few times that Liz wasn't with her nearly the entire walk back. Usually Caylee simply walked behind them, absorbed her school work or some computer program on her tablet.
Caylee blinked and chewed slightly on her lower lip, seeming to study Asuna for a lie before she sighed and tucked her digital pen and tablet into her backpack. Effectively giving Asuna her full attention as she answered her question, "Akira's complicated," she explained in a mildly delicate way, "she's stressed with exams coming up, but not enough for her attitude or anything to really have changed. She's still upset at your parents. She doesn't speak about them and frankly, I don't ask. It's none of my business what they were all arguing about, what is my business however is making sure she's safe and relatively happy."
Asuna's hands clenched slightly around her backpack's straps. Caylee didn't really tell her anything useful, she just wanted to check on her sister not bring her back home. She knew full well that Argo didn't fit in in her home and after that argument she wasn't going to ever try and convince her to come back. Especially… especially when she did seem happier on the few occasions Argo popped in at the house. "Do you still live alone?"
Caylee gave her a kind but a little smug smirk, "no, I live with Akira." The smirk dropped a moment later however and Caylee tucked her hands into the hoodie she was notorious for wearing during school hours, Asuna's parents always doubted her intelligence and wealth because of it. "Outside of Akira, yes, I live alone. Both of my parents are workaholics and live in another town so it's just me and Akira in the house."
Asuna straightened her shoulders, her mind was made up, she was going to visit Argo. However, Caylee changed directions and it threw her off, Asuna's house wasn't that way, where were they going? "Caylee?"
"I know that look Asuna," Caylee simply explained and kept walking even after Asuna stopped. She got ten feet away before she sighed, stopped, and turned around toward her, "do you want to see AKira or not? We have probably ten minutes before she leaves to go to the journaling club."
"Oh, o-of course!" Asuna replied and hurried to catch up with the other girl as she started walking.
Asuna nudged the conversation away from their parents. "Caylee never seemed to be into romance or relationships really, how'd this happen?"
Argo chuckled, "if I tol' ya, Liz would get mad Asuna, but Caylee's really quiet ya see, so it's kinda hard ta figure out what she's thinkin'." Her brown eyes glinted with something close to mischief, "unless of course ya watch her, and watchin' is my thin' A-chan."
"You're telling Liz and I when we get back, I could use a breather from the chaos of today." Asuna chuckled and held the visitor complex door open for her shorter sister.
"Later," Argo compromised and opened the door to the specific visitor room before stepping in after she exited the hallway, "Ima not interested in spillin' my guts to ya two after dealin' with our parents-" She stopped looking at something and Asuna followed her gaze only to chuckle.
Caylee was there, casually sitting in one of the other visitors' chairs in the room with her feet propped up on a table in front of the room divider. The science survivor had earbuds in her ears, but Asuna knew her well enough to know that she wasn't listening to anything, rather she was listening intently to the world around her, and her new tablet was in her hands, a book open on the electronic device.
Their parents didn't look pleased as they sat on the other side of the glass walled room, sitting on the visitors chairs. Usually there were uncomfortable chairs on the other side as well, but it looked like Caylee had bent a few rules and pulled from strings, getting a couch for Asuna and Argo.
Asuna just laughed and walked into the sight of the visitors, giving her father a smile and her brother a wave before moving into a low bow or respect for her mother. If she had more energy today she probably wouldn't have bothered with the bow and seen if it annoyed her, but she didn't, plus Caylee's stunt had her in a good mood anyway.
Argo on the other hand bent over and spoke in Caylee's ear just out of range of the normal humans' sight. "Yer an idiot Caylee."
Caylee didn't bother replying out loud but Asuna and Argo could see her written reply in highlighter on her digital book. 'No, I'm awesome. Button below the couch, press if you need to end early.'
Asuna fought to keep the smirk from her face, sure was nice having Caylee here after four and a half months of visits every week.
Once Argo elbowed her as she moved past, Caylee removed her feet from the table and pushed her seat back. "Now that your daughters have arrived I'll take my leave." She tucked her tablet beneath her arm and pushed her chair in, "have a good afternoon Ma'am, same goes to you two sirs." She gave them all a bow of respect, through the casual hinted smirk, and left, closing the door behind her.
"I don't think I've heard Caylee speak so formally before," Kouichirou chuckled and greeted his younger siblings. "She's usually very casual with everyone."
"The smirk was uncalled for," Kyouko huffed, "rather ruined the gesture."
Asuna didn't reply, but she did catch her brother's roll of the eyes and her father's silent wink, a gesture showing his amusement toward the brunette.
"Caylee's not why we're all here," Asuna took the lead, sensing Argo's mild irritation at just being in the room heightened by her mother's snide comment. "It's about all of us, our family right?"
When there was no response Asuna sighed and turned to her brother, "anything happen at Argus?" She saw Argo's chin lift just a hair, a sign of her interest, and knew she had chosen a good subject to talk about. After all, the company was partially where her older sister came up with her gamertag.
Neither sister really spoke on the way back to the main area of the complex, not that Argo could blame Asuna. Her younger sister was shaking with what she knew to be a mix of hurt and anger, primarily directed at their mother.
Argo however looked completely calm, looked being the keyword there. Inwardly she was annoyed at the things their parents had said to Asuna. Argo was a lost cause according to her mother, being the epiphany of the worst example of what it meant to be a Yuki in her eyes, so her mother mainly ignored her presence. However that usually meant Asuna was the one who took a lot of the attempts of fixing her future and making her normal again.
Argo snorted, like they could make her and any of the SAO survivors normal again. Argo was sixteen when she dived into SAO's death trap and Caylee had gone in after her, and even she had a hard time remembering what the normal world was like at this point.
She could remember the cities, sights and smells, but a lot of what it actually felt like was gone now. Replaced by memories of lush forests, exciting dark caves, cobblestone streets, pine cones, and the sound of Caylee chopping wood at her hand-built cabin in SAO which had been used as Argo's information base.
A lot of people who visited the base misunderstood how much SAO changed it's occupants and Argo was no exception. Sure she wasn't a clearer or a smith, rather Argo was the source of all information told between people there. She, just like thousands of others, relearned how to live, had built relationships, friends, and families (did Asuna's count as hers?) and essentially built an entire life for themselves there. It wasn't something someone could just forget and undo.
"After that mess," Argo spoke to her younger sister, "I'll be over in an hour and a half for ya to pick my brain, this one's on the house."
Asuna blew an aggravated breath through her nose before she replied, "okay sure."
Argo looked at her, calculating her body language, tone of voice, and generally picking out all the details she could. "Caylee wouldn't mind makin' somethin' if ya wanted a break, I can brin' it over with me. Caylee's 'robably gonna stay as far away from this conversation as she can," she added with a grin, hoping to bring up her sister's mood even if just a little.
She succeeded.
Asuna giggled a little, "I can cook, it's relaxing, and I also bet she will." Argo noticed that she still looked frustrated, and so being the older sister she was, she gave her a suggestion.
"Before I get 'ere though, ya should go beat up the air with yer blade," Argo lightly nudged her toward one of the outdoor training areas. "It'll help ya calm down A-chan."
Asuna offered her a smile, "that's what I was thinking actually. I'll see you later Argo."
Argo watched her sister leave in the direction of the armory before she nodded lightly to herself and stepped into the first floor of the quarters complex. Hers was on the first floor, as an informant it was important for news to reach her quickly while in a panic, and that was why her door had a slot beside it for people to scribble something down and it would vacuum tube it to the otherside of the wall. Thereby protecting 'the Rat's' privacy while also making information available.
If Argo had to guess however, Caylee was likely in her room, seeing how Argo's was more of a living room and kitchen than a bedroom, from careful planning and mild manipulation to make the two rooms linked together. So naturally, she stopped at the room connected to her own, didn't bother to knock and instead put her palm on the reader of Caylee's door and stepped inside when the door slid open.
"Seriously, if the security system is malfunctioning again I'm going to-! Oh, it's… just… you… Argo?" Caylee had half sat up on one of the beds in the room, her science notes spread out over the other one, and she trailed off.
Argo figured she could see the irritation on her face, seeing how despite how well she herself was at reading other people, Caylee could take one look at someone and tell you a rough estimate of what they were thinking. This is what she got for dating a psychology nut and computer nerd all put together in an intelligent but very reserved package.
Caylee didn't say anything else, and frankly Argo wasn't in the mood to stand there in the doorway and talk.
So she walked into the room, taking a brief glance at whatever the brunette had been working on as she walked, and flopped on her back beside her on the blankets.
Caylee shifted slightly and Argo could feel her blue eyes trying to analyze her, like they always did, trying to work out what exactly was going on in her head right now.
Argo rolled her eyes, "it's not rocket science Caylee, I 'an hear those gears in yer head turnin'."
"Well I've known you forever, but yet you still manage to tease and fluster me," was Caylee's calm reply, "so I can never be too careful, even if I'm aware you're not going to pounce on me or tease me right now."
Argo groaned and turned away from her to cover her head with her hands, "my batteries 're depleted, visitin' days should be banned."
Argo heard the clink of Caylee's tablet being put down before she felt her arms slip around her waist in a loose embrace, giving Argo space to escape if she decided to, not that Argo ever really did. "If visiting days were banned all around then I'd get my butt kicked for one thing, seeing how security and outside communication is literally my job, and there'd be a lot of players that would be heartbroken, namely Liz."
Argo huffed and scooted closer to her while pinching her nose, "maybe… can ya make a rule for me?"
Caylee gave a heavy sigh and Argo could feel her breath ruffle the short blond hair at the top of her head, "even if I wanted to ban your parents from visiting you and Asuna Argo, I can't, it'll be an utter pain in the ass to do."
"Why?" Argo asked, the question instinctual to her information gathering habits.
"It's not really any of your business, Argo the Rat," Caylee's voice though was teasing.
Argo grinned and turned her head toward her, allowing her to see the taller girl's freckled face, "information is my business, Caylee the Hacker."
Caylee smirked back at her, "well sorry to say but this information can't be sold so you don't want it."
Argo opened her mouth to respond, but Caylee's digital watch beeped and she beat her to the punch.
"No but seriously," Caylee said and pulled her arms away from Argo's body before she rolled over onto her stomach and got up on her hands and knees. Where she then nudged Argo's mouth closed via lifting her chin, "I can't tell you," she then leaned over and gave Argo a peck on the lips before she sat back on her knees and looked at her watch, blue eyes going from side to side as she read the tiny text there. "Just know I'd be busy for a month with it and wouldn't be anywhere but the visitor's center while I build it."
Argo was silent, brown eyes focused on the other girl for a little while. Caylee had been back for two-and-a-half days, yes she was counting, but this was one of the first moments where they were together for a few minutes or one of them wasn't passed out, namely Caylee, but she had figured out what the beeping on Caylee's watch meant by now. The science player was being summoned to go work on something or other, and so she'd have to leave and keep the base functioning.
Besides right now Argo could really only remember one moment where Caylee hadn't been called and had to up and leave, and that was when she first got there.
Argo had almost given herself away when Caylee had finally appeared. Nobody remembered her and Caylee's relationship with the memory blockages, so it had been difficult doing what she was supposed to do and keep hope without anyone else to tell her that Caylee would be back. Argo the Rat didn't lean on people very often, but there had been moments where she had wanted to blurt it all out to her younger sister and cry in her sibling's arms because she had no idea what Caylee would've gone through if she even survived to make it here.
Caylee's cousin had given her minor updates, the few things Caylee said whenever he visited her, but otherwise she was completely in the dark on her health and whereabouts.
However, when Caylee's curly hair and blue eyes finally emerged from the crowd of science and newly released normal players, Argo almost, key word almost, ran at her and kissed her. Instead she had simply run at and tackled her in a hug before scolding her.
"You can let me go now Argo," Caylee sighed and Argo had half a mind to smack or strangle her.
"Ya 'an barely walk, idiot," Argo grunted and refused to release Caylee's waist, afraid she would fall the moment she released her. "This is what ya get for given' everyone a briefin' when you look like ya 're gonna pass out."
Caylee stopped in her tracks, forcing Argo to stop as well, "look." Argo watched her glance around the empty hallway before Caylee licked her lips in a nervous manner and the reserved hacker spoke. "I gave them the briefing first because I wouldn't be able to get back up to do it till tomorrow, and…" her cheeks turned red, making Argo smile, "I wanted to spend some time with you. Just," she smiled weakly at her, "keep in mind that I'm really tired."
Argo chuckled, "figures ya would do somethin' and not tell me first."
"What're you thinking about?"
Caylee's words stirred Argo from her thoughts, but Caylee had clearly noticed the staring even though she was still looking directly at her watch.
Argo shook off the cobwebs of her memory and rolled her eyes, "nothin'."
Caylee rolled her eyes as well and sat up, her back to her as she pulled her long hair up with a ponytail. "Well if it's nothing then I suggest you skedaddle to your messy space."
"No," Argo replied bluntly, "'sides, what're ya doin'?"
"Then don't stare, cause," Caylee replied as she pulled her t-shirt over her head and stood up, her ponytail swinging around her shoulders, "I have to change my shirt and get going to the tech room's main console. Some idiot broke the main doors so we're stuck inside until I fix it."
Argo stayed silent, studying her girlfriend for a few moments. It had only been a few days since Caylee had actually gotten back from the science center, and until that point The last two times she had seen her were at the end of SAO before the boss battle of the Ruby Palace-
"Ya ever gonna speak to me?" Argo's tone wasn't so much sharp as mildly annoyed with the brunette as she fiddled boredly with the edge of her shirt sleeve.
"Sorry," Caylee's voice was raspy from disuse, not that Argo was surprised seeing how Caylee hadn't really spoken much at all today. "Didn't mean to upset you or anything by it," she said as she turned her head toward her.
"I'm not upset," Argo replied, not looking up from Caylee's sleeve. Studying the edging Ashley had done to give it Argo's personal symbol. The tailor had gone ballistic back when she had heard the rumor, that Argo quickly quenched, about the two of them being in a relationship. "It's jus' odd."
"Well outside of you and occasionally Asuna and Kirito I don't speak that often to anyone," Caylee pointed out and cleared her throat, getting rid of the rasp in her voice in the process.
"Yeah, but ya always speak to me," Argo replied. There were other things both of them could be doing for their separate positions in SAO, especially Argo since it was now dark, making it even easier to sneak around. She was here because she wanted to be with Caylee, not listen to her almost complete silence.
"I know and-," Caylee turned onto her side, pulling Argo's fixation on her sleeve away from her. The moonlight caught her blue eyes, giving them a mildly ethereal and mysterious appearance that Argo always thought was pretty cool but her always active search skill made them almost a blue-silver. "-I'm sorry I haven't been talking to you, I've just been thinking."
"No duh," Argo rolled her eyes but couldn't help but break character and smirk with the comment.
Argo could visibly see the relief in Caylee's eyes and the taller girl groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You actually had me worried you were mad Argo, good grief."
Argo chuckled, "I am, but I gotta tease ya, yer reactions are the best."
Caylee rolled her eyes and lightly pushed Argo away from her, "ugh, enough of the teasing, I've been teased enough by you today! I really have been thinking though," she suddenly switched topics and Argo immediately dropped the teasing.
Caylee was a very thought filled speaker, so for her to change topics on the fly like she just did she must've been really serious about something.
"I've ran a hundred simulations and I know how to beat the last boss, information that I'm going to give to Kirito and Asuna tomorrow morning. But I also found something else out while I was searching the game's code."
Argo's eyebrows wrinkled, "whada mean?"
"I found information on a mechanical chip that gets embedded into the body at the upper neck," Caylee explained quietly, "Argo I don't think the abilities we have here are going to disappear when we get out."
"Unethical biomechanics," Argo breathed, the breakdown of information enough that she could understand it no problem.
Caylee nodded, and Argo only watched as she took both of her hands, silently holding them. Before she brought them up near her chin and continued.
"I also found information that suggests players with science experience here in the game will be split up from the other players."
Argo's heart froze, "w-what?"
Argo finally noticed the tears swimming in Caylee's blue hued eyes. "If it's true then I have to go with them, I need to know what's going on there so I can try and get everyone out-"
"Hell no!" Argo completely disagreed, this was one thing she would never agree to. "No, yer not goin' anywhere Caylee."
"I have to," Caylee replied, her voice close to a whisper. "I'm the only one with the game's code logs on my home computer, I'm also the only one out of the science team who's strong enough to handle anything. To the game's logs I'm a quiet science player who specializes in teleport gates. Just important enough to get taken but not enough to be kept there forever."
"No!" Argo fought Caylee's grasp, "no! Ya can't do that to me!"
"I'm sorry," Caylee refused to let her go, but she didn't need do as Argo saw tears start to trickle down her face. "I'm sorry but I have to, I have to…"
Argo didn't move, feeling numb and confused as Caylee broke into tears and buried her face into her shirt.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry Argo…"
-and when she was with her the day Caylee was handcuffed with special tech cuffs and was taken from her.
"Hey, it's okay…"
Argo felt Caylee's forehead brushing her own and she tried to focus on her and not the racket that was going on outside Argo's information tent had been going on around the temporary camp for SAO survivors for the past hour.
"Sshh, it's okay," Argo's hiccups rattled her body, but it was important she pulled herself back together. Argo the Rat didn't cry and yet… Argo felt like all she had done today was cry and break down a hundred times.
Usually Caylee was the emotional one regarding splitting up or situations where they had no control over anything, but miraculously Caylee hadn't faltered all day. The hacker had given her the implant in her neck that unlocked most of her memories (Caylee told her crying right there was normal as the memories flooded her system) and Argo knew Caylee had been up all night working on something she hadn't told her anything about. But Caylee had been fine, acting more withdrawn sure but nothing else.
Argo saw Caylee briefly glance back at the tent's entrance before she rested her forehead against hers again, Caylee's curly bangs tickling Argo's skin.
"I'll be back, I promise…"
"Ya can't promise somethin' you aren't sure about," Argo retorted with a hiccup and hated how weak she sounded there. She wasn't some weak girl so why was she acting like one right now?
Caylee smirked, the expression affectionate but teasing, "don't worry about me, I'm smarter than all those doofus' rounding up the science players like me." Argo felt her fingers cup her face, one of Caylee's thumbs brushing lightly over her cheekbones as she spoke in a sincere tone blue eyes visibly searching Argo's. "I will get out of there and I will join you and Asuna. It may take a while, but I will get there, just trust me."
Argo realized Caylee's hands were shaking, a sign of emotion in the reserved and quiet woman. "K-lii…"
The ruckus outside was getting louder, getting closer to Argo's information tent.
"Just trust me," Caylee whispered, "have faith in me Argo, because…" Argo saw her swallow, "if you don't, I have nothing to rely on."
"I… I trust ya…" Argo breathed in response.
"Thank you…"
Argo closed her eyes when Caylee leaned in and pressed her lips to Argo's. Argo already had the fine details of Caylee's kiss locked away in her mind, but she found herself searching it all, looking for any details she hadn't committed to memory in those few precious seconds.
"Hey! Where's that teleportation specialist?" Someone gruffly yelled somewhere outside.
That was Caylee's cue and they both knew it and pulled apart.
"Keep a low profile," Caylee breathed, her breath tickling Argo's face with mint, "keep the other players informed."
Argo chuckled weakly, her hold on Caylee's wrists tightening slightly, "my job is to sell and distribute information K-lii."
Caylee's lips quirked into a hint of a smile, "then I'll pay you for it when I get back."
"Ya comin' back is enough payment," Argo weakly teased, and breathed a shuddery breath.
"I need to go," Caylee breathed and Argo shut her eyes, childishly wishing the problem would disappear if she closed her eyes.
Argo felt Caylee take her hands from her face and push something into one of her hands. When she opened her eyes to look at it she saw it was a tiny usb-drive, one of the smallest ones she had ever seen.
Caylee curled Argo's hand closed around the usb-drive, her expression serious. "Protect that with everything you have. It's the only copy of the SAO game logs and hidden game code secrets and I'll need it when I get back."
Argo clenched her hand tightly around the device, "Ima protect it, I promise."
"I love you Argo,." Caylee briefly kissed her again, her touch feather light and hinting at a goodbye. Before she pulled back and pressed her lips to her forehead, "always remember that." She whispered against Argo's skin as footsteps quickly approached the tent and she pulled back.
Standing just within Argo's reach and holding her hand with a loving smile.
"I love you," Caylee whispered, her fingers slipping free from Argo's as she pulled away. and Argo breathed a few shuddered breaths to desperately compose herself.
"I love ya too," Argo whispered back and let her go, her voice shaky even though she knew she looked composed.
The pain that flashed in Caylee's eyes nearly broke Argo's composed facade before the pain was gone and Caylee's walls were all up. A rather impassive grimace on her face as the tent doors flapped open.
"We found her!" One of the armed men shouted and prodded Caylee with his rifle, "get down on your knees with your arms behind your back!"
Caylee didn't resist, obediently getting down onto her knees and holding her hands behind her back while Argo could do nothing but watch.
Argo's hand tightened around the flashdrive, she had responsibilities now. Caylee's plan was just beginning to kick in and they were the only two able to put it into action.
She made eye contact with Caylee as they roughly cuffed her and hauled her to her feet, treating her like a prisoner.
Caylee's eyes softened for a brief moment before she gave the slightest of nods and mouthed, 'I love you.'
Caylee had changed during the time Argo hadn't seen her, it wasn't really visible at a level where other people would see it, but Argo could see it. It was hard not to when you shared a room with them at night and they'd flinch at a loud noise or have a hard time sleeping in general.
Caylee was even more reserved out around other people, and she spoke even less than she had before SAO with anyone but her. If she wasn't careful when Caylee's back was to her, Argo would startle her into something akin to a low level panic attack, and besides she herself, Argo hadn't seen Caylee touch anyone or be touched without lightly flinching.
Argo's gaze focused back to Caylee's bareback, there was a scar going diagonally across her back and multiple smaller ones on her shoulders that she hadn't seen before. What did they do to you?
Caylee hadn't said anything about her experience at the science base other than, 'it sucked and would give it zero stars.' Normally Caylee was the one person who could withhold information and it wouldn't bother her, but… when she could see physical marks on her body, Argo couldn't help but feel more concern and worry than she already did.
Argo breathed out a heavy sigh and averted her gaze, giving Caylee some minor privacy while she tried to push the images of the light pink scars in Caylee's skin out of her mind. Now wasn't the time to ask her about it, not when she was about to run off and go fix the doors, even though she knew someone else could do it they just didn't want to. One day I'm going to write an article about how lazy the tech team is.
What she didn't expect was for Caylee to speak up,"I know that sound." Caylee paused her action of rifling through her drawers and looked over her shoulder at Argo, "that's Argo for 'I'm scheming cause I'm upset."
Argo rolled her eyes, of course Caylee had analyzed the variety of noises that came out of her mouth. "Ima not schemin'," she denied and instead reached for Caylee's tablet, fingers itching to get out there and do something instead of just sitting here when Caylee was leaving anyway. "I think ya analyze too 'uch."
"Wouldn't surprise me if I did, but Argo," something soft would've collided with Argo's face were it not for her superhuman level reflexes. The blonde caught what she quickly realized was a hoodie, before looking over at her girlfriend now in a typical science player polo-shirt that was white with two blue stripes down the sides and four golden stars embedded into the collar.
"I know you're scheming about the laziness of the people in charge of the technology here."
Argo let her nose wrinkle into a disgruntled frown, "only because they 're lazy and useless ta us."
"They're trying their best," Caylee argued even as she stood up and walked over toward her.
"At bein' lazy," Argo snorted and held up the soft dark blue hoodie, "what 're I suppose' to do with 'is?"
Caylee shrugged and gave Argo a smirk that made her want to smack her upside the head or lock her in here so they'd actually have time to talk.
"You looked a little cold," the hacker told her with the smirk before she swiped the tablet back from her and the sliding doors slid shut behind her as she left.
Argo rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her when she left, before she looked down at the hoodie in her lap. Technically the only place she would even let the idea of wearing Caylee's hoodie wander through her mind would be here, in the privacy of her own space.
Argo blew out a slow exhale and ran her fingers through her messy blonde hair. It was only one in the afternoon and yet Argo felt like she had pulled an all-nighter for information gathering in SAO.
Her heart gave a sting at the mention of SAO, she had information everyone else didn't besides a select few and even more than that, she knew everything about SAO. Argo the rat had no memory blockages and it was information that wasn't allowed to get out, at least not now. If the people controlling them all through the loss of their memories found out that someone, a certain someone, had managed to bypass their one safety measure without damaging anything to the person in question, Argo didn't want to think about what would happen then.
Argo slipped her arms through the too large hoodie and gave herself a mental shake to clear it.
Now wasn't the time to be reminiscing and stressing about the 'what coulds' and 'what ifs' of the future. She had an article to finish, an information hub to maintain, and a girlfriend to trick into coming with her to Asuna's in an hour.
Argo couldn't help the classic cheeky smirk that spread over her face as she finished zipping up the hoodie. Boy was she going to get an earful the moment they were alone again for this one.
