Sissi's Room

Yumi and Sissi are in the latter's room. Sissi sits on the bed, while Yumi sits on a chair. They both look at a history book.

Sissi: Wait, hold on, 1680?
Yumi: Yep.
Sissi: But didn't the Revolution happen about 100 years after that?
Yumi: (chuckles) I think you skipped a few Louises, Sissi.
Sissi: Oh, wait, so which one was the one who got beheaded in that slicer thingy?
Yumi: That was Louis XVI, not XIV.
Sissi: Oooh, now I get it! I still kept waiting Marie Antoinette to show up in the book. Whoopsies.
Yumi: (shrugs) Common mistake. Indeed, this happens 100 years before.
Sissi: Okay, okay. Hey, Yumi, mind if we take a pause?
Yumi: Hm, I don't see why not. We've been on this for more than half an hour.
Sissi: How about we take ten?
Yumi: Sounds good.
Sissi: Great! Do you mind if I turn on the radio? Helps me relax.
Yumi: Yeah, sure, it's your room after all.
Sissi: Yeah, well, but I'm not alone now, and… Hey! How about you pick the music? I've got several CDs here, maybe there's one you might enjoy as well.
Yumi: Hmm, you sure?
Sissi: I know all of my discs, and it's not like you can pick any music anyway. C'mon, take a look and choose one!

Sissi opens the lower drawer from the dresser, where she stores tens of CDs. Yumi stands up and stands next to Sissi, so she can go through her music library. As she checks it out, Sissi looks at her guest from top to bottom, without expression.

Yumi: Ah, you have Tuxedo, from the Red Herrings!
Sissi: (shakes her head slightly) Huh? Oh yeah, that disk… I don't recall having heard it, I think my father gave it to me as a gift a while ago.
Yumi: You haven't heard it? It's a masterpiece!
Sissi: If you say so…
Yumi: (takes the CD case in her hand) This album is cited as one of the main inspirations for the Subsonics. It's a relic!
Sissi: Subsonics?
Yumi: Do you know them? They're pretty famous nowadays. If I recall correctly, one of the members used to be a student here in Kadic.
Sissi: Oh, yeah, I've heard about them, but I doubt I'd recognize them.
Yumi: Well, you're gonna have the pleasure of knowing his music teachers before themselves. What a privilege!

Yumi looks at Sissi, who in return stares at her as in surprise.

Yumi: …Sorry, I got carried away. We can still listen to another of your disks, if you'd like.
Sissi: (smiles) No, no, it's okay! Put it on, go ahead.
Yumi: You sure?
Sissi: Yeah, yeah, sure.

Yumi puts the CD into the radio that's on the dresser. Then, she presses the play button. The track "Unlikely Truce" can be heard, with an indie-punk style. The japanese girl moves slowly from side to side, along with the track's drums. Sissi doesn't move and just stares at her.

Yumi: (in unison with the song's chorus, low voice, somewhat timid) "The world is bigger than both of us, / so why've we taken so long to defuse / dada-dadadada-duh / I might give in to this unlikely truce"

Jeremie, Ulrich, and Odd arrive to the factory. The boy activates Lyoko's camera and turns on the one in the real world.

Jeremie: Aelita!
Aelita: Jeremie! Guys! How's it going?
Odd: Cheers, Aelita!
Ulrich: What's up.
Jeremie: We have something to tell you.
Aelita: Yeah? Go ahead, I'm all ears.
Odd: We raided a stranger's house and took some things from it.
Aelita: …What?

Jeremie facepalms as a sign of disappointment.

Odd: C'mon, it's an interesting way to pitch the story.
Jeremie: Odd forgot to mention that the house's been abandoned for a while, and that we were looking for clues about your father.
Aelita: Oh, I see. And did you find anything?
Jeremie: Well, the house, or cottage in this case, is middle-sized, and is located next to the school. We only found a library that was totally dismantled by moths, and a damaged photograph inside it. We found out that the person from the photo was called Franz Hopper and that he was a teacher in Kadic about six or seven years ago.
Aelita: Wow, sounds interesting, but I don't think I recall that name.
Odd: Could your father have known him?
Aelita: As far as I know, my father came to this town running away. I doubt that he had time of meeting many people.

The boys look at each other. Ulrich shrugs, and Jeremie sighs.

Aelita: In any case, if you want, you can send me the photo, so I can take a look at it.
Jeremie: Yeah, I'll send it to you. Give us a minute.

Jeremie gives the picture to Ulrich, who goes to the scanners and puts it in the left one's floor. Then, he signals Jeremie, who emters the virtualization commands, giving the picture the name photo_hopper. After about ten seconds, the photo appears in the virtual world. Aelita picks it up.

Aelita: Wait… But… this is my father.
Jeremie: What?
Aelita: But my father's name was Waldo Schaeffer, and he came running away…
Jeremie: He might have changed it so he would go unnoticed.
Aelita: (frowning, increasingly exasperated) But he didn't teach in Kadic! I'd have known…
Jeremie: But you don't have any memories from Ville Simauve, right?
Aelita: I don't get it! My father couldn't have taught here, it doesn't make sense. I'd remember something… I…
Jeremie: Aelita, I understand that there's a part of you we haven't found yet. Maybe it still holds the mem…
Ulrich: Jeremie.

Jeremie stays quiet and notices Aelita again, who starts breathing heavily.

Ulrich: Aelita, we're with you.

Aelita stares at the picture in her hands, breathing in agitation.

Aelita: W-what happened? Why can't I remember…?

Suddenly, Aelita feels the ground shake under her feet.

Aelita: W… XANA?
Jeremie: What?

Jeremie opens the task manager and, indeed, an additional program is running. It's creating instances of the template "hornet".

Jeremie: (sighs) Okay, guys, we've got trouble: XANA's using the core of a place called "mountain_top" to manufacture something new.
Odd: Right now? That's some really bad timing, XANA.
Ulrich: We'll complain later, Odd, let's go to the scanners now. Jeremie, tell Yumi.
Jeremie: Yessir. Go to the scanners.

Ulrich and Odd head for the scanners.

In Sissi's room, the track "Working It Out" from the Red Herrings stops playing. It's the album's second track.

Yumi: Okay, I scratched the itch of listening to this album, we can listen to something else if you want, before we move on with the studying.
Sissi: You know what? Leave it on, it's pretty catchy. Last track reminded me a bit of Lisa Bourbon.
Yumi: Really? What song?
Sissi: "Brisé Deux Fois".
Yumi: Oh, I don't think I know it. Do you have the CD? Let's listen to that instead.
Sissi: Okay, lemme check if it's here.

The third track, "Old Habits", plays as Sissi opens the lower drawer again. Suddenly, Yumi's phone rings. Sissi turns to look at her. Yumi sees Jeremie's name on her phone's screen.

Yumi: Sorry, Sissi, I have to answer this outside… Excuse me.
Sissi: (welcoming) Sure.

Yumi goes out of Sissi's dorm and answers the phone.

Yumi: Hello, Jeremie?
Jeremie: Yumi! How's it going on your side?
Yumi: Pretty well, better than expected, if I'm honest.
Jeremie: Really? You wouldn't happen to be brainwashed, right?
Yumi: (chuckles) If it's so, I'm not aware. How's it going over there?
Jeremie: We've got trouble. How much have you left?
Yumi: Oh! Do you need me?
Jeremie: Not as an emergency yet, but we could use a hand: XANA's creating more creatures in Lyoko.
Yumi: Oh, no! Hmm, Sissi asked for time out just now, but I guess she wants to keep going.
Jeremie: Don't you have something to distract her?
Yumi: Not in plain sight at least. Improvisation's not my thing, to be honest.
Jeremie: Alright. Stay with Sissi for the time being. If the situation escalates, I'll call you again.
Yumi: I trust that you can manage it. Good luck, guys!
Jeremie: Thanks, Yumi. Good luck to you too.

Yumi hangs up and opens Sissi's dorm door to get in again. Sissi's waiting for her in front of the door, and startles Yumi.

Yumi: Did something happen? My call ended.
Sissi: Are they waiting for you?
Yumi: Huh? What are you talking about?
Sissi: (serious) Well, I guess you and your pals have some kind of secret club. They're often out of sight at these hours.
Yumi: (nervous) Oh… Okay… It's our thing, I guess.
Sissi: I can imagine. You must enjoy it.

"Old Habits" reaches its chorus. Yumi's visibly uncomfortable, and Sissi's unnervingly calm.

Sissi: Wanna call it a day?
Yumi: (surprised) Huh? But we haven't finished looking at the contents.
Sissi: Yeah, I know, but I think I've wasted enough of your time. I think I'll keep studying on my own.
Yumi: (somewhat hopeful, but doesn't lose composure) Are you okay with this, Sissi?
Sissi: (smiles) Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it.

Yumi looks back at the dorm's door, now half-open. Then looks at Sissi again, worried.

Sissi: Don't worry, I don't intend to follow you; in any case, I must continue studying.

Yumi frowns, still surprised.

Sissi: Although, I have a question for you, that I'd like you to answer.
Yumi: Oh… What question?

Sissi leans her head to the left.

Sissi: (frowns) What do you think makes you special, Yumi?
Yumi: (shakes her head a bit) What? What makes me special?
Sissi: Yeah, exactly.
Yumi: Wow… (chuckles nervously) I wasn't expecting that question… Why do you wanna know it?
Sissi: (resting importance) It's a question I like to ask the people I meet.
Yumi: Oh, I see. Um… (thinks for a while) I dunno, I don't usually pay attention to that… But okay, I guess my Japanese heritage is something pretty unique, right?
Sissi: (thinks) Maybe… But that makes you special here in France, not in Japan, right?
Yumi: Yeah, it's true… Well, I don't know what to respond… What would you answer?
Sissi: Oh, that's easy: my astonishing looks and my capacity to profit from them.

Yumi can't help but laugh.

Sissi: (amused) What? Don't you think?
Yumi: (shrugs, still laughing softly) Yeah, maybe…
Sissi: You don't seem to give too much importance to that, as I see it.
Yumi: Not really… But I don't wanna underwhelm the importance you give it!
Sissi: Don't worry too much… Maybe not caring about that is what makes you special?
Yumi: Hmm, seems a bit far-fetched to me. Surely there's more people like me in that regard.
Sissi: Well, I think that's something special you have.
Yumi: Oh… (scratches her head) Well… Thanks?
Sissi: Okay, go already. Ulr… Jeremie and the rest must be missing you.
Yumi: True. I take my leave. Hope you do well in your exam. (turns around and heads for the hallway)
Sissi: Thanks, Yumi.

Sissi closes her dorm's door. Yumi walks at a steady pace until she reaches the door at the building's entrance. Once she crosses it, she starts heading for the woods.

- END OF CHAPTER 24 -

Author's note: I took the cheesy decision of making the names of the songs reference the scene at play. I stand by it ;)

Hope you enjoyed this one. There's one chapter left for this episode still, so stay tuned.