ITT: Kael being horrible

[therealkaichan]

Chapter Six

Administrative affairs



“So, the Director is getting out the big guns?” Kael smiled, that infamous creepy Acting Director smile he was well known for.
“Well if it isn’t our beloved Acting Director.”
“Adir.”
“Kael.”

There was a long silence as the two men studied each other, right there, in the middle of a hallway.

Tanit watched them with a little disbelief. They really couldn’t be doing something this stupid. It wasn’t like the Acting Director to indulge in petty fighting. He was a responsible, adult man who....

“Still partnerless, huh?” Adir was the first to talk. Tanit sighed.
“At least I could keep my partner for more than a few hours.”
“I guess. They don’t make partners like they used to.”
“It’s your fault. You are the worst kind of drainer.”
“You weren’t a walk in the park either.”
“I never left my partner unconscious.”
“It’s not something I do on purpose.”
“As I said, the worst kind of drainer.”
“Whatever.”
“Did you meet Kana yet?”
“Tiny Katherine is not that tiny anymore. Man, she’s like a completely different girl.”
“She’s turning into a girl version of you.”
“Think so?”
“Absolutely. It’s horrifying. After how hard Major Ahlgren worked in raising her to be a good, intelligent and polite girl, and after all the work I went trough to get her admitted into the Academy, she’s about to fail all written tests unless she actually stops being like you and studies for once.”
“I can beat her up a little so she will shape up.”
“That’s exactly the wrong way.”
“Oh. Well, don’t say I didn’t have the best intentions.”
“Shouldn’t you be wagging your tail at your master instead of wasting my time, Adir?”
“Now that you mention it, yeah. Take this as a report then, see you later.”

And before Kael answered (not that he had any intention to do so) Adir had left the hallway and was moving towards the Director’s office.

Kael rolled his eyes. He didn’t really mind Adir that much, he had been one of his brother’s protégées after all, but as he was right now, one of the Director’s men, he wasn’t to be fully trusted. Tanit was frowning a little too, but he knew better than to give her chances to complain about his behavior.
“Acting Director.” She called out.
“Let’s move, Tanit. We have a few things to do before turning in for the day.”


Kael didn’t enjoy paperwork, but he didn’t truly mind it either. It was a necessary evil, if anything. Kean had been the complete opposite in that sense, as expected from him. His inscription form for the Academy took a year to be filled in, and even then, it had been Kael who had finished it. Let’s not even mention the emergency contact sheet and the request for the graduation diploma.
Kael had also filled every single procedure they had to do, and even took notes and digested all the classes taken, so Kean could enjoy the simple nice version.

He hadn’t minded back then, and he didn’t mind having done it back then either.

His hand was fiddling with the coin, and Tanit was looking at him from the right side of the office, a worried look on her face. He smiled at her.

“You should rest, Sir.”
“It’s fine Tanit. I just gave a little more paperwork to fill. It will take a few minutes.”
“I’ll start getting everything sorted out then.”
“Please do.”

He looked at her as she left before returning to the paperwork.

Tanit returned exactly seven minutes later. By then all the papers were sorted and the mail was sent. She was the most efficient secretary a man could hope for, and and the absolute best second in command a soldier could hope for.

“Sir, we are done.”
“Good. Let’s go then.”

He got up, and gave a quick look to the room. Curtains. Picture. Pencil. Mug. Everything was into place.

Then he left, closing the office with a key, even though he rarely had any sensitive information there. Tanit already had her agenda in her hand, and was ready to go trough the next day’s schedule.
“Sir, tomorrow will be a quiet day.”
“Those are strange news.”
“Two of your meetings were re-scheduled.”
“That’s unexpected. Which ones?”
“Press meeting at 1200 and your meeting with the Director.”
“Did the Director give you any reasons for the cancellation?”
“No, sir.”

They both walked trough the hallway on the way out of the building. It was past curfew, so finding a student was out of the question, and even then she noticed that Kael looked troubled.

“Let me prepare dinner for you tonight.” That tone of voice Kael could recognize easily. Tanit was far more sensitive than most people gave her credit for, after all.
“If you don’t mind me being distracted.”
“It’s fine, sir.” She smiled a bit.

The rest of the way to the residential building was quiet. She was a little awkward all the way, and Kael couldn’t help but notice.
He frowned when he noticed how she fidgeted with her keys, trying to find the correct one, and wordlessly took the keys from her, opening the door.
“I’m sorry. I’m just too tired.”
“It’s fine.”
“Please, come in.”

Her apartment was as neat as her desktop. She had always been an organized person, ever since their times as students in the Academy, so he wasn’t surprised. As usual, the pictures were there, and Kael just preferred not to spend too much time looking at those when Tanit was still in the room.
“Do you need help?”
“No, there is no need. Just wait here.” She answered, quickly disappearing into the kitchen.

Kael frowned as his eyes went to the pictures. They had been happy, hadn’t they? They did look that way in the pictures... Kael wasn’t really sure of how she could bear to have so many pictures of them together and not be driven crazy, but then again, Kael wasn’t particularly good at feelings that didn’t involve chakras spinning wildly.
He reached for one of the pictures. He remembered that one, he had found a copy on Kean’s drawer when he was emptying it.

There was Tanit, she was smiling even if a little restrained, she looked very young in that picture with her hair loose, and then there was Kean, smiling as well. It looked really spontaneous, as if Kean had just decided to take the picture out of the blue, and she had barely agreed. He had probably done the whole kicked puppy routine to get her to collaborate.

He left the picture where he had found it, and took a seat in the sofa.

She took a while to come out of the kitchen, but when she did he was reading some of the paperwork he usually took to his room.

“Kael.”
“Do you need anything now?”
“No, dinner is ready.”
“Thank you.”

They both ate in silence. Somehow the awkward air around her was only growing worse and worse.

“It’s almost your birthday.” She said.
“Yes. I haven’t celebrated it for a while, however.”
“We could at least have another dinner...”
“I don’t mind.”
“Do you... Mind if I prepare baked chicken with potatoes...?”
“It’s fine.”
“Your brother...”
“He loved when you cooked that. I remember him saying it.”
“I’m sorry...”
“There is no need to apologize.”
“Still...”
“Don’t.”

The rest of the food was eaten in the most absolute silence. She was quick to pick the dishes and disappear into the kitchen to clean them. Kael simply waited, pacing in the dinning room.

“I’m sorry for taking so long.”
“Tanit.”
“Y-yes?”
“Why did you come back to the Central Quarters?”
“I... Remembered what he told me.”
“What was it?”
“He said that if something ever happened to him, I had to do my best to stop you from becoming cold.”
“Did he?”
“Yes.”
“He was an idiot.”
“He always worried about you the most.”
“That is why he was an idiot. It wasn’t me he should’ve worried about.”
“You were his beloved brother, Kael.”
“We are tools, Tanit. Every single one of us is just a tool, another wheel in the huge energy cycle that is our world.”
“But we can feel. We can love and hate, a tool can’t feel something like that.”
“Feelings make us cycle the energy faster or in new ways. But the energy never stops moving. Even the feelings we have, the things that are supposed to make us unique are tools.”
“Stop, please.”
“There is no need for you to force yourself based on some thing he made you promise, Tanit. Go back to your life. Move on.”
“I can’t just move on, don’t you understand? Don’t you appreciate how much he wanted to see you live in a good wat?”
“But he’s dead and I’m already cold. I was cold far before he died, he just didn’t want to believe it.”


Kael walked to the sofa, taking his papers quickly, not even sparing a look to her or to the room as he went to the door.
“Leave this place, go back to living your life.”
And with that he was gone, faster than she could even react.



He was walking fast to his room.

Of all the things, the one he found the saddest was finding that she was as stupid as his brother had been. Stupid idealists that just didn’t understand how the world truly worked were the kind of people he disliked the most.

Svadisthana, Manipura, Anahata. All spinning wildly.

He stopped. Took a breath.

Getting angry at her made no sense, did it? It had been Kean’s request. She just thought she was doing good.

It was fine.



He resumed his way, wild feelings quelled under simple, brutal logic. He had no time to play around, nor to be worried about anyone’s feelings. There were still so many things to do and his time was slowly running out.


In the morning they were both in their normal places.

Kael in his office, Tanit in the reception desk. Neither mentioned the incident in the night, and neither would. He called her Tanit, she called him Acting Director.
Nothing worth of note.


Dominic arrived at eight in the morning. The young student looked troubled, and he was walking quickly. Tanit recognized him as the Director’s aide, so he had no trouble getting an audience with Kael, and he walked into the office as fast as he had arrived.

“Private Evert. To what do I owe your visit?”
“I need to talk to you... It’s about my grandfather.”
Kael got up and walked to the door. He opened it just a little, enough to see his secretary.
“Tanit. We are not to be interrupted.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, take a seat. I’m listening.”
“Is this place safe...?”
“You will probably never find a safer place.”
“Fine...”
“Now, take your time.”
“There is something wrong with my grandfather.”
“Something?”
“Yes. He has been behaving strangely for a while... Since a little after he was hospitalized. I thought that maybe it was just the shock and the time he had passed in the hospital... But this is something else.”
“Would you really go as far so as to risk being labeled as a traitor?”
“How am I a traitor? I’m following the code by notifying a superior of irregular activity. This is the code that my grandfather himself taught me to believe in and respect above all... Even if I were mistaken, the grandfather I know would be proud of me for following it.”
“I suppose that is true... Though we can’t do much without proof.”
“I have proof. That’s not the issue. I just can’t report it...”
“That makes sense... If it is as clear as you say, then I can start the procedures. I’d be fine with keeping your name a secret if it is needed.”
“I’m worried about him... He has been doing things that he wouldn’t have done before...”
“Irregular behavior is not something we can risk. Not after that incident. You’ve done well in reporting this, but be careful from now on. If he truly is into something, then you can’t risk being found out.”
“I’ll do my best, sir.”
Dominic got up from the chair, walking to the exit of the room.

Kael watched him leave without further word.

That had been special, at least. The Director’s change, that was something that he wasn’t surprised at all about, but the young Dominic’s choice to adhere to the Code above his personal allegiances was a little unexpected, even if welcome.

The boy had lied a little, as Kael could tell that he wasn't that sure of everything ending up all right, and he could easily see his hesitation, but it was still good enough. He just needed the proof Dominic had talked about, after that there would be no need to worry about how he felt.

He was quite looking forward to see what would come out from this.



Adir arrived about twenty minutes after Dominic left the office. Kael was half expecting him to loudly announce that he knew exactly what was going on, but if he did, he didn’t say a word.
“Hey.”
“Hopefully you have something really important to talk about.”
“Sure do.”
“Then come in and take a seat.”
“Oh. I remember this mug.” Somehow that man seemed to find Kael’s quirk of keeping his brother’s things around really interesting. He always had something to comment about it.
“That’s fascinating. It means you haven’t become a complete idiot yet.”
“Agreed. I still have some way to go.”
“I’m waiting.”
“Ah. Yeah. I actually have mail for you.”
“Mail, huh?”
“Yes.” Following that, Adir started browsing his pockets for something, until somehow from a pocket too small, he produced a small sheet, folded several times. “Here you are.”
“Thank you.” Kael took the sheet from Adir’s hands, and without looking at it, put it in his left pocket.
“So.... Not reading it?”
“Not with you here.”
“Man, it isn’t as if I couldn’t have read it while I had it, you know?”
“I highly doubt it would have been of much use to you.”
“You shouldn’t even know from whom it is. You’re just bluffing.”
“You know... Maybe I am.”

Adir frowned. Yes or no would’ve been good answers, but this? It always angered him a bit when Kael somehow managed to say nothing at all with his words.
“Okay. I’m leaving now.”
“That is good, I have more important things to do.”
“You’ll need me someday.”
“And you’ll be happy to help, I know, have a great day.”

If Adir wanted to say anything else, Kael didn’t listen and didn't care. There were important things to do, and even when two of his meetings for the day were cancelled, paperwork was something that was never lacking on his daily life.



Kana arrived twenty seven minutes before curfew.
“Hello!” She came in, looking quite happy for a change.
“Kana.”
“The Snake Lady let me come in really easy this time.” She took a seat, like one who has done this for most of her life. Kana did spend a lot of time in the Director’s office after all.
“It’s because I’m ahead with the work for tomorrow. You know how strict Tanit is with me.”
“You can't do the whipped puppy routine with me.” She chuckled.
“Certainly. What brings you here?”
“I juuust managed to get Hans to share his notes with me. I thought you’d like to hear the good news. It means I’ll have totally top notch material to work on my studies.”
“That is good to hear.”
“You looked worried last time, so I though you’d like to know that. I can manage, so don't worry about me okay?”
“I’ll try.” He chuckled. That was just like Kana, worrying about others and still pretend to not to, after all.
“Awesome. I’m leaving now, or I’ll get kicked for being out past curfew. Try to get some sleep, you look terrible.”
“Do you think so?”
“It’s as if you had hell sleeping last night. Take care!”
“I will. Good night, please study hard.”
“Okay!”

Kana left just as she had come in. She was a bit like a natural disaster, wasn’t she? She came, made a mess out of everything, and then left as she had arrived, without worrying about anything...

But that was her charm right? The exact same charm that had somehow managed to trap Hans Essen-Brandt himself. But it made sense. It was the same reason why he had chosen to support her, right? Because she was strong, she was smart, and she just needed to be shown the correct way instead of wandering aimlessly.

“Sir.” Tanit was in the door now, and Kael looked up, his hand leaving the coin he hadn’t even noticed he was fiddling with.
“Yes?”
“Private Evert left a closed envelope directed to you. Do you want to read it now?”
“Yes. Just leave it in the desk.”
Tanit walked in, leaving the papers in the desk. It was a large envelope, and Kael wondered just for how long that boy had been gathering information, and just how much work it had been for him to finally decide to do this.
“If you don’t need anything else from me, I’d like to close up the office, sir.”
“Yes, this is good.”


Kael was quick to fetch his papers and the envelope. The small letter in his left pocket was still unread, but he didn’t really need to read it to know who it was from, or why it had been sent.

If the information in the envelope was good, and he had a certainty that it was, it would mean that he had quite a few things to think on. As much as private Evert couldn't deliver this information, Kael couldn’t either.

If the Director was truly corrupt, that would mean he would be removed from his position. On top of all and depending on the gravity of his actions, this could end up with the man being labeled as a traitor to the country and the military, and that always ended up in the exact same way.
With the Director gone, it would only be natural for Kael to take his place as the next head of the Academy. That meant that him delivering any information on the Director’s misbehavior could end up with suspicions on his own actions.

Not that there was anything on Kael’s actions that could lead anyone to think he was anything less than completely loyal to his country, but there was no need to get people thinking that he had any reasons other than work to get the Director taken out.

He hated politics as much as his brother had, that was one of the few things they had in common, wasn’t it? He couldn’t even do the right thing without people thinking he was trying to get something out of it.

But there was no point in worrying about that. No. He just needed to find the correct person to move forward. Give that person just enough information to get them moving instead, and then move carefully to provide the proof needed.

For each task, there was a right tool, wasn’t there? And he had a few candidates already.

The wheels were finally moving, and it was finally time for him to take action after all this silence.



----

Notas:

Ehm...

Kael.





*fangirls*