Joseph Oda

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

"he's a sneaky bastard. we would be lucky just to get some sort of lead."

june bit the skin of their lip, showing off her overcrowded bottom front teeth. biting too deep, she winced in pain and pressed her finger against the small new wound. looking over, blood. that was it.

Joseph took note of the blood... but he didn't say anything. he was more focused on her suggestion. looking unsure.

"I.. dont think Ruvik would be so careless like that.."

he paused briefly before continuing.

june cocked her head to the side as he spoke. she smiled, rolling her eyes in a lighthearted manner. "you're plenty skeptical, huh? like i said, we could check for missing people too."

"well- forgive me for being skeptical.. being stuck in that hell hole wasn't exactly an amusement park."

he admitted. as much as he wished he could drop this case.. he knew it would just follow him until an end was put to it. that was the not so fun part.

sighing lightly through his nose, his finger tapped against his chair.

"alright, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just worried if we speculate too much, we'll lose our chance."

they lowered their hands, slightly flustered with joseph's stubbornness. well, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of being strong-willed herself.

"I suppose I could try to talk to him.. but not promises. he doesn't listen to anyone. will probably yell at me for getting involved again-.."

he murmured the last part. knowing all too well how Sebastian could be.

june looked down at her lap, almost in remorse. "...i know. but, he needs to understand that he can't just ignore a problem like this. ruben could be causing catastrophic damage as we speak and we can't just leave the situation alone."

they pinched the bridge of their nose, then slightly lifted their very-obviously-non-prescription glasses to rub their exhausted eyelids.

Joseph gave a tired nod. knowing exactly how Sebastian can be in situations like this.

"wouldn't be surprised.. I'll talk to him. or at least I'll try to."

pausing for a brief moment.. then continuing.

"i know, tell me about it. some nights, i could have sworn i heard ruben — ruvik, taunting me." she corrected herself, a clear preference for his true name.

he grabbed his phone from his pocket, pulling up Sebastian's number.

before sebastian got the call, he was out spending time with his newly rescued daughter. the pair had gone to the park and were sitting in front of the duck pond, as requested by lily.

suddenly, his phone rings. his first thought was that there was nothing else more important than spending time with his daughter, but thinking back on the previous call he had gotten from that mysterious stranger, the thought ate at his mind.

when he checked his phone, it was joseph. 'odd,' he thought. sebastian hadn't been in contact with joseph for quite some time. he sighed, and pressed accept.

Joseph sighed quietly. not amused with Sebastian's attitude

"wow, we don't speak for months and this is how you are? real welcoming, Seb.."

but he moved on.

"you're right.. uh-.. sorry, Seb. tell lily I said hi. talk to you later"

he pulled the phone away from his ear, hanging up the call with a heavy sigh.

he looked back to June.

they sat back down into their chair, crossing their legs.

"not quite up for trusting Kidman again yet... not after she shot me."

she exhaled slowly through her nose, and out through her mouth. she cupped both of her hands over her face.

he paused for a moment, looking at June with a small hint of uncertainty.

june put their hands down, looking over joseph's face to see if there was any sign of giving in.

june raised an eyebrow at his response.

"are you sure? you seem to be very hesitant in all this. i've dealt with this sort of thing even before STEM, and i know you've obviously had your full of all this."

Joseph gave a gentle nod. still salty with Juli, but willing to push it aside for now.. for the sake of stopping, or trying to stop, STEM.

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

"he's a sneaky bastard. we would be lucky just to get some sort of lead."

june bit the skin of their lip, showing off her overcrowded bottom front teeth. biting too deep, she winced in pain and pressed her finger against the small new wound. looking over, blood. that was it.

Joseph took note of the blood... but he didn't say anything. he was more focused on her suggestion. looking unsure.

"I.. dont think Ruvik would be so careless like that.."

he paused briefly before continuing.

june cocked her head to the side as he spoke. she smiled, rolling her eyes in a lighthearted manner. "you're plenty skeptical, huh? like i said, we could check for missing people too."

"well- forgive me for being skeptical.. being stuck in that hell hole wasn't exactly an amusement park."

he admitted. as much as he wished he could drop this case.. he knew it would just follow him until an end was put to it. that was the not so fun part.

sighing lightly through his nose, his finger tapped against his chair.

"alright, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just worried if we speculate too much, we'll lose our chance."

they lowered their hands, slightly flustered with joseph's stubbornness. well, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of being strong-willed herself.

"I suppose I could try to talk to him.. but not promises. he doesn't listen to anyone. will probably yell at me for getting involved again-.."

he murmured the last part. knowing all too well how Sebastian could be.

june looked down at her lap, almost in remorse. "...i know. but, he needs to understand that he can't just ignore a problem like this. ruben could be causing catastrophic damage as we speak and we can't just leave the situation alone."

they pinched the bridge of their nose, then slightly lifted their very-obviously-non-prescription glasses to rub their exhausted eyelids.

Joseph gave a tired nod. knowing exactly how Sebastian can be in situations like this.

"wouldn't be surprised.. I'll talk to him. or at least I'll try to."

pausing for a brief moment.. then continuing.

"i know, tell me about it. some nights, i could have sworn i heard ruben — ruvik, taunting me." she corrected herself, a clear preference for his true name.

he grabbed his phone from his pocket, pulling up Sebastian's number.

before sebastian got the call, he was out spending time with his newly rescued daughter. the pair had gone to the park and were sitting in front of the duck pond, as requested by lily.

suddenly, his phone rings. his first thought was that there was nothing else more important than spending time with his daughter, but thinking back on the previous call he had gotten from that mysterious stranger, the thought ate at his mind.

when he checked his phone, it was joseph. 'odd,' he thought. sebastian hadn't been in contact with joseph for quite some time. he sighed, and pressed accept.

Joseph sighed quietly. not amused with Sebastian's attitude

"wow, we don't speak for months and this is how you are? real welcoming, Seb.."

but he moved on.

"you're right.. uh-.. sorry, Seb. tell lily I said hi. talk to you later"

he pulled the phone away from his ear, hanging up the call with a heavy sigh.

he looked back to June.

they sat back down into their chair, crossing their legs.

"not quite up for trusting Kidman again yet... not after she shot me."

she exhaled slowly through her nose, and out through her mouth. she cupped both of her hands over her face.

he paused for a moment, looking at June with a small hint of uncertainty.

june put their hands down, looking over joseph's face to see if there was any sign of giving in.

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

"he's a sneaky bastard. we would be lucky just to get some sort of lead."

june bit the skin of their lip, showing off her overcrowded bottom front teeth. biting too deep, she winced in pain and pressed her finger against the small new wound. looking over, blood. that was it.

Joseph took note of the blood... but he didn't say anything. he was more focused on her suggestion. looking unsure.

"I.. dont think Ruvik would be so careless like that.."

he paused briefly before continuing.

june cocked her head to the side as he spoke. she smiled, rolling her eyes in a lighthearted manner. "you're plenty skeptical, huh? like i said, we could check for missing people too."

"well- forgive me for being skeptical.. being stuck in that hell hole wasn't exactly an amusement park."

he admitted. as much as he wished he could drop this case.. he knew it would just follow him until an end was put to it. that was the not so fun part.

sighing lightly through his nose, his finger tapped against his chair.

"alright, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just worried if we speculate too much, we'll lose our chance."

they lowered their hands, slightly flustered with joseph's stubbornness. well, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of being strong-willed herself.

"I suppose I could try to talk to him.. but not promises. he doesn't listen to anyone. will probably yell at me for getting involved again-.."

he murmured the last part. knowing all too well how Sebastian could be.

june looked down at her lap, almost in remorse. "...i know. but, he needs to understand that he can't just ignore a problem like this. ruben could be causing catastrophic damage as we speak and we can't just leave the situation alone."

they pinched the bridge of their nose, then slightly lifted their very-obviously-non-prescription glasses to rub their exhausted eyelids.

Joseph gave a tired nod. knowing exactly how Sebastian can be in situations like this.

"wouldn't be surprised.. I'll talk to him. or at least I'll try to."

pausing for a brief moment.. then continuing.

"i know, tell me about it. some nights, i could have sworn i heard ruben — ruvik, taunting me." she corrected herself, a clear preference for his true name.

he grabbed his phone from his pocket, pulling up Sebastian's number.

before sebastian got the call, he was out spending time with his newly rescued daughter. the pair had gone to the park and were sitting in front of the duck pond, as requested by lily.

suddenly, his phone rings. his first thought was that there was nothing else more important than spending time with his daughter, but thinking back on the previous call he had gotten from that mysterious stranger, the thought ate at his mind.

when he checked his phone, it was joseph. 'odd,' he thought. sebastian hadn't been in contact with joseph for quite some time. he sighed, and pressed accept.

Joseph sighed quietly. not amused with Sebastian's attitude

"wow, we don't speak for months and this is how you are? real welcoming, Seb.."

but he moved on.

"you're right.. uh-.. sorry, Seb. tell lily I said hi. talk to you later"

he pulled the phone away from his ear, hanging up the call with a heavy sigh.

he looked back to June.

they sat back down into their chair, crossing their legs.

"not quite up for trusting Kidman again yet... not after she shot me."

she exhaled slowly through her nose, and out through her mouth. she cupped both of her hands over her face.

he paused for a moment, looking at June with a small hint of uncertainty.

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

"he's a sneaky bastard. we would be lucky just to get some sort of lead."

june bit the skin of their lip, showing off her overcrowded bottom front teeth. biting too deep, she winced in pain and pressed her finger against the small new wound. looking over, blood. that was it.

Joseph took note of the blood... but he didn't say anything. he was more focused on her suggestion. looking unsure.

"I.. dont think Ruvik would be so careless like that.."

he paused briefly before continuing.

june cocked her head to the side as he spoke. she smiled, rolling her eyes in a lighthearted manner. "you're plenty skeptical, huh? like i said, we could check for missing people too."

"well- forgive me for being skeptical.. being stuck in that hell hole wasn't exactly an amusement park."

he admitted. as much as he wished he could drop this case.. he knew it would just follow him until an end was put to it. that was the not so fun part.

sighing lightly through his nose, his finger tapped against his chair.

"alright, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just worried if we speculate too much, we'll lose our chance."

they lowered their hands, slightly flustered with joseph's stubbornness. well, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of being strong-willed herself.

"I suppose I could try to talk to him.. but not promises. he doesn't listen to anyone. will probably yell at me for getting involved again-.."

he murmured the last part. knowing all too well how Sebastian could be.

june looked down at her lap, almost in remorse. "...i know. but, he needs to understand that he can't just ignore a problem like this. ruben could be causing catastrophic damage as we speak and we can't just leave the situation alone."

they pinched the bridge of their nose, then slightly lifted their very-obviously-non-prescription glasses to rub their exhausted eyelids.

Joseph gave a tired nod. knowing exactly how Sebastian can be in situations like this.

"wouldn't be surprised.. I'll talk to him. or at least I'll try to."

pausing for a brief moment.. then continuing.

"i know, tell me about it. some nights, i could have sworn i heard ruben — ruvik, taunting me." she corrected herself, a clear preference for his true name.

he grabbed his phone from his pocket, pulling up Sebastian's number.

before sebastian got the call, he was out spending time with his newly rescued daughter. the pair had gone to the park and were sitting in front of the duck pond, as requested by lily.

suddenly, his phone rings. his first thought was that there was nothing else more important than spending time with his daughter, but thinking back on the previous call he had gotten from that mysterious stranger, the thought ate at his mind.

when he checked his phone, it was joseph. 'odd,' he thought. sebastian hadn't been in contact with joseph for quite some time. he sighed, and pressed accept.

Joseph sighed quietly. not amused with Sebastian's attitude

"wow, we don't speak for months and this is how you are? real welcoming, Seb.."

but he moved on.

"you're right.. uh-.. sorry, Seb. tell lily I said hi. talk to you later"

he pulled the phone away from his ear, hanging up the call with a heavy sigh.

he looked back to June.

they sat back down into their chair, crossing their legs.

"not quite up for trusting Kidman again yet... not after she shot me."

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

"he's a sneaky bastard. we would be lucky just to get some sort of lead."

june bit the skin of their lip, showing off her overcrowded bottom front teeth. biting too deep, she winced in pain and pressed her finger against the small new wound. looking over, blood. that was it.

Joseph took note of the blood... but he didn't say anything. he was more focused on her suggestion. looking unsure.

"I.. dont think Ruvik would be so careless like that.."

he paused briefly before continuing.

june cocked her head to the side as he spoke. she smiled, rolling her eyes in a lighthearted manner. "you're plenty skeptical, huh? like i said, we could check for missing people too."

"well- forgive me for being skeptical.. being stuck in that hell hole wasn't exactly an amusement park."

he admitted. as much as he wished he could drop this case.. he knew it would just follow him until an end was put to it. that was the not so fun part.

sighing lightly through his nose, his finger tapped against his chair.

"alright, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just worried if we speculate too much, we'll lose our chance."

they lowered their hands, slightly flustered with joseph's stubbornness. well, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of being strong-willed herself.

"I suppose I could try to talk to him.. but not promises. he doesn't listen to anyone. will probably yell at me for getting involved again-.."

he murmured the last part. knowing all too well how Sebastian could be.

june looked down at her lap, almost in remorse. "...i know. but, he needs to understand that he can't just ignore a problem like this. ruben could be causing catastrophic damage as we speak and we can't just leave the situation alone."

they pinched the bridge of their nose, then slightly lifted their very-obviously-non-prescription glasses to rub their exhausted eyelids.

Joseph gave a tired nod. knowing exactly how Sebastian can be in situations like this.

"wouldn't be surprised.. I'll talk to him. or at least I'll try to."

pausing for a brief moment.. then continuing.

"i know, tell me about it. some nights, i could have sworn i heard ruben — ruvik, taunting me." she corrected herself, a clear preference for his true name.

he grabbed his phone from his pocket, pulling up Sebastian's number.

before sebastian got the call, he was out spending time with his newly rescued daughter. the pair had gone to the park and were sitting in front of the duck pond, as requested by lily.

suddenly, his phone rings. his first thought was that there was nothing else more important than spending time with his daughter, but thinking back on the previous call he had gotten from that mysterious stranger, the thought ate at his mind.

when he checked his phone, it was joseph. 'odd,' he thought. sebastian hadn't been in contact with joseph for quite some time. he sighed, and pressed accept.

Joseph sighed quietly. not amused with Sebastian's attitude

"wow, we don't speak for months and this is how you are? real welcoming, Seb.."

but he moved on.

"you're right.. uh-.. sorry, Seb. tell lily I said hi. talk to you later"

he pulled the phone away from his ear, hanging up the call with a heavy sigh.

he looked back to June.

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

"he's a sneaky bastard. we would be lucky just to get some sort of lead."

june bit the skin of their lip, showing off her overcrowded bottom front teeth. biting too deep, she winced in pain and pressed her finger against the small new wound. looking over, blood. that was it.

Joseph took note of the blood... but he didn't say anything. he was more focused on her suggestion. looking unsure.

"I.. dont think Ruvik would be so careless like that.."

he paused briefly before continuing.

june cocked her head to the side as he spoke. she smiled, rolling her eyes in a lighthearted manner. "you're plenty skeptical, huh? like i said, we could check for missing people too."

"well- forgive me for being skeptical.. being stuck in that hell hole wasn't exactly an amusement park."

he admitted. as much as he wished he could drop this case.. he knew it would just follow him until an end was put to it. that was the not so fun part.

sighing lightly through his nose, his finger tapped against his chair.

"alright, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just worried if we speculate too much, we'll lose our chance."

they lowered their hands, slightly flustered with joseph's stubbornness. well, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of being strong-willed herself.

"I suppose I could try to talk to him.. but not promises. he doesn't listen to anyone. will probably yell at me for getting involved again-.."

he murmured the last part. knowing all too well how Sebastian could be.

june looked down at her lap, almost in remorse. "...i know. but, he needs to understand that he can't just ignore a problem like this. ruben could be causing catastrophic damage as we speak and we can't just leave the situation alone."

they pinched the bridge of their nose, then slightly lifted their very-obviously-non-prescription glasses to rub their exhausted eyelids.

Joseph gave a tired nod. knowing exactly how Sebastian can be in situations like this.

"wouldn't be surprised.. I'll talk to him. or at least I'll try to."

pausing for a brief moment.. then continuing.

"i know, tell me about it. some nights, i could have sworn i heard ruben — ruvik, taunting me." she corrected herself, a clear preference for his true name.

he grabbed his phone from his pocket, pulling up Sebastian's number.

before sebastian got the call, he was out spending time with his newly rescued daughter. the pair had gone to the park and were sitting in front of the duck pond, as requested by lily.

suddenly, his phone rings. his first thought was that there was nothing else more important than spending time with his daughter, but thinking back on the previous call he had gotten from that mysterious stranger, the thought ate at his mind.

when he checked his phone, it was joseph. 'odd,' he thought. sebastian hadn't been in contact with joseph for quite some time. he sighed, and pressed accept.

Joseph sighed quietly. not amused with Sebastian's attitude

"wow, we don't speak for months and this is how you are? real welcoming, Seb.."

but he moved on.

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

"he's a sneaky bastard. we would be lucky just to get some sort of lead."

june bit the skin of their lip, showing off her overcrowded bottom front teeth. biting too deep, she winced in pain and pressed her finger against the small new wound. looking over, blood. that was it.

Joseph took note of the blood... but he didn't say anything. he was more focused on her suggestion. looking unsure.

"I.. dont think Ruvik would be so careless like that.."

he paused briefly before continuing.

june cocked her head to the side as he spoke. she smiled, rolling her eyes in a lighthearted manner. "you're plenty skeptical, huh? like i said, we could check for missing people too."

"well- forgive me for being skeptical.. being stuck in that hell hole wasn't exactly an amusement park."

he admitted. as much as he wished he could drop this case.. he knew it would just follow him until an end was put to it. that was the not so fun part.

sighing lightly through his nose, his finger tapped against his chair.

"alright, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just worried if we speculate too much, we'll lose our chance."

they lowered their hands, slightly flustered with joseph's stubbornness. well, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of being strong-willed herself.

"I suppose I could try to talk to him.. but not promises. he doesn't listen to anyone. will probably yell at me for getting involved again-.."

he murmured the last part. knowing all too well how Sebastian could be.

june looked down at her lap, almost in remorse. "...i know. but, he needs to understand that he can't just ignore a problem like this. ruben could be causing catastrophic damage as we speak and we can't just leave the situation alone."

they pinched the bridge of their nose, then slightly lifted their very-obviously-non-prescription glasses to rub their exhausted eyelids.

Joseph gave a tired nod. knowing exactly how Sebastian can be in situations like this.

"wouldn't be surprised.. I'll talk to him. or at least I'll try to."

pausing for a brief moment.. then continuing.

"i know, tell me about it. some nights, i could have sworn i heard ruben — ruvik, taunting me." she corrected herself, a clear preference for his true name.

he grabbed his phone from his pocket, pulling up Sebastian's number.

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

"he's a sneaky bastard. we would be lucky just to get some sort of lead."

june bit the skin of their lip, showing off her overcrowded bottom front teeth. biting too deep, she winced in pain and pressed her finger against the small new wound. looking over, blood. that was it.

Joseph took note of the blood... but he didn't say anything. he was more focused on her suggestion. looking unsure.

"I.. dont think Ruvik would be so careless like that.."

he paused briefly before continuing.

june cocked her head to the side as he spoke. she smiled, rolling her eyes in a lighthearted manner. "you're plenty skeptical, huh? like i said, we could check for missing people too."

"well- forgive me for being skeptical.. being stuck in that hell hole wasn't exactly an amusement park."

he admitted. as much as he wished he could drop this case.. he knew it would just follow him until an end was put to it. that was the not so fun part.

sighing lightly through his nose, his finger tapped against his chair.

"alright, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just worried if we speculate too much, we'll lose our chance."

they lowered their hands, slightly flustered with joseph's stubbornness. well, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of being strong-willed herself.

"I suppose I could try to talk to him.. but not promises. he doesn't listen to anyone. will probably yell at me for getting involved again-.."

he murmured the last part. knowing all too well how Sebastian could be.

june looked down at her lap, almost in remorse. "...i know. but, he needs to understand that he can't just ignore a problem like this. ruben could be causing catastrophic damage as we speak and we can't just leave the situation alone."

they pinched the bridge of their nose, then slightly lifted their very-obviously-non-prescription glasses to rub their exhausted eyelids.

Joseph gave a tired nod. knowing exactly how Sebastian can be in situations like this.

"wouldn't be surprised.. I'll talk to him. or at least I'll try to."

pausing for a brief moment.. then continuing.

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

"he's a sneaky bastard. we would be lucky just to get some sort of lead."

june bit the skin of their lip, showing off her overcrowded bottom front teeth. biting too deep, she winced in pain and pressed her finger against the small new wound. looking over, blood. that was it.

Joseph took note of the blood... but he didn't say anything. he was more focused on her suggestion. looking unsure.

"I.. dont think Ruvik would be so careless like that.."

he paused briefly before continuing.

june cocked her head to the side as he spoke. she smiled, rolling her eyes in a lighthearted manner. "you're plenty skeptical, huh? like i said, we could check for missing people too."

"well- forgive me for being skeptical.. being stuck in that hell hole wasn't exactly an amusement park."

he admitted. as much as he wished he could drop this case.. he knew it would just follow him until an end was put to it. that was the not so fun part.

sighing lightly through his nose, his finger tapped against his chair.

"alright, i know. i'm sorry. i'm just worried if we speculate too much, we'll lose our chance."

they lowered their hands, slightly flustered with joseph's stubbornness. well, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of being strong-willed herself.

"I suppose I could try to talk to him.. but not promises. he doesn't listen to anyone. will probably yell at me for getting involved again-.."

he murmured the last part. knowing all too well how Sebastian could be.

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"

"Leslie's alive? from what I've heard, he just.. disappeared out of nowhere.. Sebastian last saw him walking away from the scene.."

his brow furrowed slightly, tapping his thumb against the tiny notebook he had.

june sighed, adjusting their glasses. "you see, there were previous STEM studies before yours. leslie was no stranger to the simulation when he was with you but i accompanied him during his first experience as a form of guardian."

she avoided eye contact. she was absolutely expecting joseph to hold contempt for even thinking about working for those bastards at MOBIUS.

"i tried to get him away, but the company would have killed me. so, i slinked away. i asked my ex-coworker about him everyday with no response. i emailed her about a week ago and she told me about the situation and to speak to either you or sebastian."

"right... worst case scenario, huh?"

he gave a soft sigh, leaning back in his chair he was sitting in. trying to figure out how to go about the situation.

they rested their head in the palm of their hand, keeping it up with her elbow sitting on the table.

"it's... definitely a possibility..."

he admitted, pulling out some journals from the drawer at his desk, setting them in front of June.

"even though Seb got rid of the brain, I.. strongly doubt Ruben is gone. he had hosts for a reason-"

he turned the pages of the journals. various notes about STEM, Ruvik and his hosts, his plans, etc.

"jesus christ. this is horrendous." they leaned back in their chair and looked off into the distance in thought. 'i should have just risked it for him,' they thought to themself, 'this could have been avoided if i...' they shook their head.

*he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. looking rather unsure about the situation. not knowing how to go about it.*

"maybe i could lure him out somehow. make him believe that i think he's leslie and take him in. he'll probably think it would be the perfect entry to torture someone."

"Ruvik is a complex being... I don't think simple lures will do anything good, unfortunately."

he sighed through his nose. turning through the pages of his notes.

"of course. i guess i'm underestimating him. you have to hand it to the man, he is extremely, and unfortunately, intelligent."

they sat both of their elbows on the table and curled their fingers into their hair.

"we have to find a way to capture him without harming leslie's body — speaking of which, how do we know exactly where his consciousness is? is it somehow lost within STEM? i hope it wasn't destroyed when sebastian took care of ruben's brain."

she suddenly chuckled to herself.

"unfortunately, MOBIUS was never exactly known for being crystal clear with their work. always hiding motifs.."

he reached, grabbing a folder and looking through it. he was thinking hard... about Rubens brain, Leslie, it was a lot.

"I don't think what Sebastian did to Rubens brain ended anything.... there has to be some kind of back-up of some sorts.."

he raised his eyes, looking at June through his glasses. he paused.

"well, if you mean in MOBIUS in general, i didn't have a great record and my performance in school was mediocre, if not downright terrible. i was rejected everywhere else as any form of scientist and the company ended up picking me up like a stray kitten on the side of the road. i really didn't have any other options, so i accepted anything they told me."

quickly realizing how awful that must sound, she picked her head up and looked at him reassuringly.

"right... well- I'm sorry your schooling didn't go well."

he sat up a little straighter, folding his hands in his lap.

june rubbed her chin, squinting her eyes in thought.

"so... he to in Leslie, completely erased him and make him someone else?is that what you're saying?"

Joseph scoffed gently, smiling softly at the half-joke June made. giving a shake of his head.

"if Ruvik doesn't want to be found, it'll be almost impossible to find him..."

he tapped his pen against the leather bound book.

a strange, freckled figure is observing joseph from afar. she reaches in her back pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. they unfold the note and read it carefully before putting it back and approaching him. 

"excuse me, i don't mean to intrude, but... are you mr. oda?"

(no it's not embarrassing at all! just have fun with it!)

hearing his name, Joseph turned around, looking down at the woman standing behind him. he had a small notebook in his hand.

"thats me. what can I help you with?"

she sat down in front of him, cautiously moving her body into the chair. she glanced to the side hesitantly before speaking, 

STEM was a sore subject for Joseph... but he's learned to push it aside. no matter where he went, he'd be asked about it regardless. it's not something he can just cut out of his life.

giving a soft nod to her question, he confirmed it.

"I did survive that whole.. STEM ordeal, yes. but it wasn't easy-"