shoma [spacecoast]

[verminous]

child.

Comments

[solesuccess]

[ a brief blip of affection follows, and he doesn't bother pushing his hand away. we have grown. we are accepting this.

but he kind of smirks. ]

I'm kind of counting on it. [ ... ] Home's...not great. So being able to talk to everyone else will make things suck less. I think it's like that for a few of us.

[verminous]

More than a few, from the sound of things.

[light, because, well. he knows what everyone thinks of the city.]

...not great, but it's still not something you can just up and leave, is it.

[solesuccess]

Yeah, that was the impression I got. [ everyone's lives are terrible, frankly. ]

But no. I have to get back to Amame, so...there was never another option but to go home.

[verminous]

...I get it.

[everyone keeps asking if he can't just leave the city, but it's not that simple an answer.]

If it weren't for the contract, maybe my own answer'd be different, but.

[solesuccess]

[ ... ]

Doesn't mean you haven't thought about it, huh.

[ because he kind of has. in a world where he didn't have the most important person in the world waiting for him. ]

[verminous]

I'd be lying if I said it didn't still cross my mind.

[going back is what he should do, needs to do, but there's maybe still a little part of him that wonders whether he really could break away from the trajectory of his life if he just... didn't.]

[solesuccess]

[ responsibility kinda sucks. he's quiet for a moment as if contemplating gregor's response. ]

If you could, where do you think you'd want to go?

[verminous]

...there's a few places I'd like to see, if I could just take a vacation with a few stops along the way. Your home. Diluc's. Ichiban's. Charles'. ...Owner's.

[solesuccess]

[ ...none of these really surprise him, he thinks. it's not like gregor was in his right state of mind when he killed owner to begin with. everyone else's worlds make sense, too. ]

Dion and I were talking about how it'd be nice to do a vacation tour before we all went back. I doubt we're going to get that kind of time, but...all the more reason to try and find a way to connect our worlds. And you could always stay at Owner's inn at the end. [ there are places gregor could stay in the other worlds, but. his point is one of them is likely more prepared than the rest of them. ]

[verminous]

It's nice to at least think about, right? You could show me your city for real.

[not only a simulation of it.

... he'd hide the bug arm somehow, he's sure...

that last mention, though, gets a little flicker of emotionshare that's more-- it's not really regret, not quite wistful, something in between.]

And I'd like at least seeing the inn, even if I wouldn't be able to stay long.

[solesuccess]

Yeah, definitely. There's a lot to show you that I didn't even get to cover.

[ and there's a high chance people might think his arm is just cosplay, honestly. anyway he...picks up on that emotion and he blinks slowly. hello? yes? ]

...knowing Owner you'd probably be allowed to stay however long you wanted. So it'd be up to you, wouldn't it?

[verminous]

Well, sure. It'd just be nice to stay longer than I probably should, y'know.

[he'd have to go back eventually.]

[solesuccess]

...how long are you thinking, exactly?

[verminous]

...if it weren't for the contract, I wouldn't intend to get back to the City.

[solesuccess]

[ hm. ]

So how exactly do you end the contract?

[verminous]

Finishing it out. There's not really a timeframe on that, either.

[solesuccess]

[ rodya told him a little about this, but he still thinks it's stupid. ]

There has to be a loophole somewhere. A company can't just keep you forever.

[verminous]

Hopefully it wouldn't take forever to finish out our objective... but we're not all that far in, I think.

[solesuccess]

What even is the objective?

[verminous]

Collecting the Boughs. I- failed to get the one that threw us into my heart, so we're already eventually going to have to contend with the other faction going after 'em.

That was a given, anyway, but especially now that they've got at least one...

[solesuccess]

Is there any way to steal it back? Who even is the other faction? [ he's going to go back to everything else in a second, he's thinking about this first. ]

[verminous]

... Hermann is one of 'em.

[solesuccess]

...that lady we all beat up and then hit with Ichiban's car, right?

[verminous]

I-- was going to go with the one who gave me this arm, but... sure, that too?

[solesuccess]

[ he is getting to that point, thank you gregor. ]

...I mean yeah. I remember that. I'm just...[ how do you ask "why did this woman give you a bug arm and she's part of this other faction." what is the timeline and chain of events here. ]