[ Hugo laughs pleasantly, and with a little nod of asking permission, he makes his way towards the kitchen. He’s brought a corkscrew with him, since that’s easy enough to carry, but something to put it in? That’s a bit tougher. He’ll look for glasses, but despite his elegant, put-together appearance as a whole, he’s not above drinking out of mugs in the slightest. ]
I was hoping that might be the case. I almost thought to ask if you drank, but, well. It’s a bit nicer as a surprise, I think… Even if not, then it’s just as easy for me to save it, right~?
[ Regardless of what he finds in the way of vessels, he’ll deftly work on taking the foil off the top and taking out the cork. There’s an ease in his movements that implies that this is familiar in the way that someone that worked at a bar would be familiar. It’s so automatic that he barely pays it any mind, just continuing the conversation as he works. ]
…Though I will ask, just to be sure. Would you like to talk about recent events? Or keep things light? I’ll follow your lead here without a problem, Gregor.
[finding matching glasses is going to be an impossibility, but they probably do have glasses of some kind! just, you know, a little scratched and chipped. who knows where they picked these up.]
...gotta admit, as much as I'd like to say to avoid it, I don't think recent events are something we can actually dodge.
[he says as he watches hugo work, finding space for them to both settle in; the chairs at their small table are as creaky as the door was, but they at least don't feel like they're about to break.]
Au contraire, I am a professional dodger of unpleasant conversations~. I can bullshit with light conversation with the best of them!
[ He’s playful and clearly joking, but it’s also true… It’s a skill that you hone very well when a part of your job tends to include socializing and schmoozing in high society. He really does think he’s a pro when it comes to talking to people about nothing of import, which is why Hugo laughs as he uncorks the bottle and pours the glasses. ]
[ But his expression does soften as he brings the bottle and the glasses over to the table. He sets Gregor’s down elegantly as he takes a seat across the table. ]
…Well, if only things were lighter in general, it would probably work better.
[ It would seem shallow in this case, which is why he doesn’t stick with it. He takes a sip of the wine, then shrugs as he swirls it in his glass idly. ]
I was worried about you. With how these transformations go, it’s possible to lose yourself in it, for lack of a better word. So, I’m glad to see that it’s not that dire.
[ There's no fear of him turning into a mad plant monster, at least. He sets the glass down, and he holds out his hand in offer. He won't reach out to touch without permission in this case. ]
[he agrees with a little sigh, picking up his glass and taking a sip.
...his eyes flick between the glass and hugo's hand a couple of times, then, because it's not that offering is unwelcome, but he's only got the one limb that can both do that and hold a glass reliably, and he's very quickly torn between which to use it for...
right up until hugo mentions his natural soul, anyway, which is a very well timed distraction in the moment.]
Did I never say what-- no, you wouldn't have known then, would you, pruning the vines was still sort of working... well, shoot. I guess it must've seemed like I was... one of the bug types.
[ With the distraction, Hugo withdraws his hand with an easy smile. It would be odd to have it still offered, so he’ll just withdraw until a better time if it comes up. It might have been a rejection in the first place, which he could certainly understand. ]
Well, either that or a Thiren, yes. [ Knowing that the term is unlikely to mean anything to Gregor, he explains without missing a beat. ] Thiren are people with animal features where I’m from. It’s a wide range from fully anthropomorphic types to those with only a feature or two, so.
[ He shrugs as he nods towards Gregor’s arm. ]
It’s not odd to me at all. In fact, any of the Augmented whose presentation goes towards animalistic could be perfectly at home in New Eridu, really.
And here I figured you were just really good at being polite.
[jokingly, before he takes another sip of wine. he definitely needed this.]
That's not really something we have, though, or-- we don't have anything like it naturally. Plenty of ways you can modify yourself if you can fund it, but even then, this thing tends to stand out.
[what would it even be like, to exist somewhere that wouldn't be side-eyed? it's difficult to imagine at this point. being mistaken for just an arthropoda is the closest he's gotten to that, but he still doesn't particularly care for it.]
Well, admittedly I would have asked a little when we first met if it had been more, well… Private, you know?
[ There was plenty he hadn’t asked and plenty he hadn’t personally shared because they were under Patho-Gen’s watchful eyes. He’d already been distrusting of their motives and interest before, but now? He’ll never participate in their whims again, no matter how they pay. ]
But that’s mostly because most Thiren tend to have their features from mammals. Not to say that there aren’t cases of others, but they’re rarer. So, you were at least saved from slightly nosy questions about that, at least.
[ But obviously, Gregor wasn’t born this way, or that’s what his words imply. ]
So, a different slightly nosy question.
[ Hugo nods to his arm lightly, but his expression makes it clear that he won’t be offended if Gregor doesn’t want to answer. He’s curious but not prying. ]
I'm still filing that under polite. Plenty of fellows out there who would've asked anyway, audience or not.
[he picks the glass back up before he continues. just one more drink before getting into this particular subject.]
It's more like it came upon me, but... I've had the thing long enough to have learned to live with it. Like being stuck with a relative you don't care for, you know? Nothing to be done for it but try and coexist.
[ He can’t help but scoff just a little, since when it comes to his relatives… Well. There’s no coexisting about it, but his family situation is also rather brutally unique. In general, though? He thinks he does understand. ]
Of a sort, I do. It’s a bit how I feel about the Soul I’ve been saddled with, actually, though I’m still very much learning on that “coexist” part.
[ Hugo nods to Gregor’s arm, but he smiles lightly as he looks at the patch of moss that’s starting to grow on it. ]
I know it has its own difficulties— [ He’d seen those below Kelesis. ] But yours is rather charming, I think.
[he fumbles, barely missing the glass in front of him; his fingertips knock clumsily against it rather than grabbing it, leaving him to steady it before it tips and spills.
the hood of his jacket slips as the vines making up his hair curl and shift slightly, and when it's pushed back a little, it exposes some of the plant growth among the tendrils: a few stray white baneberries, a strangely textured yellow rose.]
I, uh, don't know about charming, I keep having to pull things off it-- you know it's sort of sticky now? Been sleeping with my arm hanging off the bed so it's not glued to the sheets... trying to sleep, anyway, it's all a little... it's an adjustment.
[ Ah… That’s a rather cute reaction. Hugo had gotten the impression when they first met, but this confirms it for him. Gregor isn’t really used to receiving compliments, is he? That’s definitely charming, and it makes Hugo want to flirt-slash-tease all the more. For now, though, he just laughs pleasantly. ]
You might think I’m joking, but I’m serious.
[ And he is! Plant life just seems a bit more pleasant than some of the more monstrous transformations, and he especially includes himself. ]
But it’s a “grass is greener” situation, if you’ll forgive the turn of phrase. That does sound awfully annoying… I suppose there’s more maintenance to it than others?
[ Hugo starts to take off one of his half-gloves, which is a sign of what he has in mind, but he’s still polite enough to ask. ]
May I?
[ he does want to feel the sticky for himself, yes… ]
[what do you MEAN someone wants to willingly touch his freak arm, especially now that it's had new changes added on? his eyes widen, tone genuinely baffled-- as unused as he is to compliments, this is something on a completely different level, considering how normal it is for people to want to avoid being touched by it.
it takes him a moment, but he does hesitantly lift his arm so that hugo can reach out to touch it. the surface of its blunted side is covered in what must have been setae before, now converted into the dewy hairs of a flypaper.]
It, uh... does take some maintenance, though. Seems these clean out pretty well, but trimming all the vines is... I was pruning 'em before, it's gotten to be a little too much to keep that up.
[ He can’t resist, ultimately. He says it with a flirtatious smile and a warm undercurrent in his tone, but flirting comes as easily as breathing for Hugo. How serious about it he is, well… That’s different.
But he is very genuinely interested, so without any hesitation at all, he reaches out to touch Gregor’s arm. He’s careful, since it’s something new, but when he feels the texture of the little plant hairs, he huffs out an incredulous little laugh. ]
Ha— I’m not sure what I expected, since you warned me, but that is sticky.
[ Hugo’s touch is still cold, but it also doesn’t quite feel right. There’s a give to it that doesn’t feel completely like skin, but it’s similar enough that it could be dismissed as a misconception were they anywhere else. Here, it’s easy to guess that it’s part of his own transformation, though he doesn’t personally seem to notice the discrepancy at the moment. He just runs his fingers along Gregor’s arm boldly and curiously. ]
A high maintenance Soul, then. Who would have thought? Does it hurt when you trim vines or things like that?
[you're gonna be the death of him, buddy. but at least it's simple enough to get past-- after all, it's a joke, right? no reason for him to be serious about flirting.]
It didn't hurt when they first started growing in, but now they're... more rooted or something, maybe? I used to be able to just weed 'em all out of my hair.
[the hairs react to his touch, curling in on themselves in the wake of his hand, and gregor shivers slightly.]
Phew, that's a different feeling. Don't think they like the cold much.
[ It’s interesting to hear, if only because Hugo hasn’t asked others very much about the process. He’s been curious about it, sure, but it opens up the awkward door of the question being returned, and that’s something he shies away from. He can at least casually mention the death aspect of being a Spectral, since he does feel like that’s good information to be out there for the sake of any others, but beyond that? He’s much more careful.
It's also why he pulls his hand away with a little “ah” as Gregor shivers and the plants curl in. His expression immediately becomes apologetic. ]
My apologies… They’re that sensitive, huh? [ It makes sense, so much as anything makes sense here anyways. ] I forget how, ah, chilly I am nowadays.
[ Between death and the icy inclination he’s taking on out of what he can only assume is the universe playing an ironic joke, he’s definitely on the colder side. So, he at least moves his hand away from the plants as he touches an area that’s more chitinous instead. He’s still unbothered by it all, seemingly. ]
I had been wondering if it was better or worse that all of you don’t seem to recall what happened, but it seems like the progression is there regardless… It’s why I was concerned. It can get… quite bad. Dangerous, rather.
It's-- probably just a little sensitive in general, you know, not really used to... anyone actually touching it. Can't blame 'em though, 'ne? It almost looks less disgusting like this.
[it was arguably more grotesque when they were insectoid bristles, actually. maybe hugo isn't wrong about there being a bit more charm to the plantlife...
his attempt at a little lighter banter evaporates with the mention of what happened to them, though, and their lack of collective memory; it takes a few moments before he says anything.]
I know some folks would say it's better to know, but I don't know if... I think if it's anything like the dreams I've been having, I don't need to remember much about what went on.
[ Ah… “Disgusting” as a word does fill in the remaining gap of that surprise a minute ago. No wonder it was surprising that Hugo wanted to touch his arm. He doesn’t outwardly react to that realization, but he notes it. As of late, he can even relate.
He’s about to apologize for the serious change of topic at the pause, but Gregor does speak up. Usually he’s the one to try and stay away from heavy topics, so his expression does turn lightly apologetic all the same. ]
…Your dreams, huh.
[ He does wonder if that’s related to that strange dreamscape, but it’s not like he has any particular insight. It’s just a curiosity, so he moves on. ]
I understand. Based on what others had described to me, I don’t know if there’s much benefit in knowing anyways. What useful information there was to be learned was at least past along to those of us that were left behind, but…
[ He shakes his head, but he gives Gregor’s arm a little squeeze of support before he pulls his hand away. He wipes that hand on his pants to get off the remaining residue, but with the other, he takes another, rather healthy swig of the wine. ]
I hate that it happened, obviously. I’ll do anything I can to stop it from happening again.
...yeah. I'll be all right, I've probably had worse, but not everyone is gonna be like that-- I can't say I like the idea of it happening to more of 'em.
[sure, it's a little rough right now, but he got through one nightmare. he'll make it when it comes to this one, he's sure.
his human hand taps idly on the tabletop, before he finally caves and reaches into the pocket of his jacket to pull out a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. after slipping one into the corner of his mouth, he sets the pack on the table between them in an open invitation, though he doesn't light his own immediately; instead he toys with the lid of the lighter as he continues.]
Thing is, I don't know that there is anything we can do. Not with what we seem to know right now. They've got an awful heavy advantage with their tech implanted in all of us, and the implications of them being able to just-- make a number of us disappear are... well, the implications are more or less that they can do what they want.
Have you? [ …Well, maybe that’s not a surprise, considering what he’d implied with his arm, now that he thinks about it. ] You’ve had it hard, then. I don’t say that to coyly ask for an explanation, to be clear. But you do have my sympathies.
[ That’s genuine, and it’s clear in his tone. Hugo is an empathetic person. Moreso than he likes, at times.
After a moment’s consideration, he hums out a sound that’s clearly a “why not”, and he takes the pack of cigarettes with a grateful nod. His smile is even briefly wry as he comments: ]
Now, I only smoke on rare occasions, so you’re not allowed to laugh if my first draw is more like a sputter.
[ But, hey, this definitely seems like the right mood for it. It’s why the smile doesn’t really last as he pops the cigarette out of the pack before sliding it back towards Gregor. At the very least, he’ll likely only have one. ]
—Admittedly, I have to say that you’re right. With what we know now, I don’t know if there is a way. However, I do think recent events will certainly push plenty of research from our more innovative minds in how to escape that shackle. That’s not my area of expertise, personally.
[ He pauses, considers for a moment, then decides to just admit it. He feels more comfortable with his imprints, ultimately. ]
[so no big deal. he's fairly sure none of it killed him, and therefore it wasn't as bad as it could've been.
he sparks the lighter's flame into life, taking care of his own cigarette before he leans in to hold the flame to hugo's; after tucking his lighter back into his pocket, he takes a long first drag, slowly exhaling a stream of smoke.]
So'm I, honestly. It's about all that I have any experience in-- I know urban warfare, but that's really the extent of what I can strategize about, you know? Theories, tech... that's all outside my usual realm.
[gregor is a man who carries out plans, not one who often makes them.
after another, briefer inhale:]
...I've worked for one of these companies before, is the thing. I know how it all goes.
[ Hugo holds out his cigarette until it’s lit and nods appreciatively once he draws it back to his own lips. Despite his concern, the first drag of the cigarette goes down easily, though he does chuckle because of it. It really has been a rather long time since he’s felt an occasion to smoke, so the concern was real.
His expression does turn more serious as Gregor agrees, but there is a little twinge of relief in it. He’s been lucky so far, he thinks. His intuition for who to be a little more truthful with has been working out for him so far. ]
And I may not have worked for them, but I’ve stolen from them often. So, I imagine there’s some overlap in our expertise, funnily enough~.
[ Hugo shrugs like that’s a casual thing to admit. Here, it is becoming much more commonplace, at least. He’d been hesitant before, but now that Patho-Gen has shown some of their hand? He truly doubts any Augmented would be likely to tattle, even if they found his work distasteful. ]
I didn’t exactly trust their telling of why we’re here from the start, but I can hardly take any pleasure in being proven correct. I don't trust any company that claims to want to save the world on principle, and it's only been proven.
Stolen from-- sheesh, I must've sounded ridiculous to you before, then, trying to insist on my job not technically being theft...
[which it still isn't, in most cases! but regardless!!
either way, he truly can't be one to judge, especially when it comes to getting one over on a corporation. stealing from your fellows is one thing, though even that can be forgiven in desperate times. from entities like that? it's more or less deserved.]
... I wanted to believe it, y'know. That they'd turn out to be different from the companies I've known-- that we'd really be helping out with something good for once. [a huff of a more humorless laugh, there, shaking his head before taking another drag.] Serves me right for that, maybe. There's still good work we can do here, and probably decent people in Patho-Gen's rank and file... but it's gotta be rotten at the top for something like this to happen.
[ Hugo laughs, since despite the otherwise dark tone of their conversation, he can’t help it. He tosses Gregor a playful wink, complete with bringing a finger up to his mouth. ]
Well, to be fair, my point of comparison was a little different anyways. Your job sounds more like what Hollow Raiders get up to. I steal much pettier things than that, but from more powerful people, so~.
[ He shrugs with a toothy little smile. Even if it’s a secret, he does have a flair for the dramatic, so he’ll never deny that he enjoys it. The thrill of a heist is part of why he’s stuck with it. Even so… ]
Do keep that to yourself though, hm? I’d rather not have any extra attention directed my way just by reputation.
[ He’d at least like to earn the ire by stealing something big first, obviously! ]
[ But even if the smile stays on his face, it does soften into a more thoughtful and gloomier one. As much fun as it would be to regale Gregor with charming stories of thievery, it also feels trite. That’s always been the tension with his work and something he’s been reexamining as of late. Thanks, Silco. ]
Well, anyways. You’re not alone there. I’d hoped for the same, even if I didn’t expect much. I don’t like it when cynicism is proven correct… But I also didn’t expect that the rot would be so extreme.
[ A shady organization was what he’d expected. It was unlikely that the story they were told was true, sure, but he’d thought their actions would be more subtle, more or less. Leave a question of their intentions, because the state of their world was true enough, and Hugo can understand that perfectly. But it’s so extreme and dehumanizing that he finds little room for forgiveness now. It’s why he pauses before continuing with a brief darkening of his expression, but he ends up just sighing heavily as he takes another drag of the cigarette too. ]
…Personally, I’m not inclined to help them again. Our help was never asked in the first place. Only demanded, and at a high personal cost. [ Transformation. Death. He doesn’t like any of it. ] I only see it more uncharitably now.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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I was hoping that might be the case. I almost thought to ask if you drank, but, well. It’s a bit nicer as a surprise, I think… Even if not, then it’s just as easy for me to save it, right~?
[ Regardless of what he finds in the way of vessels, he’ll deftly work on taking the foil off the top and taking out the cork. There’s an ease in his movements that implies that this is familiar in the way that someone that worked at a bar would be familiar. It’s so automatic that he barely pays it any mind, just continuing the conversation as he works. ]
…Though I will ask, just to be sure. Would you like to talk about recent events? Or keep things light? I’ll follow your lead here without a problem, Gregor.
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...gotta admit, as much as I'd like to say to avoid it, I don't think recent events are something we can actually dodge.
[he says as he watches hugo work, finding space for them to both settle in; the chairs at their small table are as creaky as the door was, but they at least don't feel like they're about to break.]
Not in full, anyway.
1/2
[ He’s playful and clearly joking, but it’s also true… It’s a skill that you hone very well when a part of your job tends to include socializing and schmoozing in high society. He really does think he’s a pro when it comes to talking to people about nothing of import, which is why Hugo laughs as he uncorks the bottle and pours the glasses. ]
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…Well, if only things were lighter in general, it would probably work better.
[ It would seem shallow in this case, which is why he doesn’t stick with it. He takes a sip of the wine, then shrugs as he swirls it in his glass idly. ]
I was worried about you. With how these transformations go, it’s possible to lose yourself in it, for lack of a better word. So, I’m glad to see that it’s not that dire.
[ There's no fear of him turning into a mad plant monster, at least. He sets the glass down, and he holds out his hand in offer. He won't reach out to touch without permission in this case. ]
So, you're a Terra type.
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[he agrees with a little sigh, picking up his glass and taking a sip.
...his eyes flick between the glass and hugo's hand a couple of times, then, because it's not that offering is unwelcome, but he's only got the one limb that can both do that and hold a glass reliably, and he's very quickly torn between which to use it for...
right up until hugo mentions his natural soul, anyway, which is a very well timed distraction in the moment.]
Did I never say what-- no, you wouldn't have known then, would you, pruning the vines was still sort of working... well, shoot. I guess it must've seemed like I was... one of the bug types.
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Well, either that or a Thiren, yes. [ Knowing that the term is unlikely to mean anything to Gregor, he explains without missing a beat. ] Thiren are people with animal features where I’m from. It’s a wide range from fully anthropomorphic types to those with only a feature or two, so.
[ He shrugs as he nods towards Gregor’s arm. ]
It’s not odd to me at all. In fact, any of the Augmented whose presentation goes towards animalistic could be perfectly at home in New Eridu, really.
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[jokingly, before he takes another sip of wine. he definitely needed this.]
That's not really something we have, though, or-- we don't have anything like it naturally. Plenty of ways you can modify yourself if you can fund it, but even then, this thing tends to stand out.
[what would it even be like, to exist somewhere that wouldn't be side-eyed? it's difficult to imagine at this point. being mistaken for just an arthropoda is the closest he's gotten to that, but he still doesn't particularly care for it.]
no subject
[ There was plenty he hadn’t asked and plenty he hadn’t personally shared because they were under Patho-Gen’s watchful eyes. He’d already been distrusting of their motives and interest before, but now? He’ll never participate in their whims again, no matter how they pay. ]
But that’s mostly because most Thiren tend to have their features from mammals. Not to say that there aren’t cases of others, but they’re rarer. So, you were at least saved from slightly nosy questions about that, at least.
[ But obviously, Gregor wasn’t born this way, or that’s what his words imply. ]
So, a different slightly nosy question.
[ Hugo nods to his arm lightly, but his expression makes it clear that he won’t be offended if Gregor doesn’t want to answer. He’s curious but not prying. ]
How did you come upon this, then?
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[he picks the glass back up before he continues. just one more drink before getting into this particular subject.]
It's more like it came upon me, but... I've had the thing long enough to have learned to live with it. Like being stuck with a relative you don't care for, you know? Nothing to be done for it but try and coexist.
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Of a sort, I do. It’s a bit how I feel about the Soul I’ve been saddled with, actually, though I’m still very much learning on that “coexist” part.
[ Hugo nods to Gregor’s arm, but he smiles lightly as he looks at the patch of moss that’s starting to grow on it. ]
I know it has its own difficulties— [ He’d seen those below Kelesis. ] But yours is rather charming, I think.
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[he fumbles, barely missing the glass in front of him; his fingertips knock clumsily against it rather than grabbing it, leaving him to steady it before it tips and spills.
the hood of his jacket slips as the vines making up his hair curl and shift slightly, and when it's pushed back a little, it exposes some of the plant growth among the tendrils: a few stray white baneberries, a strangely textured yellow rose.]
I, uh, don't know about charming, I keep having to pull things off it-- you know it's sort of sticky now? Been sleeping with my arm hanging off the bed so it's not glued to the sheets... trying to sleep, anyway, it's all a little... it's an adjustment.
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You might think I’m joking, but I’m serious.
[ And he is! Plant life just seems a bit more pleasant than some of the more monstrous transformations, and he especially includes himself. ]
But it’s a “grass is greener” situation, if you’ll forgive the turn of phrase. That does sound awfully annoying… I suppose there’s more maintenance to it than others?
[ Hugo starts to take off one of his half-gloves, which is a sign of what he has in mind, but he’s still polite enough to ask. ]
May I?
[ he does want to feel the sticky for himself, yes… ]
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[what do you MEAN someone wants to willingly touch his freak arm, especially now that it's had new changes added on? his eyes widen, tone genuinely baffled-- as unused as he is to compliments, this is something on a completely different level, considering how normal it is for people to want to avoid being touched by it.
it takes him a moment, but he does hesitantly lift his arm so that hugo can reach out to touch it. the surface of its blunted side is covered in what must have been setae before, now converted into the dewy hairs of a flypaper.]
It, uh... does take some maintenance, though. Seems these clean out pretty well, but trimming all the vines is... I was pruning 'em before, it's gotten to be a little too much to keep that up.
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[ He can’t resist, ultimately. He says it with a flirtatious smile and a warm undercurrent in his tone, but flirting comes as easily as breathing for Hugo. How serious about it he is, well… That’s different.
But he is very genuinely interested, so without any hesitation at all, he reaches out to touch Gregor’s arm. He’s careful, since it’s something new, but when he feels the texture of the little plant hairs, he huffs out an incredulous little laugh. ]
Ha— I’m not sure what I expected, since you warned me, but that is sticky.
[ Hugo’s touch is still cold, but it also doesn’t quite feel right. There’s a give to it that doesn’t feel completely like skin, but it’s similar enough that it could be dismissed as a misconception were they anywhere else. Here, it’s easy to guess that it’s part of his own transformation, though he doesn’t personally seem to notice the discrepancy at the moment. He just runs his fingers along Gregor’s arm boldly and curiously. ]
A high maintenance Soul, then. Who would have thought? Does it hurt when you trim vines or things like that?
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It didn't hurt when they first started growing in, but now they're... more rooted or something, maybe? I used to be able to just weed 'em all out of my hair.
[the hairs react to his touch, curling in on themselves in the wake of his hand, and gregor shivers slightly.]
Phew, that's a different feeling. Don't think they like the cold much.
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It's also why he pulls his hand away with a little “ah” as Gregor shivers and the plants curl in. His expression immediately becomes apologetic. ]
My apologies… They’re that sensitive, huh? [ It makes sense, so much as anything makes sense here anyways. ] I forget how, ah, chilly I am nowadays.
[ Between death and the icy inclination he’s taking on out of what he can only assume is the universe playing an ironic joke, he’s definitely on the colder side. So, he at least moves his hand away from the plants as he touches an area that’s more chitinous instead. He’s still unbothered by it all, seemingly. ]
I had been wondering if it was better or worse that all of you don’t seem to recall what happened, but it seems like the progression is there regardless… It’s why I was concerned. It can get… quite bad. Dangerous, rather.
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[it was arguably more grotesque when they were insectoid bristles, actually. maybe hugo isn't wrong about there being a bit more charm to the plantlife...
his attempt at a little lighter banter evaporates with the mention of what happened to them, though, and their lack of collective memory; it takes a few moments before he says anything.]
I know some folks would say it's better to know, but I don't know if... I think if it's anything like the dreams I've been having, I don't need to remember much about what went on.
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He’s about to apologize for the serious change of topic at the pause, but Gregor does speak up. Usually he’s the one to try and stay away from heavy topics, so his expression does turn lightly apologetic all the same. ]
…Your dreams, huh.
[ He does wonder if that’s related to that strange dreamscape, but it’s not like he has any particular insight. It’s just a curiosity, so he moves on. ]
I understand. Based on what others had described to me, I don’t know if there’s much benefit in knowing anyways. What useful information there was to be learned was at least past along to those of us that were left behind, but…
[ He shakes his head, but he gives Gregor’s arm a little squeeze of support before he pulls his hand away. He wipes that hand on his pants to get off the remaining residue, but with the other, he takes another, rather healthy swig of the wine. ]
I hate that it happened, obviously. I’ll do anything I can to stop it from happening again.
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[sure, it's a little rough right now, but he got through one nightmare. he'll make it when it comes to this one, he's sure.
his human hand taps idly on the tabletop, before he finally caves and reaches into the pocket of his jacket to pull out a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. after slipping one into the corner of his mouth, he sets the pack on the table between them in an open invitation, though he doesn't light his own immediately; instead he toys with the lid of the lighter as he continues.]
Thing is, I don't know that there is anything we can do. Not with what we seem to know right now. They've got an awful heavy advantage with their tech implanted in all of us, and the implications of them being able to just-- make a number of us disappear are... well, the implications are more or less that they can do what they want.
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[ That’s genuine, and it’s clear in his tone. Hugo is an empathetic person. Moreso than he likes, at times.
After a moment’s consideration, he hums out a sound that’s clearly a “why not”, and he takes the pack of cigarettes with a grateful nod. His smile is even briefly wry as he comments: ]
Now, I only smoke on rare occasions, so you’re not allowed to laugh if my first draw is more like a sputter.
[ But, hey, this definitely seems like the right mood for it. It’s why the smile doesn’t really last as he pops the cigarette out of the pack before sliding it back towards Gregor. At the very least, he’ll likely only have one. ]
—Admittedly, I have to say that you’re right. With what we know now, I don’t know if there is a way. However, I do think recent events will certainly push plenty of research from our more innovative minds in how to escape that shackle. That’s not my area of expertise, personally.
[ He pauses, considers for a moment, then decides to just admit it. He feels more comfortable with his imprints, ultimately. ]
I’m more of a direct action kind of fellow.
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[so no big deal. he's fairly sure none of it killed him, and therefore it wasn't as bad as it could've been.
he sparks the lighter's flame into life, taking care of his own cigarette before he leans in to hold the flame to hugo's; after tucking his lighter back into his pocket, he takes a long first drag, slowly exhaling a stream of smoke.]
So'm I, honestly. It's about all that I have any experience in-- I know urban warfare, but that's really the extent of what I can strategize about, you know? Theories, tech... that's all outside my usual realm.
[gregor is a man who carries out plans, not one who often makes them.
after another, briefer inhale:]
...I've worked for one of these companies before, is the thing. I know how it all goes.
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His expression does turn more serious as Gregor agrees, but there is a little twinge of relief in it. He’s been lucky so far, he thinks. His intuition for who to be a little more truthful with has been working out for him so far. ]
And I may not have worked for them, but I’ve stolen from them often. So, I imagine there’s some overlap in our expertise, funnily enough~.
[ Hugo shrugs like that’s a casual thing to admit. Here, it is becoming much more commonplace, at least. He’d been hesitant before, but now that Patho-Gen has shown some of their hand? He truly doubts any Augmented would be likely to tattle, even if they found his work distasteful. ]
I didn’t exactly trust their telling of why we’re here from the start, but I can hardly take any pleasure in being proven correct. I don't trust any company that claims to want to save the world on principle, and it's only been proven.
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[which it still isn't, in most cases! but regardless!!
either way, he truly can't be one to judge, especially when it comes to getting one over on a corporation. stealing from your fellows is one thing, though even that can be forgiven in desperate times. from entities like that? it's more or less deserved.]
... I wanted to believe it, y'know. That they'd turn out to be different from the companies I've known-- that we'd really be helping out with something good for once. [a huff of a more humorless laugh, there, shaking his head before taking another drag.] Serves me right for that, maybe. There's still good work we can do here, and probably decent people in Patho-Gen's rank and file... but it's gotta be rotten at the top for something like this to happen.
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Well, to be fair, my point of comparison was a little different anyways. Your job sounds more like what Hollow Raiders get up to. I steal much pettier things than that, but from more powerful people, so~.
[ He shrugs with a toothy little smile. Even if it’s a secret, he does have a flair for the dramatic, so he’ll never deny that he enjoys it. The thrill of a heist is part of why he’s stuck with it. Even so… ]
Do keep that to yourself though, hm? I’d rather not have any extra attention directed my way just by reputation.
[ He’d at least like to earn the ire by stealing something big first, obviously! ]
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Well, anyways. You’re not alone there. I’d hoped for the same, even if I didn’t expect much. I don’t like it when cynicism is proven correct… But I also didn’t expect that the rot would be so extreme.
[ A shady organization was what he’d expected. It was unlikely that the story they were told was true, sure, but he’d thought their actions would be more subtle, more or less. Leave a question of their intentions, because the state of their world was true enough, and Hugo can understand that perfectly. But it’s so extreme and dehumanizing that he finds little room for forgiveness now. It’s why he pauses before continuing with a brief darkening of his expression, but he ends up just sighing heavily as he takes another drag of the cigarette too. ]
…Personally, I’m not inclined to help them again. Our help was never asked in the first place. Only demanded, and at a high personal cost. [ Transformation. Death. He doesn’t like any of it. ] I only see it more uncharitably now.
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