-IC Contact- [deercountry]

[icanhearscreams]

"... Leave a message."

Comments

[icanhearscreams]

[He sighs and rolls his eyes, going back to his toast. ... It's good toast. After swallowing a bite he looks back up at Manabu.]

It's not like I never do. It's just... been... well. Not a normal time for me.

[At least the nightmares are starting to fade in intensity.]

[siriusly]

That's even more reason why it's good. [his grin is only dialed back because he takes another swig of water.]

It's nice to do something normal in a not-normal time, right?

[icanhearscreams]

[He huffs a little bit.]

I guess? It's... even with all the chaos it's almost peaceful here. I don't... have to fight. There's no battles to be worried about here.

I don't have to worry that someone I know is about to die.

[And even if they did... they come back here.]

[siriusly]

[laughs in deathcount but not really because WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT. instead, Manabu just utters a soft, acknowledging sound.]

Right. There's plenty of other people to take care of keeping the monsters at bay, and it is good for you to be learning how to safely get out of harm's way. Things here...can change a lot month to month, but that and a basic lay of the land will help.

[beat.

grimace.]

Until the buildings start moving again; I hope they don't do that...

[icanhearscreams]

I've... kind of noticed that already, yes. It's frustrating, but... at least knowing where the safe spaces are helps. And people don't tend to look up quite as much.

[... Uh.]

What?

[siriusly]

[he grimaces.]

Mnh, yeah...There was a month where some of the larger buildings just...up and started moving. You could watch it happen! Like pillars of stone like legs...pushed them up, and they ambled to new spots. It was one of the weirdest things I ever saw in my life!

[icanhearscreams]

That's... weird, but weird is normal here.

[He shrugs a little helplessly and takes another bite while he's thinking.]

Maybe one of the pthumerians was responsible?

[siriusly]

Mn. [a little nod.] The Tower, I'm pretty sure. I don't know if the same stuff happens each month they start stirring, but...

[...]

Well. We're gonna be finding out real soon here.

[icanhearscreams]

We are?

[He doesn't really know his Trench history, but...]

When was the moving buildings?

[siriusly]

[he sighs, tilting his head up and letting out a drawn-out, thinking sound.]

I'm still...so bad at Earth-months. Mmh... November? Maybe? [his brow knits.] That was the shipwrecks. [nod nod.] Right. I remember people having to navigate new routes to get to the shore. To pick up the supplies. November sounds right.

[icanhearscreams]

... Oh right. You're from space.

[It's easy to forget where people are from sometimes, given how much they end up just being 'Sleepers' or 'from Trench' here.]

So that's a few months. We'll see if that happens again, I guess.

[siriusly]

[easy to forget when he's so down-to-earth huh!! HUH????????]

Mn. Between me, Vira-Lorr, and...and whoever's left from that time... [a tiny number.] We'll try to make sure folks are prepared.

[icanhearscreams]

... Do you get mad? About being here, I mean.

[Presumably he has a place to go back to, unlike Jun.]

[siriusly]

Mn-?

[the question comes out of the blue from Manabu's perspective. he blinks, then tilts his head and thinks about it.]

...Well, sure. This isn't home, and it's...definitely not an easy place to live in. But sometimes being angry is what motivates me to do my best.

[icanhearscreams]

... Same, but... I don't have anywhere to go.

Do you think... do you think if we ever get out of here we could go with other people? It'd be... nice.

[siriusly]

That's my goal.

[Manabu sets his half-empty (half-full?) glass on the counter and folds his arms.]

The Galaxy Railways exists to connect people to the worlds they dream to get to, and its touched other times and universes before. If I can connect us to that railway again...to get the people who want to get out of here on their way...


[then he'll have served something of his true purpose in life.]

[icanhearscreams]

Is that what you work for? This 'Galaxy Railways' thing?

[That they dream to get to... it's a lofty goal. Not one he's sure is achievable, but... who knows? Maybe other worlds - other universes - are happier than his.]

[siriusly]

That's right. I was a member of the railway's Space Defense Force. Sirius Platoon, back where I'm from. I helped protect the trains that traversed the galaxy on the railway.

[... weird...he didn't already mention it before? after knowing Jun for this long?

he really is...putting that stuff into the past, isn't he.]

[icanhearscreams]

That's... huh. So that's why you're like a soldier, but it's... different.

[He's definitely not like any soldier Jun knows.]

You'll... you have a place to go back to. People who care about you there.

[siriusly]

If they don't kick my ass for being absent first, yeah. [because Louis absolutely will. she'll cry about it later, but yes. Manabu's ass is grass.

he sighs, then looks back to Jun.]

But they'd be nicer to you, no question. And if you think my cooking is decent, just wait 'til you try my mom's.

[icanhearscreams]

Well, I can help you explain.

[That is, assuming that Manabu still wants him around.]

You're... hm. No wonder you're more well-adjusted than me.

[Jun... does not have a parent that does cooking.]

[siriusly]

Haa? [that gets a curious sound and then a bit of a laugh.] We must have similar ideas of what normal is then, because most folks think I'm a weirdo here!

[icanhearscreams]

No, you're just earnest.

[Nom.]

But I've seen... way worse, even among people my age. It's not... I guess my sample is skewed, but whatever.

[siriusly]

I guess it really is all relative, huh.

[a beat.]

Did you ever give her a call? Vira-Lorr.

[icanhearscreams]

[He scrunches up his face and makes an uncertain noise.]

No... I - I'm not great at this... getting help thing, I mean.