006 [Action]

[headphones_nyan]

[Coming to after a Mallynap tends to be pretty disconcerting. Especially when you wake up with a letter resting neatly on your chest, explaining that you can go home. Physically, Hero's not too bad -- he looks exhausted, and he's got himself a (thankfully shallow) bleeding headwound. Mentally, he's been thrown for a complete loop

Comments

[controlroute]

[Atsuro's conveniently out for a walk. As painfully fake as the letter is, it's still bothering him that they're toying with them like this, and fresh air never hurt anyone, right?

Except that familiar pair of catphones nearby, if that red snow is any indication.]

H-Hero?

[headphones_nyan]

Atsuro!

[Just the guy he was hoping to see, too. He holds up his letter.]

Have you already...?

[controlroute]

The letter can wait a few minutes! I hope you got that snow away from the path, you don't want that thing to get infected. Is it anything serious?

[Motherly instincts come first. It's hard not to pull a Yuzu and tackle him, but if that wound is anything serious, he doesn't want to rattle his head.]

[headphones_nyan]

[He's deeply moved by your concern, Atsuro, but this is srs bsns. Hero's already launching into protagonist mode. He just holds up a hand.]

No, listen. This is more important. It says that we can go home, Atsuro.

[controlroute]

I know. Everyone is getting them. I doubt it's true, but even if it is, it can wait. Today's Sunday, we all have plenty of time to think about it.

[headphones_nyan]

[He just stares at Atsuro for a second. "It can wait" wasn't the answer he expected. He might have wanted Atsuro and Yuzu to forget about what it was like in the lockdown, but... he almost didn't think any of them actually would.]

No, we don't.

[controlroute]

We have until Friday. What are you going to do until then if not think about it? You've been gone for almost a month, I've been checking that your things are still here every day for weeks now.

[headphones_nyan]

Exactly. We've wasted enough time already.

[controlroute]

But... you're hurt. A head wound, no less. You don't feel light-headed at all?

[headphones_nyan]

[He's looking at you like you're crazy, Atsuro. Of course he's lightheaded. He thinks he's back to having less than a week to decide the fate of the world.]

We've both had worse.

[Sigh.]

...If I take care of it, then will you listen?

[controlroute]

I get the feeling I already know what you're going to say, but yeah. Let me see here... [He opens up his bag of holding and rummages for a few moments before pulling out a smaller plastic bag with a few first aid type things inside. There wasn't really much use for it during the lockdown with all that convenient healing magic around, and there probably isn't much use for it with all the magical healers around in Luceti, but damn it, he's going to be helpful.]

Knew this would come in handy eventually. Lift your hair out of the way for me, would you?

[headphones_nyan]

[He complies. Thank heaven for friends that feel the need to carry a half-ton of crap everywhere they go.]

I'm going.

[Aaaand he segues into that one as smoothly as ever. No point in beating around the bush; they both already knew it was gonna come to that.]

[controlroute]

[He figured as much. He sighs, dabbing on disinfectant.]

Sorry if it stings. Can I at least tell you what I've found out so you know what you're getting into?

[headphones_nyan]

[Wince. He nods. Which is probably not a good maneuver when someone's coming at your face with stuff that stings, so it's a very brief nod.]

i'm just gonna bend time a little so we don't need to have this thread twice :|b

[controlroute]

Okay. Most of this information comes from that Observer woman. The letter isn't from her, the Malnosso, or John. Whoever left them has access to Shifting technology, which is the means by which we're brought into Luceti in the first place, so it's not entirely impossible that we could be returned to our world.

The part about effects on our home worlds and being torn apart is true, but in all likelihood, it's a long-term effect, not something that happens because we were here for a few months. As well, it's not connected to specific events within our worlds, like the final option. I think the problem is that neither us nor our worlds are built to be exposed to Shifting, but that's just my best guess.

I asked her whether she'd take the offer in our position, and despite all the negative effects our presence here has, she said no. She wouldn't elaborate, but I'm assuming she knows a lot of things that we don't.

[Aaaand he's done his monologue and the bandage at the same time. How convenient.] Done.

nooo you've created a paradox now atsuro is his own grandpa

[headphones_nyan]

[Hero's quiet for a bit, thinking all that information over. In light of that newly gained knowledge...]

I'm still going.

[Nothing has changed. :|b ]