006 | [Action]

[claim_my_place]

[The weather's agreeable enough. Which means Asch is out scouting the city once again, looking for anything out-of-the-ordinary. Only this time he's taken a birds-eye-view approach

Comments

[patchworkdoctor]

[Have Stein, arms folded, hanging on the side of a building and staring at Asch, as he patrols over the rooftop of Stein's apartment building.]

What are you doing up here?

[claim_my_place]

[Asch stops, craning his neck around to get a good look at Stein. There's a pause before he finally responds, sounding completely serious.]

...Maintenance work.

[patchworkdoctor]

Oh. [Well that makes perfect sense. ...Wait.] Couldn't you just wish it fixed?

[claim_my_place]

...I'd rather accomplish things by my own hand. Why resort to wishes for something this basic?

[patchworkdoctor]

[shrug.] I guess, if it makes you feel normal. What are you fixing?

[claim_my_place]

Humph.

Inspecting the roof. It wasn't possible back when there was lots of snow.

[In actuality, the view from the roof, but no one needs to know that.]

[patchworkdoctor]

Does it really seem necessary in a city that brings us here for its own apparent interest? Don't you think it would keep the buildings in order for us? [He cocks his head.]

[claim_my_place]

[Asch raises his chin slightly in response.] The city is unpredictable, as are its people. Not every job is getting done.

Maybe they're getting tired of catering to freeloaders.

[patchworkdoctor]

The people moreso than the city. From what I've gathered, it seems its only aim is to keep us safe and happy. Reshelving books is a leisure but security and safety is not.

[claim_my_place]

I refuse to believe a city would be that generous. I can understand it wanting to observe the people it brings here, but that can't be all it wants.

[Asch makes an irritated sound in the back of his throat. He still hasn't figured the locals out, but he's definitely irked that they won't be more direct. It's like some maddening guessing game, in his opinion.]

[patchworkdoctor]

Hum. Perhaps.

Don't you think we'd have befallen something by now, if not?

[claim_my_place]

Not necessarily.

[patchworkdoctor]

I've heard stories of the city itself apologizing profusely to the guests.

[claim_my_place]

This is the first I've heard of it. How do the stories go?

[patchworkdoctor]

I was told that after a series of botched wishes and one very confusing wish made by most of the guests simultaneously the city was overburdened and ended up profusely apologizing for the confusion, asking the guests not to hurt each other and that it was sorry but it couldn't send them home.

Everyone ended up getting a music box, too, since that was the wish, but it didn't do anything.

[claim_my_place]

The stories didn't mention how the city spoke to everyone? Sounds more like you're talking about a person than a place.

Humph. It wouldn't.