video

[genejecklin_npc]

[Good evening, Ruby City. It seems one of your captors is out and about.

Or in and about. Because behind him is the interior of the haunted house so many have found themselves plagued by. The second floor, with its closed bedroom doors--he's leaning against the hallway walls. He seems rather unaffected by its creepy atmosphere, even offering a

Comments

[morethanpasta]

[Feliciano doesn't speak immediately, for a little while, he just looks at the watch, uncharacteristically thoughtful as he tries to make sense of his fuzzy memories from the AU event. He remembers having talked to Gene and having been extremely happy to do so. Feliciano being Feliciano, he assumes this means they're friends, but he also remembers that he's one of the captors and he's not feeling very friendly towards them right now. Cue one conflicted, unhappily pouting Italy.]

You seem to be having some problems over there!

[genejecklin_npc]

[Gene quirks up his eyebrows. Oh. He knows this one. Remembers talking to him once before.]

Oh, do I? I thought I was doing quite well, in fact.

[morethanpasta]

(He wrinkles his nose in distaste.)

If you like being miserable... Do you? (It's a serious question.)

[genejecklin_npc]

Hm--? [Gene stares a moment, then laughs.] Not particularly.

[morethanpasta]

Why do you make others miserable then?

[That is an earnest question as well, complete with accusing frowning face. It's quite rude for his standards, particularly when it's Temper he's upset with while he had forgotten all about Gene until he saw the video message, but after the past weeks, even Italy's goodwill is running thin.]

[genejecklin_npc]

Oh? What have I done, exactly?

[Totally not counting keeping all of you here, nope.]

[morethanpasta]

[Have an unimpressed Italy.]

Being eaten alive by the monster dogs hurt.

[genejecklin_npc]

Now see, that was them and not me.

[Gene uplifts his hands.] Besides, those weren't my doing. I had to get away from them myself. [...bad luck week, getting lost in the maze.]

[morethanpasta]

[Nope, still unimpressed. Feli has had several bad luck weeks in a row, if you didn't get eaten, it doesn't count. He is getting pouty again, though. What a jerk, not taking him seriously!]

I'm a nation. I know everything about 'weapons don't kill, people do.'

[genejecklin_npc]

Don't look at me, I'm not one for monsters as weapons.

[Gene uplifts his hands.]

[morethanpasta]

[That, however, gives Feliciano pause. Being a nation, he also knows about being blamed for the deeds of others.]

Maybe [he says cautiously. He crosses his arms in front of his chest and huffs.] But! You didn't stop them. [A pause.] And you didn't even say sorry!

[genejecklin_npc]

Contrary to popular belief, I can't be everywhere at once. Much as I'd like to, of course.

[Gene just. Lifts his eyebrow. He doesn't like apologising for anything.]

[morethanpasta]

[Feliciano furrows his brows unhappily in response. He still hasn't apologized.]

I don't think I'd like you to be everywhere at once. You're not very nice. I don't know why I'm friends with you! [He says that in an indignant huff, quite annoyed with Gene and his own creepy other self. The whole affair had caused him nothing but trouble, earning him nightmares and unpleasant company. At least Gene hasn't insulted pasta. Yet.]

[genejecklin_npc]

...

[...

...

Wait a second.] We're friends?

[morethanpasta]

[Feliciano cheers up at a downright insulting speed.]

We're not? [His voice is a hopeful chirp.]

[genejecklin_npc]

[Gene raises a hand to his face, pinching between his eyebrows.] I'm not the sort to have friends.

[He had them when he was human, certainly, but here? People he knows are divided up between his kin, residents, and peoples of interest. Friends...well. It's like a foreign notion to him now.]