cotton candy skies

“Wow, I’m actually a top priority to you. Boy now I’m the one feeling honored.” Flicks his arm. “Not on that crosswalk.”

“Uh-huh. You said you were stuck in here for years. Must be nice to finally see something new. Pretty sure you’ll be just fine. Though who knows how long with your attitude.” Jabs.

“I never wanted to play from the beginning you ass, and you know it. What are you going to do?”

“No thanks. I’m sure you had your fill of fun and games, there’s no use in making me question the scene around me. Though saying that, what are the odds of you considering my feelings.”

“… Hearing you ask that is pretty unsettling. Why are you asking me that?”

i’ll try to be short n sweet here but yeah, i won’t be supporting citta going forward myself, and when the time comes, will be moving both joshua and roxas to a new group. i think... i’ll be leaving this blog as an archive and using the url for a new blog for cleaner tags, pages, etc.-- roxas will still be the same over at @reifinibus however! @7maneko, currently, is also on a hiatus, but i’m interested in revamping it at the new group as well.

although i’m effectively dropping all my threads until further news comes out, please feel free to hit me up for future plotting! my twitter is @alternawolf that you’re free to send a follow request to, and i have a discord that i can share with you in private. 

Once in a while, you see people coming up with ideas on how to escape Hive City. Be it travelling through the badlands, opening portals or somehow trying to threaten the scientists, suffice to say that all such attempts have failed miserably. In some cases, true catastrophes have assailed the citizens as a consequence of a captive’s hubris, be it by direct action of the scientists or not.

One would think that someone like Battler would try escaping the city with all his forces. However, his intrinsic knowledge of how the multiverse and this sort of ‘game’ works tells him how utterly futile such attempts would be. Besides, Beatrice has been by his side throughout his journey here. There’s no urgency for him to return.

Thus, when he sees that ad for 7maneko, a chill goes through his spine. He wastes no time in rushing (read: teleporting) to the address at the flyer, enter the mansion and tell to the person greeting him his exact, concise and simple feelings regarding this enterprise:

“ARE YOU F****** INSANE?!?!”

There's a reason he has a lock on that door. It's the same reason he's attached that string of bells atop the mantle. Though he's running an open business, he's still trying to keep out the generic rousing that Sector Three provides. But, the door is still locked and the bells still silent.

He's more annoyed than surprised that people are teleporting into his home.

Any semblance of hospitality left in Joshua today quickly disappears. With an exasperated sigh, he crosses his arms and leans on his staircase rail with as long an eyeroll he can muster. 

A long string of questions was already forming in his mind–if Joshua really did know things about the experiment, then Varian wanted to ask all about it.

But all the questions died in his throat.

“…What you want…is to go back home, right?”

Varian glanced away, a hint of conflict in his eyes. He should be jumping at the opportunity, he knew; he had to go back to finish what he started and rescue his father. This was why he was rebuilding the automatons, to attempt an overthrow. But now, he wasn’t entirely sure that really was what he wanted. He’d built up so much here, and if he were to leave…it would all be for nothing.

…Maybe if they found a way together, it could become possible to go back home with his memories intact, and then come back. That would be ideal.

“Well…I’d like to help you if I can, if you want me to,” Varian replied eventually, “I am working at Peridot’s right now, though, so, uh, not sure if I’d be able to be around all the time.”

That's straightforward enough.

"Yes."

"Ultimately, I want to see if we can manipulate that system so should people choose, they can go home. Should they not, then they can stay here. The scientists had an experiment involving this decision a while ago-- though, of course, things weren't as they appeared to be.” It’s as tender a memory as the prick of a porcupine, so he’s done little to revisit the event aside from still carrying the guilt of it all. Though he goes quiet, Joshua resumes his speech reinvigorated once more. “The bottom line is, they can handle processing requests like that. They've shown it themselves.”

Then he pauses, finger tapping his chin in thought.

Raising a brow, she stares at the hand before carefully taking it, shaking it once before letting go and crossing her arms over her chest. So this was the person running that business she applied for. She’d taken up the extra lab space, since despite living in a house a lab by itself was still preferred, and didn’t pay much attention to who was actually… running the business. Guess this was it.

“A bit young to be running some underground research facility and organization, aren’t you,” she asked, stepping aside to let him in.

“I’m not busy at all. However if my roommate sets something on fire I’m supposed to go and help her out.”

It's obvious how easily and how quickly Moira underestimates him solely for his stature. He's a little annoyed by that, but it's fine, it's not something he's unfamiliar with, not something he's already planning on twisting for his own advantage.

His own handshake is brisk and firm. "Mother and Father raised me well, is all."

“Yes I can walk and talk, what do you take me for? Some old man? That’s only a small percentage of the time.”

Following after the other, he did good on his word and kept pace while still answering his other question and keeping the conversation moving.

“Artificial Biological Tissue. It’s able to perfectly mimic human skin as well as feel touch, heat, et cetera. And it was made by yours truly. Anything else you want an explanation for? Or do you wanna inform me on how you’ve been doing in the hell city.”

Joshua's pretty unamused by Sigma's excuse for a bad joke, eyes narrowing as he glares at the other. "So you're, like... actually competent. Huh, the more you know." Tired of walking, he opts for his levitation, floating alongside Sigma at eye-level. He prods both of the other's arms, feeling for any major differences between them. "You did a good job."

[You make your way to sit away from the other, though it’s weird to see him just a bit more taller then him. Damn it, that just bugs you a little bit more. But that’s kind of your own fault. Whatever. You’ll be back on your feet looking down on the other eventually.]

SOLLUX: hone2tly when ii2 iit ever not goiing two 2hiit. ii gue22 iit al2o depend2 on how unlucky you are two fiind your2elf caught up iin 2ome 2hiit. SOLLUX: then agaiin, 2ome people ju2t enjoy iit. whiich ii2 a huge headache for me. SOLLUX: … oh yeah, more explo2iive then you could probably ever hope two experiience. ehehe.

[Ha, no you will not let him get under your skin now.]

SOLLUX: ii know. me actually lii2teniing two 2omeone. 2omethiing mu2t be wrong wiith me iif iit2 gone that far. SOLLUX: but yeah. you can 2ay that ii care about 2omeone two much two actually liit2en two them. but ii fiigure ii giive hiim 2pace two do hii2 own thiing2 wiithout haviing me botheriing.

[Even if Inumuta said it was fine… he just couldn’t help but try and obtain some solitude. Old habit that really needs to stop coming back.]

It's a little disappointing, watching someone who's been here just as long as him, if not longer, crumble below the city's pressure. His sigh's a little affectionate, and he shrugs. Sollux looks like he's got a story to tell, so he's going to make himself comfortable, climbing atop a table and settling down.