MY MUSE WAS A MONSTER

That's a promising answer if he's ever heard one - not. Somehow his expression only sours further, fingers thrumming on the nearest surface and short distance away from the cricket himself. As if the situation itself wasn't terrible enough, the sheer boredom is excruciating. The feeling is akin to a caged animal, pacing around in a circle just to do something that never pays off. Won't pay off, either, because not a damn person here knows what a good time is! Trust him, he's tried, and he's none the better for it. Apparently it's dire enough he's asking the bug for advice, now - he's one of the few, if not the only, people not from here, so honestly it's his best shot. He'd love to go do whatever the hell he wants anyways, but he doesn't want the higher ups throwing a fuss and figuring things out; or, god forbid, gossip spreading to certain other higher powers.

THE WAY ANTON HAS PAUSED MID - SHOVEL is akin to a deer in headlights. There are multiple reasons why he would be so surprised to have been caught : for one , he was certain he wasn’t followed. And another , whatever he was caught by wasn’t even remotely human. Nor did he seem very bothered by the scene.

There's a light cackle at the statement, and he proceeds to do just that - this would go great with some popcorn, honestly. He couldn't say he was expecting to walk right into a grave robbing, but if anything he's glad for the change of pace. He could care less about whatever he plans on doing with the body - they weren't very fun to possess, considering the rigor mortis that sets in - but most humans have some weird hangups about using them after they die, despite their possible uses. It's refreshing, to see someone who doesn't care for all that.

ANTON HAD THE NASTY LITTLE HABIT of leaving the house attended for days at a time. Whether it was merely to go out and run errands , or staying in the basement lab and not emerging for a week , the house was left defenseless. Edmund often scolded him for it , but he didn’t understand why. It’s not like he had much that was desirable as far as stealing goes.

He's pleasantly surprised that the blonde just rolls with it, and that his lie is believed - or at least, that he doesn't care enough to make a big deal out of this whole thing. He simply gives a wave, grin wide as the other adjusts to his presence. He's just an unexpected guest.

He wished she would just leave, let him wallow in some misery on his own free time. What happened to being left alone when you're having a terrible time, huh? In this case, misery did very much not love company. He tries to shrink further into himself, and by extension the log he's managed to cram himself into. Maybe she'll get the point then. The way she patronizes, like he needs coddling is disgusting. He doesn't need whatever twisted sympathy she's trying to offer. He was only here because this is the one place he could think to go. He offers a humorless snort in reply to her platitudes, and you can just feel the eyeroll.

( no idea who the hell that is. but it sounds like a good thing! and he's not about to say he doesn't know! )

Oookay, so he's not that depraved a freak of nature, then, is he? And his morals can't be that dubious, either, because I know several people who are down for dimension-liberating at any cost. Sounds to me like you guys just want very... very different things out of this relationship.

Okay so your options are to build a giant flesh homunculus out of his academic rivals ooooor conquer a city and name it after him and then, I don't know, covertly steal all the bones of its citizens for research? Trying to think of what Hezenkoss would be into.

...Okay he's checking, like, two of those boxes, which is a little concerning because I actually didn't want my taste to have any overlap with yours, but never mind.