[ trudges into titan's call in his company sweats and takes a seat, glancing briefly in gregor's direction before he just lays his head down on the bar. it may be 5 o'clock somewhere but it is not even noon yet here. ]

What the fuck.

[ he's still processing all of this, and the vibes are sad (his roommate!!) and confused (what the fuck happened???) and anxious (WHAT ELSE IS GOING TO HAPPEN???). ]

You can say that again.

[his own vibes are mostly a sort of tense frustration. looks like he's probably stress cleaning, busy wiping down the bar.]

It hasn't even been a week.

I know, that's part of what's— I mean, it's too early for this, right?

[ for this kind of mood shift... ]

Happens pretty fast, sometimes. I guess we just got lucky.

[you know. for certain values of luck.]

Better to know we might have bigger problems now than settle in more first.

Huh... didn't expect something like this.

[we're at the bookstore! let's check out the selection, my dude.]

What kinda books do you usually go for?

Uh...

[ books........... ]

W-well. Mostly whatever's popular at the moment so I don't get left out of the discussions... but I like satire, I guess?

[ he tells girls he likes shoujo manga but he doesn't need gregor to find him nonthreatening and relatable ]

Commentary, eh... yeah, I guess that tracks.

[this isn't (derogatory) he does seem like the type who might enjoy something with some teeth to it, that's all.]

Wonder if they've got anything like that here? Might help to get a read on the place.

[ yeah afterward works!

he definitely looks a little creeped out at the end of that, and is still kind of wrapping his head around what was being discussed there.

looking over at him... ]

...So— Were they making bug supersoldiers or something? Is that what the deal was? And then after the war you're just stuck being part bug? Or...

...yeah. More or less. Gave all their employees the genetic augmentation procedures, then left everyone out to dry after G Corp fell.

[he's just the 'lucky' one who only has his arm, instead of further mutations and side effects.]

[ are any of them pretty bugs... does anyone just have nice butterfly wings or moth fluff... ]

Oof... Did you guys consent to that, or did they just... do it?

How many people do you think would consent to this?

[they're all gross bugs, unfortunately, no butterflies or moths here. resilient insects only.]

Got the procedure when I was about 14, if that tells you anything about how Corporations back home operate.

[ looks at his own canon and the weird splicing gag they did once, and the time they were all cicadas ruining elementary schoolers' love confessions... ]

Y-yeah, that's pretty messed up. Did they tell you it was going to be something else?

Didn't say anything about it until after it was finished. I didn't know I was getting it.

[a halfhearted shrug, one-shouldered. that's still expecting too much of them.]

That... definitely seems like something you should have been able to sue them over in any other world...

...Do you actually want to go back there when this is done?

Well, it's not about wanting to, or not.

[otherwise, he might have a different answer.]

Rodya and I have a contract to see through with our employer.

Can't you just break it if you're in a completely different world, though? I mean, what are they going to do?

Hunt us down.

...contracts in the City aren't the kind you pay a fine to get out of, if they're overseen right. They're the, uh. 'Stick to it or die' kind.

They can really do that across dimensions? And in space??

Wouldn't put it past 'em. I mean, I don't know for sure, but...

Well, if they could manage it, they just might put the effort in.

Yikes... How—

[ oh, back to the void. cw for much more cartoonish body horror and visible organs in this memory (14:25 - 22:30), which is... a sharp tonal contrast to the conversation they were in the middle of. ]

...I. Okay. Anyway.

[ welp. entering the brig with a little wave... ]

Hey. You know that wasn't anything personal, right?

Maybe it should've been.

[he did this. he'd deserve it.

the bug arm is restrained behind his back, by the way.]

I mean, if I blamed you for it I'd have to blame Rosamund-san too, so.

It doesn't have to be the same.

But it kind of is.

[ sighs. ]

Can you tell me what happened with Owner-san?

He was-- there. It was just convenience, I guess. I wanted to...

[sometimes you just have violence in your heart.]

It took more effort than I'm used to. But I guess he... must've been a little worn out already.

From Harley-san.

[ frowns... ]

Did he seem off to you...?

I don't know. I was a little busy chasing him down to shove my arm through his guts, Todomatsu, what do you think?

[he didn't notice shit he just wanted to kill]

Jeez, you can pay attention to someone's mood at the same time you're trying to kill them, those things aren't mutually exclusive. But okay, fine.