the miles are way too long

[saviorexe]

WHO: Markus, Ardyn, V & various
WHERE: All around.
WHEN: The first half of IC November.
WHAT: This is basically a catch-all log for my characters.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: None, will add if any crop up.

[Closed starters below! If you want a thread, just hit me up at aurajen and we can figure something out!]

Comments

[theseuschip]

[ Simon’s lips quirk in amusement at this declaration; he doesn’t know Markus well, but you don’t have to talk to him long for a statement starting with “I hate” to stand out. Not that the polar calamity of New Tokyo wasn’t worthy of it. ]

If it had been regular snow, it would’ve almost been homey.

[ He eats three fries at a time (all his self-control about these is being enforced by having another civilized human sitting directly across from him), and then— He expected to have the question about his welfare turned back to him, of course. So there’s no blaming surprise for the way his smile stiffens on his face and he awkwardly scratches his jaw, breaking eye contact in what Simon hopes looks like a normal, casual effort to take stock of the good and not depressing time he’s been having.

His skill in self-deception is inversely proportional to his ability to deceive others. ]

I’m- good. [ his attempt at a light tone is a little uncertain, but steadies when he follows it up with the technically-true, ] Could be a lot worse.

[saviorexe]

[It isn’t particularly convincing, is it? Not for someone as observant as Markus, a caretaker created to be observant, with this trait so indelible that it’s become a facet of personality rather than programming.

But it’s informative; it reveals that his approach needs to be one he eases into. He knows the look of a man trying to pretend that something doesn’t bother him as much as it actually does. Markus sometimes wears it, too.]

That’s true. It could be.

[The city could be shut down and in chaos thanks to an apparent-AI, but hey, at least they have fries.

He leans forward on the table with his elbows, casual.]

I… admittedly, wanted to check up on you. I know that you might’ve been missing a friend of yours.

[theseuschip]

[ Simon’s face falls before he can catch himself. Somehow, he hadn’t expected Markus to know that, even though he’s starting to see just how involved the latter is in the Displaced’s affairs. ]

Catherine, [ he confirms, though it comes out more hollow than he intended, and looks away. ] Yeah.

[ ...he was going to pretend everything is fine, but Markus already knows about it and he’s right here, so he becomes the sounding board for Simon’s feelings now — some of them, at least. He can barely articulate all of his feelings about Catherine’s disappearance. ]

I don’t know why it had to be her. She- she should be here. There were things I should have said to her when I had the chance, but I didn’t, and now—

[ he rubs his forehead pensively. ] Where do they go? The people who disappear?

[ It doesn’t feel pointless to ask, even knowing that nobody seems to know the answer to this question. Simon is comfortable with dumb and futile questions. ]