Post-Heavy Quest Clinic Mingle

[heartonachain]

Who: OPEN!
What: Everyone come hang out at the clinic because HOW many of u got beat up by the mega raid boss... come on, be honest. Alternatively check up on your friends to make sure they're not dead! or y'know you're at the clinic for different reasons/volunteering/actually sharing the new lore we all just got/whatever you want ok i'm not a cop anyone is welcome here, it's a public space
When: Late February
Where: The Clinic™
Warnings: ????? injruies. blood. Angst, maybe. the possibilities are endless

Comments

[wolfcut]

Yeah, but they can be just for you too.

[ Tablets. Bigby is so fucking sick of tablets, but that's an old rant for another day. He shakes his head. ]

Anyway, doesn't matter now. It's an idea for another day. [ When they aren't currently stuck in the clinic. For now, he makes a bit of a face, imagining a child sneaking around a prison again, but he tries not to let it unnerve him as much as it's naturally bound to do. ] But I guess that's better than being stuck with the ones in... your ghost room. [ Saying that feels wrong every time. ]

[seacub]

Hmmmmm. I guess...

[Something doesn't seem quite as appealing about that, and he can't put his finger on what.

But, it probably doesn't really matter right now either. So he just leans back on his pillows, and nods.]

...Yeah.

...Honestly if I'm only gonna wish for things like this when I'm stuck in bed, I think that's the best thing.

[wolfcut]

[ He sighs. Someone has got to teach this kid that he can enjoy things for himself. Not Bigby, though. He sure as hell doesn't know how to either. ]

Well, kid. For your sake, I hope it comes true.

[ As long as he doesn't have to touch it, then maybe having a computer around here won't be such a problem. He hopes, anyway. ]

... How'd your ghost room wind up with a computer to wish for anyway?

[seacub]

Hmm?

[How? Oh, well.]

Oh...I think it must have been a room for staff before it burned down. There were book shelves and a piano after all...and even though the recreation available to the prisoners at Green Dolphin is fairly impressive, I don't think they would've given them stuff that nice...

...But in any case, there was obviously a computer in that room when it burned up, otherwise it wouldn't have been there.

[hi what]

[wolfcut]

[ After the rest of the kids got their weird technology back, anything seems possible to Bigby now, including a clunky computer for Emporio. Doesn’t make it any less weird to process though. ]

So it’s not an actual ghost involved, but— [ His face scrunches. ] —more like impressions left behind? That you can still use. For some reason.

[ Fairytale logic doesn’t make much sense either. It’s fine. ]

Hard for me to see why prison staff would need a piano though. A coffee machine maybe, but...

[ Shrugging! He doesn’t get shit back in the Business Office! ]

[seacub]

The warden maybe..?

...It was kind of a den of corruption, [why do you know that phrase] So...I wouldn't be surprised if the Warden had those perks.

But, yeah! I call it all 'ghost', but it would be a lot more accurate to call it a memory. The world remembers everything that was on it, right? ...So if something's been built over-top of where something was, I can access those memories.

...or. I could anyway.

[wolfcut]

[ His ear twitches. ] Yeah, that... would make sense. [ Should he even be surprised by what Emporio knows at this point. ]

Memory's a nicer way to put it.

[ Some things are hard to forget, but he'd think a random room — den of corruption or not — wouldn't leave that big of an impression. As for that minor correction on Emporio's part: ] You saying that because you're here now, or because that room doesn't exist anymore back home?

[seacub]

[Emporio, being the one who picked the word ghost, just shrugs. It made sense to him after all.

But, that aside-] The firs...

[...Oh. He trails off, realizing that...it's really both, isn't it? If the world isn't there, if the people aren't there, then...]

...Oh.

[Oh.

...It's strange, how much something can fail to hurt while still hurting somehow. It feels cold, and numb, and yet there's nothing else.] ...I was going to say I haven't been able to access 'ghost rooms' since I got here but...

...with everything gone, I guess the room I stayed in doesn't exist, either.

[It's both. ...He's not sure how to feel about that.]

[wolfcut]

[ Oh. He did it again, didn't he? ]

Emporio— [ Bigby could ask for more. Was it just the room? The prison? More? He's picked up on the fact that this place is more than just a stopgap. Not unlike Flowey actually, but this ain't about him right now. ] ... I'm sorry. I didn't know.

[ As much as he should leave it there, he feels bad, enough to quietly add: ] But I do know how hard it is to... to not be able to go back.

[seacub]

N-no, it's okay!!

[It's really not, technically, but that's also not Bigby's fault. Heck, by this point he's surprised he hadn't told Bigby.

...or that Anasui never... ...well. Actually, no. He's not surprised Anasui didn't bring that up.]

...I guess it makes sense, that when the whole of a universe is gone, I'll think of something else that's gone forever, if that makes sense. ...a...and I'm here now, right? ...And Polteageist even said they'd make sure no one tried to force me away from here, so...

[The cubone trails off, fidgeting somewhat in his cot. The last part of what Bigby said finally registers.]

...is...

...is your world... ...your universe, also..?

[wolfcut]

[ The whole universe. What a burden for one kid to bear. ]

... I think everyone would understand why you'd want to stay.

[ Despite all the gripes he has with Polteageist's management, he does have to respect them for offering that comfort to Emporio. As for him, he simply shakes his head. The Homelands aren't really gone in the same way, but they might as well be when none of them can ever go back. ]

It's a long story, but my home — where I'm really from... we had to leave. For good.

[ He looks away, toward the hustle and bustle of the rest of the clinic. ]

Some of us made it to New York, but it's not always easy. Kind of like how it's hard for some people to adjust to being here.

[seacub]

[A firm nod. He'd hope they would understand, that's for sure. But he listens carefully as Bigby explains the circumstances in his own world, and the difference there is.

It sounds like a mass emigration. A refugee scenario, certainly. He doesn't press, just nodding- it would be New York, he can't help think, but he doesn't say it.

...He just focuses on that other fact.] ...Is it bad, you think?

...being able to adjust as easy as I did?

[wolfcut]

Hm? [ The question catches him off guard. ] Bad? Not really.

[ Not according to his definition anyway. He knows bad, and that ain’t it. ]

Can’t expect everyone to handle things the same way, Emporio. Not about this. Just don’t take it for granted.

[seacub]

[Don't take it for granted... ...He can do that, he thinks.

Sinking back against the bed, the cubone thus nods.]

...Okay. ...I... ...Y-yeah. That's good to know. Takes a bit off my mind, at least.

[It's not as if he's been spoken to about that kind of thing, but it's been a bit of a paranoid worry at least.

And Bigby feels like someone who would be direct about this sort of matter, so he's happy to trust the other's word on it.]

wrapped!

[wolfcut]

Good, because what you should be focusing on is rest.

[ Says the rodent walking around in a sling. Do as he says, not as he does, etc. etc. ]

You know... if you ever need someone to talk to about that kinda stuff, I’m all ears. [ And he wiggles them too with a small huff. ] But I don’t want to keep you up, kid. So I’ll see you around, okay?