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"Oh. Well, uh, that's not a problem, I guess. Good to have a place to ..." Oh god, being social. Why did he decide this was a good idea? Right. Because he needed his tech. Tech made the social stuff more tolerable. " ... work on ... stuff..."
He cleared his throat. "Sorry to bother you, then, I hope I didn't take you away from anything that might, um, I dunno, explode. Worked with a lady once who was always making things explode, heh heh - had banana cream pie in my clothes for a week ..."
He cleared his throat. "Sorry to bother you, then, I hope I didn't take you away from anything that might, um, I dunno, explode. Worked with a lady once who was always making things explode, heh heh - had banana cream pie in my clothes for a week ..."
"Oh, no, no, don't worry about it. Er..."
The banana cream pie thing very nearly makes him lose his train of thought, and for a moment he's torn between asking what happened and voicing the idea that you know how it is with pie - and for the record, he's not entirely sure where that came from - before he remembers what he actually wanted to say.
"Are you going to need directions? Ah, actually, if there's anything else I can do while you're here..."
The banana cream pie thing very nearly makes him lose his train of thought, and for a moment he's torn between asking what happened and voicing the idea that you know how it is with pie - and for the record, he's not entirely sure where that came from - before he remembers what he actually wanted to say.
"Are you going to need directions? Ah, actually, if there's anything else I can do while you're here..."
The offer of help brings a knee-jerk reaction old as time. "What? No, nooo, I'm fine, I --"
And then he remembers the long hours Gosalyn spent drilling it into his head that this isn't St. Canard. It's even more dangerous here. They kill humans here ... she hasn't exactly gotten around to breaking the news about the eating part yet, but it's still bad news.
Drake coughs, then flashes Marco a sheepish smile as he switches tracks. "Actually, uh. Directions would, uh ... they'd be great, thanks. Heh."
And then he remembers the long hours Gosalyn spent drilling it into his head that this isn't St. Canard. It's even more dangerous here. They kill humans here ... she hasn't exactly gotten around to breaking the news about the eating part yet, but it's still bad news.
Drake coughs, then flashes Marco a sheepish smile as he switches tracks. "Actually, uh. Directions would, uh ... they'd be great, thanks. Heh."
"I really don't mind."
Marco isn't sure if this man is the sort to habitually refuse help or if there's something particularly stressful about the current situation, but... either way, he supposes the reassurance is probably appreciated.
"It's a big city, the biggest in the peninsula. I don't even know the entire place, and I've been here for years."
Anyway, directions!
"So, if you leave McGucket Labs and turn right..."
Marco isn't sure if this man is the sort to habitually refuse help or if there's something particularly stressful about the current situation, but... either way, he supposes the reassurance is probably appreciated.
"It's a big city, the biggest in the peninsula. I don't even know the entire place, and I've been here for years."
Anyway, directions!
"So, if you leave McGucket Labs and turn right..."
He wants to say he's used to big cities, he came from a big city, and that city was in his blood and in his heart and soul and he ate, slept, breathed it and now it's gone and there's a St. Canard-shaped abyss in his mind and everything is new and unfamiliar and he doesn't know who he is without that city aside from, blessedly, Gosalyn's Father. But that's a lot to unload on a near-stranger, even if that stranger knows Gos.
He blows out a long, slow sign and listens as intently as he can to the directions.
"Okay, I think I got it." Only because, strangely, it's the same as the cheat code for infinite lives in Whiffle Boy: Son of Whiffle. But hey, any mnemonic device that works.
"Thanks," he says, feeling a bit lame having needed help, but grateful for it anyway, and awkward for not really being good at this whole thing. "I ... 'preciate it."
He blows out a long, slow sign and listens as intently as he can to the directions.
"Okay, I think I got it." Only because, strangely, it's the same as the cheat code for infinite lives in Whiffle Boy: Son of Whiffle. But hey, any mnemonic device that works.
"Thanks," he says, feeling a bit lame having needed help, but grateful for it anyway, and awkward for not really being good at this whole thing. "I ... 'preciate it."
"Do you need anything else?"
Marco's question is perfectly earnest, is the thing. It's plain to see, despite awkward mannerisms like, say, the deliberate way he pulls his mouth into a smile. When Marco offers help, he means it.
Whether that's always healthy or not is a wholly different story, but that doesn't matter right now.
Marco's question is perfectly earnest, is the thing. It's plain to see, despite awkward mannerisms like, say, the deliberate way he pulls his mouth into a smile. When Marco offers help, he means it.
Whether that's always healthy or not is a wholly different story, but that doesn't matter right now.
"Not right now," he says, also meaning it, but also genuinely considering the offer.
"If we're still here come a certain little girl's birthday, though, I might ask for your help trying to make some kind of hand-held game..."
"If we're still here come a certain little girl's birthday, though, I might ask for your help trying to make some kind of hand-held game..."
He was about to comment further on the game idea - he was hoping that maybe he could draw up some of the sprites for Wiffle Boy and have them recreate something similar for her, so she could have a piece of home - but then Marco's compliment drew him up short, stammering and wide-eyed as a blush crept in, mercifully hidden by his new fur.
In the years he'd been raising Gosalyn, she and Launchpad had been the only ones who had ever considered him a good father. Teachers, principals, neighbors, classmates' parents ... they had all impressed the importance of being The Perfect Parent, someone who raised a Little Lady, and while Drake eventually tended to come around to the fact that as long as Gosalyn was happy and healthy, the rest was their own business ... sometimes all that pressure and judgement stung and hit deep. It was a very rare thing to get such a compliment, and he wasn't sure how to respond.
"I - uh." He rubbed at the back of his neck, and realized that the lab did a very good job of keeping its floor clean. "I don't know about that. She's been here without me for so long..."
In the years he'd been raising Gosalyn, she and Launchpad had been the only ones who had ever considered him a good father. Teachers, principals, neighbors, classmates' parents ... they had all impressed the importance of being The Perfect Parent, someone who raised a Little Lady, and while Drake eventually tended to come around to the fact that as long as Gosalyn was happy and healthy, the rest was their own business ... sometimes all that pressure and judgement stung and hit deep. It was a very rare thing to get such a compliment, and he wasn't sure how to respond.
"I - uh." He rubbed at the back of his neck, and realized that the lab did a very good job of keeping its floor clean. "I don't know about that. She's been here without me for so long..."
"Well, that's not your fault." Marco's expression shifts again; it isn't hostile, exactly, and certainly not to Drake, but the smile is gone. If anything, the look on his face is oddly flat. "The Fog God took Gosalyn on a whim. Then, months later, she decided to take you. In fact -"
Marco lifts a finger.
"If I were to guess, from your perspective, Gosalyn was never missing at all, was she?"
Marco lifts a finger.
"If I were to guess, from your perspective, Gosalyn was never missing at all, was she?"
[After Noa told him in the woods that this guy was the guy to ask...]
You can start by telling me about the big parasite that went after your portal. I'm very interested in learning what happened!
You can start by telling me about the big parasite that went after your portal. I'm very interested in learning what happened!
We haven't. Noa Kaiba gave me your name! Mine's Atem, but until recently, I went by Yugi.
[No point hiding the fact that he's the guy who got sacrificed for Daniel's Fourth portal, but he's also not making a big deal out of it.]
I'll settle for a description of the events. What happened when [he types then has to delete "she"] it attacked?
[No point hiding the fact that he's the guy who got sacrificed for Daniel's Fourth portal, but he's also not making a big deal out of it.]
I'll settle for a description of the events. What happened when [he types then has to delete "she"] it attacked?
[Oh. Oh dear. Does that mean he's...
Wait, no. Something isn't right. If this were an act of vengeance, or... anything that might warrant Marco putting his guard up... Why would Atem be asking about the parasite, rather than the portal?
Marco won't be letting his guard down... but he intends to remind himself he could be overthinking this, too.]
Well, it seemed to be looking for the portal's power source for sustenance.
I imagine it was the only place it could find anything like it. The power source was a stone vessel that stored energy from the sun and seemingly had no connection to the Fog God's power whatsoever.
Wait, no. Something isn't right. If this were an act of vengeance, or... anything that might warrant Marco putting his guard up... Why would Atem be asking about the parasite, rather than the portal?
Marco won't be letting his guard down... but he intends to remind himself he could be overthinking this, too.]
Well, it seemed to be looking for the portal's power source for sustenance.
I imagine it was the only place it could find anything like it. The power source was a stone vessel that stored energy from the sun and seemingly had no connection to the Fog God's power whatsoever.
Hello. My name is Fujyou. I've seen you describe yourself as a priest of the Fourth God, and I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about him.
Specifically, you said that he opposes the Fog God. However, you did not give more detail than that. How does he do so?
Specifically, you said that he opposes the Fog God. However, you did not give more detail than that. How does he do so?
Oh, hello.
It's nice to meet you, Fujyou.
Very recently, we made progress on a portal that would allow people to go home, if they'd like.
Although I should let you know right away, it may take a significant amount of time until we're able to perform the next live test.
We've lost our only safe power source for the moment.
It's nice to meet you, Fujyou.
Very recently, we made progress on a portal that would allow people to go home, if they'd like.
Although I should let you know right away, it may take a significant amount of time until we're able to perform the next live test.
We've lost our only safe power source for the moment.
How did you alter it?
I'll lay my cards on the table, Mr. Marco -- I want to know how it was killed, so that if anything like this happens again, I'm better informed!
I'll lay my cards on the table, Mr. Marco -- I want to know how it was killed, so that if anything like this happens again, I'm better informed!
[It takes Marco... a minute or two to decide what to say. He's not sure if this is the answer Fujyou is looking for, but it's an honest one.]
It means different things to different people.
Personally, I'm aiming for a peaceful solution, one that means nobody needs to get hurt.
I made mistakes in the past, but this is what I sincerely believe now.
It means different things to different people.
Personally, I'm aiming for a peaceful solution, one that means nobody needs to get hurt.
I made mistakes in the past, but this is what I sincerely believe now.
I see.
When it was found, the stone was completely untouched by the Fog God's power.
We changed that. We tainted
sorry, altered it by applying several monster abilities to it.
Apparently, the parasite couldn't handle the new form the energy had taken on, and this is what killed it.
Just Marco is fine, by the way.
When it was found, the stone was completely untouched by the Fog God's power.
We changed that. We tainted
sorry, altered it by applying several monster abilities to it.
Apparently, the parasite couldn't handle the new form the energy had taken on, and this is what killed it.
Just Marco is fine, by the way.
hey
i gotta tell you something but you CAN'T TELL ANYONE ELSE okay
i gotta tell you something but you CAN'T TELL ANYONE ELSE okay
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