Not Again | Catch All for Magnus

[applechemist]

Comments

w1; tuesday

[ruffboi]

[So, sometime in the evening, if he happens to run into Escha out and about, he'll try to start a conversation.]

Hey!

[applechemist]

[ This is how most of Escha's conversations start. She's like an NPC standing around town, waiting for someone to talk to her. ]

Hi, Magnus.

[ruffboi]

[Waits for Escha to give some flavor text. 'It hasn't been the same around here lately . . . Does it have something to do with that pink snake?'

But she doesn't so he continues the chat.]

How're you feeling? Today was pretty rough.

[applechemist]

[ Can't handle the trauma and pessimism, Escha? Just going to shift into business-mode to avoid it??? Okay. Sure. ]

... I'm alright. Panicking and getting paranoid won't help us, so... I'm just trying to avoid that.

How about you?

[ruffboi]

Yeah. I feel like - if I try to treat this like it's actually going to go down like that, I won't be able to focus on what's important.

[applechemist]

Unfortunately it's still necessary to be prepared for worst-case scenarios.

It's too early to assume that's where we'll end up, or to assume that none of the conditions we learned about will change by the end. But it would also be bad to take them too lightly.

[ruffboi]

Yeah. Taako keeps getting ticked at me and everyone for that, too. For assuming it'll all be okay just because we say so, when it wasn't for you guys.

[applechemist]

[ ... ]

Even if he talks that way, he isn't giving up.

[ruffboi]

I know.

[Smiling a little at that, even though. Eh. He's not sure about that.]

You guys got close, huh? You even stood up for him when he was getting roasted.

[applechemist]

I wouldn't say we're close, no.

But he tried harder than anyone else, in the end. And we - we talk. You know. [ that's vague. ]

[ruffboi]

No?

[What does that mean, Escha.]

You talk about what, boys? Or you mean your secret demon boat meetings?

[applechemist]

[ She ignores that first question and huffs, but it's pretty playful. ]

Don't call them that. They're not secret.

[ruffboi]

You guys plan how you're gonna prank the other groups, right? You're gonna TP mansion cabin?

[applechemist]

[ She cracks a smile. ] The rules say not to make a mess, so that last one is out.

... Besides, if I was going to prank anyone, I'd want to go for the people who came from the temple.

[ruffboi]

Oh yeah? Is there beef there? What's the story?

[applechemist]

[ Her tail sticks up! ]

I'm just jealous. I know that their game was hard, but a lot of what I overhear about it...

[ is notably less traumatic than other games..... ]

[ruffboi]

[I'm. I forgot Escha had a tail. Magnus just jumps a little at the tail.]

Well, you guys definitely had it worst.

[applechemist]

I don't like to think about it as if it's a competition, but... It does sound like everyone else made it out of their game. That's - I'm happy for them. But it's also very frustrating.

[ ... ]

Well, not that it matters as much, now.

[ruffboi]

If anything, it feels like - some of these guys are unprepared. They didn't have to get used to the idea of losing.

[applechemist]

The speeches are very sweet, though.

[ A little silly, to someone who came from a bad-end. But sweet. ]

[ruffboi]

I think it's just - if we had to accept it was really gonna end that way, I don't know how we'd keep going.

[applechemist]

Right. It isn't as if I want everyone to give up on those ideals...

[ruffboi]

But you've already seen how bad it can get, and you'd like you and your friends to keep a shot of going home.

Am I right?

[applechemist]

[ Escha nods. ]

... I'm not giving up, either. I'll do everything I can to help as many people as I can. But it's hard to get my hopes up that high.

[ruffboi]

Yeah. I get it. I'm trying not to be a dick about it.

. . .

Anyway. Taako needs to get roasted sometimes, but the fact that you stand up for him makes you good in my book.