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[ todomatsu might see a (familiar-looking?) pillar of smoke rising from behind some of the chairs. ]
[ ...? goes over to those chairs to take a look behind them. ]
Kate-chan...?
Kate-chan...?
[ sure enough, sitting on the floor behind a row of chairs is this sooty shadow child. she looks up at her name. ]
... Todomatsu?
... Todomatsu?
[ nods. ]
What are you doing back there? [ ... ] The floor's kind of gross in here.
What are you doing back there? [ ... ] The floor's kind of gross in here.
... Meeting new people is difficult. I wish we could have even a little privacy here...
Ah... Well, I think everyone here is already used to meeting people from different worlds, so they probably won't be too weird about things, if you're worried about that.
[ sits down in one of these chairs, kind of sideways with his arms crossed over the seat back so he can keep facing her.
sighs. ]
If this is following the same format as before weβre probably going to be stuck here all weekend until they arbitrarily throw us into different terminals or something.
[ sits down in one of these chairs, kind of sideways with his arms crossed over the seat back so he can keep facing her.
sighs. ]
If this is following the same format as before weβre probably going to be stuck here all weekend until they arbitrarily throw us into different terminals or something.
[ there's a nod, and the soot starts to thin out... ]
Terminals?
[ what's an airport. ]
Terminals?
[ what's an airport. ]
Mm, it'sβ You know how you can have a bunch of boats headed for different places docked at different piers at the same port? It's kind of like that but for airplanes, and the places you wait are all inside.
Also there are usually like, restaurants and gift shops and stuff inside.
Also there are usually like, restaurants and gift shops and stuff inside.
I see... I think I understand.
I hope we won't be waiting long, then. At least in the village, there were places to wash my clothes...
[ her dress is already very sooty. ]
I hope we won't be waiting long, then. At least in the village, there were places to wash my clothes...
[ her dress is already very sooty. ]
The village also had zero toilets outside of the one in the haunted house and that one outhouse, so as crappy as this place is, it's got at least one improvement.
...And fewer leeches, so. Two improvements.
...And fewer leeches, so. Two improvements.
[ a small sound. it's barely a laugh. ]
That's true.
[ karma and his leeches....... good times...... ]
Some beds would be nice, though.
That's true.
[ karma and his leeches....... good times...... ]
Some beds would be nice, though.
Oh, believe me, I've still got plenty of complaints.
...Seriously though, I can't believe we're getting dragged back into this again.
...Seriously though, I can't believe we're getting dragged back into this again.
[ a nod, and a sigh. ]
I don't know about you, but it's been barely a day for me... I haven't even had a full night's sleep since then.
I don't know about you, but it's been barely a day for me... I haven't even had a full night's sleep since then.
Huh!?
[ jerks her head to look at him. ]
... Really? So, you'd actually gotten settled back into your regular life...?
[ as "regular" as totty's life can be considered... kate still has a pretty spotty understanding of what the hell his deal is. ]
[ jerks her head to look at him. ]
... Really? So, you'd actually gotten settled back into your regular life...?
[ as "regular" as totty's life can be considered... kate still has a pretty spotty understanding of what the hell his deal is. ]
[ you and me both, kate ]
Pretty much, yeah... Jeez, they really couldn't even give you a week to recover?
Pretty much, yeah... Jeez, they really couldn't even give you a week to recover?
I suppose not... It's not just me who got so little time, is it? If so, I'll be angry.
It sounded like it was pretty fast for some people from some of these other things too, so I don't think it's just you.
[ shakes his head. ]
I just thought that meant they happened more recently than ours, but apparently not.
[ shakes his head. ]
I just thought that meant they happened more recently than ours, but apparently not.
I suppose it's not the first time we've seen how people can be plucked from specific points of time, unrelated to the flow of time for others...
It's all very exhausting, though.
It's all very exhausting, though.
Yeah, I guess it makes sense that it can happen, but what was the point...
Did they even have a reason for bringing us in particular? It's not like there weren't plenty of other people involved.
Did they even have a reason for bringing us in particular? It's not like there weren't plenty of other people involved.
A reason? I wonder...
[ immediately starts overthinking this. ]
I'm not sure what we have in common, that would also apply to Boothill and Essek...
[ immediately starts overthinking this. ]
I'm not sure what we have in common, that would also apply to Boothill and Essek...
Right? You'd think there'd be some common thread, but I don't see one. Maybe they really just RNGed it.
Oh... it's like putting names in a hat or rolling dice. Leaving it up to random chance. Just the more high tech version of that.
Oh, I see. Perhaps it is that... A choice made at random.
...
I would not wish this experience on you or on anyone, but... seeing you here does make me feel a little more at ease, to tell the truth.
...
I would not wish this experience on you or on anyone, but... seeing you here does make me feel a little more at ease, to tell the truth.
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