First Level East Side or Second Level

[negcapability]

[Raf sits, staring at the arctic fox in front of him, which has managed to still be an arctic fox.]

See, you can't be real.

{Just too good to be believed?}

[Raf makes a very annoyed face.] Be serious, for a second.

{That's not really my purpose.}

You don't have a purpose, you're a hallucination.

{So hallucinate me to be a human, if it's

Comments

Second level

[makaracles]

[A tall, lanky kid, his age almost impossible to tell other than "adolescent" with a halo of curly dark hair is slouching along when he spots the pair.]

Woah, bro, your lusus is all being tiny and shit. [peering at Tiri] So motherfuckin' cute!

Second level

[negcapability]

[Tiri's teeth snap at the kid, though they stop short of trying to bite.]

[Raf, meanwhile, tries for more polite, if also more confused.] My...lusus? I don't know what you mean by that.

[makaracles]

[just grins happily down at the little white fox, even when he snaps his teeth] Oh, shit, bro, sorry, I don't know what you motherfuckers call them ... uh. [furrows his brow, clearly deep in thought] Parents? I think? What takes care of you when you're all short and shit.

[negcapability]

...Tiri's not my parent.

[Raf's mother hadn't spent much time taking care of him when he was 'short and shit' either, but Tiri certainly hadn't. He mostly just made snarky remarks, which was nice, but not really very parental.]

first level

[irrationaling]

But wouldn't it be sort of boring if you had every control over its actions?

[ Alice doesn't find it weird at all to find this person talking to himself about hallucinations - in fact, it's something she's experienced all too often (and ended up in the asylum for, but that aside). ]

first level

[negcapability]

I don't know. I don't believe that boring is always bad.

[Raf has also been declared insane by government authorities -- but not for the fox and it prevented him from being executed, so being thought insane wasn't always bad.]

[irrationaling]

It usually is though. It's why it's so hard to stand books without pictures in it.

[ She dusts off her skirt a little idly. ]

[negcapability]

[She seems too old for picture books, and besides, Raf had never liked them when he was a child.]

Pictures, unless they're charts or diagrams, usually don't add as much information as the text which could be filling their space would.

[When he's going to remember every word he reads anyway, pictures aren't that helpful.]

[turntechtime]

Quit trying to control nature. Let it flow.

[Dave remembers this guy. Little arrogant, but all around good guy. He has no problem approaching.]

[negcapability]

[Raf finds that statement hilarious, but then, what is he, apart from an attempt to control nature? He smiles.]

I'm not certain that nature's quite the right word.

[turntechtime]

I'd maybe accept that argument if like, you were talking to a Furby or something.

[negcapability]

It's a fox that talks. Not that different from a Furby, as it happens.

[freakinbrutal]

No one's talking to you, you know.

[He just finds it weird that someone would be having half a conversation like this. It means he's either not all there, or can see something Michael can't, and either way he finds that intriguing enough to go investigate.]

[negcapability]

I don't actually know that.

[Raf offers a charming smile, or tries. His eyes track Tiri, who's currently rubbing a paw against the ground.]

For instance, right now you are.

[freakinbrutal]

Ooh, smart-ass. [He rolls his eyes.]

Since you're clever enough to be making cracks like that, obviously you're at least half functioning. So. Who were you talking to?

[negcapability]

{Tell him you were talking to your dead grandmother. Armchair psychologists love that.}

My imaginary friend.

[Tiri scoffs dismissively.]

Or near enough, though he'd insist that we're not friends.

{That's not the only problem with your description that I have.}

second

[smoothangel]

[You'd think that after Armaros' first time on the second level and the after-effects, he'd be a little reluctant to go back. However, the fact that he can actually talk to other people here is like some kind of Siren Song, sooo.

Here we are.]

Hi, Raf!

[He says while he's coming up behind the guy. Not that Raf would recognize the voice in the first place...]

[negcapability]

[Raf might not recognize the voice, but he can still tell smell and the sound of footsteps on this level. It's just a surprise for a second to get that those are connected to Armaros, who doesn't speak.]

Hello.

[smoothangel]

[Well on the second level, there's nothing stopping him from talking! Aww yeeeah.

Armaros walks over and circles around to face him. He is looking...a hell of a lot better than when he first got here. Although that weird tail is missing.

And then he notices Tiri.]

Oh. Is this your friend?

[negcapability]

[Raf nods, smiling. He's also pleased that Armaros looks like he's doing better.]

{The fox itself. Have you gotten any better at managing human tools?}

...Never mind him. He's used to only talking to me.