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[So sometime after this, Crow decides to take a moment to go seek out some of the few close friends he still has here other than Seto to talk to them alone for a minute or two. He...needs to sort some stuff out, figure out a game plan for what he and Seto are gonna do, and see what everyone else is thinking. He wants to make sure that his friends are gonna be okay at the end of all this.

...And even if he doesn't say it nearly as much as he should, Firo counts as one of those friends.

Once the journal has been recovered from wherever it ended up outside, Crow sends Firo a quick message.]

Hey, you're not doing anything right now are you? I need'ta talk to you about something.

[Firo saw the network post too. Going home... It's all he's wanted for a long time, but now that he's actually faced with the prospect of leaving his friends, he's not as happy as he thought he'd be. And what will Crow and Seto do? He can't let them go back to their world--they'd be alone!

The sick feeling in his stomach grows even stronger when he hears Crow's message for him. He can't imagine what the kid's feeling right now. And if he's actually approaching Firo, it must be bad.]

Nothin' important. I'm almost back at the house if you wanna talk there.

[He's not sure if speaking in person or through the journals would make this easier. It's Crow's choice.]

Okay. [...] You better not keep me waiting here, 'cause it's important.

[Despite his bratty way of telling Firo to hurry up, there's not really much of his usual emotion in it.

When Firo gets to the house, Crow wonders for a second if he'll notice there was a broken window that was from Crow tossing the journal out of the bedroom window earlier, though it's possible that it might have fixed itself by now, so he doesn't bother worrying about it. Instead, he'll be hanging out on the roof waiting for the other's arrival.]

Yeah, yeah, i got it.

[The fight's missing from his voice too. He doesn't have the energy and doesn't see the reason to fake it right now.

True to his word, he doesn't take long to make it back. In fact, he's so antsy from the recent news and his concern over Crow that he tucks the journal under his arm and runs the rest of the way back.

He's panting a little as he stops in front of the house and waves to Crow. He does spot the broken window and he's about to ask about it...]

What--?

[...You know what? Who cares. He shakes his head and looks up at Crow again.]

...So, what is it?

[He tucks his hands in his pockets to keep them warm.]

[Crow holds up his own journal from where he's sitting on the roof.]

Did you see that new thing that appeared in here a little while ago?

[The announcement about going home, he means.]

[That's what he thought. Firo taps the spine of his journal.]

...Yeah.

[Man, now he wishes he'd commented to ask for more details. Well, just one detail: how to bring people home with him. As far as he knows, Seto and Crow have nothing waiting for them in their world. So that means they should go home with Firo, right?

He thinks of making his offer right now, but holds back. Crow wanted to talk, so Firo should listen.]

What do you make of it?

You mean other than the fact that it's stupid? [Because it is, it's stupid how they should be expected to easily leave this place behind.]

[He stares up at the sky for a moment, but instead of speaking his thoughts on the matter yet, he carelessly tosses the journal aside. Thankfully, not through any more breakable objects, it just slides off the roof and lands on the grass below.]

So what are you gonna do? You staying or leaving? [Crow doesn't really know too much about what Firo's home was like outside of what little Firo has told them about it, but he suspects that the other might end up going back.]

Stupid..?

[He understands the reaction if he thinks about, even though he doesn't agree. He's wanted this chance for so long.

He sighs and shifts his weight from foot to foot.]

If we really can get home... My Family needs me, Crow. I've sworn everything I've got to 'em.

[Including his soul and body. The way he sees it, there is no choice. He has to be where he can be called on by the Family.]

...And I guess it's selfish, but I... I miss 'em

...That's a cool thing for you to do, I guess.

[He gets it--Firo has people that he's sworn to be by their side. Crow can understand that feeling, so it's not something he has a right to take fault with.]

[Oof. Firo didn't think Crow could say something that could feel like such a punch to the gut, but there it is.

He shakes his head.]

Hey, listen... Look, I don't know how you feel about your world, but if there's a way... I want you and Seto to come with me.

[He winces even as he says it. Not because he doesn't mean the offer--he does--but because he's afraid that this is selfish too. Their world may be just a shell, but Firo has to admit there's some comfort in familiarity. Who is he to ask them to abandon it when he won't even consider doing the same with his own?]

...Huh? Really?

[He shouldn't be surprised--in fact, he had something that he was going to ask Firo regarding what he and Seto were gonna do, and yet, the offer surprises him all the same.]

[Firo blinks, now surprised by Crow's surprise.]

Of course I do. You don't think I could just leave you guys, do you?

[It's a rhetorical question, of course, though Firo sounds so incredulous that it could easily be mistaken for an actual question.

They're family. Though the Martillos will always come first, Firo's not going to roll over and give up the rest of his loved ones. If there's a way he can have both, he's going to fight for it.]

...Nah, I don't see you doing that. [Not without saying goodbye, anyway.]

...I was thinking about me and Seto maybe running away together somewhere if something happens to this place, but going with you probably wouldn't be so bad. Seto would like that.

[And he would too--he would certainly prefer running off to wherever Firo's going instead of simply ditching the village, or resigning themselves to going back home. But...there's still something that's bothering him about all this...]

"Not so bad", eh?

[He laughs and it's actually not that forced. Despite all the uncertainty, he's found a shred of happiness in knowing Crow would come with him if he could. ]

I'll take it.

Where were you thinkin' a' runnin'?

...Dunno. I guess I was thinking of going somewhere outside the village, but I wasn't sure where yet.

[The barrier's not so much of a problem now, there's nothing stopping them from leaving the village if they wanted to.]

We don't really know what's out there. Just 'cause we took care a' one problem doesn't mean a bunch a' other ones didn't spring up in their place.

[He runs a hand through his hair. Of course he doesn't want them taking that route.]

...So are those all your options, as far as we know?

...Yeah. Seto and I can't go back to that place we were at before--I mean, it wouldn't be good for either of us if we tried going back there.

[Seto has...what, a dead best friend and some silver-haired girl that he barely knows to look forward to? And Crow has...well, he's the dead best friend in this scenario, so he gets nothing out of going back.]

Right. That's what I thought...

[He'll never forget his horror when Seto told him about that place. For all the pain other humans can bring a person, Firo finds being completely alone far more horrifying.]

Well, I think you've got some time to decide stuff. If you guys decided you wanted to come back with me--

[There wouldn't be many things that would make Firo happier. Nah, he can't say that. He doesn't want to force them into making the choice that's best for him when it's their lives.]

I promise everybody back home will treat you right. But no matter what you choose I'll still be your friend.

...Ahaha, man, that's such a sappy thing to say. [But he doesn't really mean it as an insult, considering that it did get a smile out of him.] But thanks, it's great to hear you say that.

[There's a slight pause, before he speaks.]

...Hey, do you remember me telling you about how I'm...you know, different from the rest of you? [He's talking about that time he fell off the roof and ended up letting slip that he wasn't human.]

Hey--!

[He's smiling even as he protests, and his smile only grows when Crow thanks him. Usually Firo would hate to be called sappy--people already think he's enough of a pansy without messy things like tender emotions getting involved. But now it's just him and a friend, a friend to whom Firo can stand to show a softer side.

His smile fades and he cocks his head to the side. What does this have to do with anything?]

Yeah, 'course I do. Why?

[There's a slight pause before Crow turns so that his feet are dangling off the roof, before he carefully jumps down so that he's now on the ground, walking over to grab Firo by the wrist to tug him along.]

Come with me for a second. [He's trying to lead the other to go inside for a moment, leading to the kitchen. Last he checked, Seto is somewhere else at the moment, but this still calls for going somewhere where they are less likely to be overheard rather than being outside.]

Uh, sure...

[He allows Crow to pull him along, nervousness making him more compliant than usual.]

Is somethin' wrong?

[He doesn't know enough about robots to know what he should be worried about, but this sudden secrecy has him concerned.]

[When they get to the kitchen, Crow lets go of Firo's wrist and turns around to face him.]

Okay, so...do you know anything about how batteries work?

[That may sound like a random question for him to ask, but we swear there's a reason for it.]

How they work..?

[He thinks. Much harder than Firo will usually push himself to think about anything. After a long moment, though, he shakes his head and shrugs.]

I'm really not the kinda guy to ask for that stuff. I mean, I know people put 'em in cars and all that stuff, but not much else. What's that got to do with anything?

[Crow still seems serious, so it must be important.]

[...Well, he was hoping for a better answer, but at least you seem to know that they exist.]

Okay, well, you know how they said on the journals that we might not be able to bring stuff from here back home with us? [He's not talking about the whole "we might not be able to go to someone else's world yet" part, he's talking like actual physical objects that were acquired here in Luceti and might not make it back with them.

Again, this might not seem like it has to do with anything, but he's going somewhere with this.]

voice; (luceti) (and I hope that tagging you on here is okay)

voice; It is more than okay; it is perfect :D

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