conductor of the struggle bus [open]

[exuviiated]

[So, after he gets gracelessly dunked and... purified, he supposes, he runs.

Back to his little place in the slums, and there he hides out until he feels ready to face the world again. That comes with time and hunger, and finds him at the mall with what currency he's managed to get from pawning off things he doesn't need.]

Hey, is there any map of the mall? I'm-- I'm lost.

[Very lost.]

Comments

[diediediediediedie]

[Peridot simply keeps up, evenly and almost...robotically. She hardly needs to adjust her speed at all.]

Most Peridots look the same as I do, with minor variations. But a Peridot doesn't look the same as, say, a Pearl. And a Pearl looks different from a Ruby, but similar to other Pearls. And so on and so on...

[exuviiated]

[He nods. Makes sense.]

Oh. So, like... species of cats?

[Could've phrased that better]

[diediediediediedie]

Cats..? Oh, right, the miniature lions.

Yes...you...aren't wrong?

[But boy is she not happy about that comparison.]

[exuviiated]

[...oh, boy, she's... kind of cute. And kind of scary.]

That's good. Being not wrong is always good.

[While waiting in line, he shifts from foot to food, stealing glances at her every now and then.]

[diediediediediedie]

[...What?]

Why are you acting like that?

[exuviiated]

Acting like...?

[Oh.]

Restless, I guess.

[diediediediediedie]

...Why?

[exuviiated]

Because I'm nervous? I get a little fidgety.

[He got to the window and ordered... a burger. Or something that looked like a burger.]

[diediediediediedie]

Do I make you nervous?

[Seemed the most likely conclusion, but it was only a piece of the "why" question.]

[exuviiated]

No.

[That, at least, is honest.]

I've just been really on edge recently.

[He leads them to a table and sits down.]

So, do you wanna tell me about your life before-- all this?