Audience: Gojou Satoru

[probe]

Comments

[mukagen]

[ Gojou is actually pretty good at reading emotions despite being stunted (also purposely indifferent) in terms of normal social interactions. Fear, is it? A familiar emotion. ]

Was it in that place? [ The CYOA. ] Or did you guys try to fight it altogether once.

[probe]

[at this rate, they all have a vague idea that it exists, so there's a nod.]

Similarly enough, yes. It's as I told you. It does not enjoy being knowingly perceived. If you look at it directly too much or too long, it may be the last thing you see.

[haha.]

[mukagen]

What is it, anyway? I was going to investigate around, but...

[ You know, everyone just yelling and staring at the monster, even thinking of using it as a security measure for Childe. ]

I had some earlier guesses that it may have been an artificial lifeform with slime as its base. Kind of got confirmed when everyone started screaming about slime.

[ oh oh ]

Or maybe it's an alien lifeform that people who used to be in this station were trying to study and recreate? But it just ended up killing the whole crew and making this station their own?

[ Gojou Satoru, watching how many sci-fi movies... There is a playfulness to all of it and the weird, controlled and leveled bloodlust is gone. ]

[probe]

Gojou. [gojou...]

Now we're entering the space where I can't discuss much else about it. But you could ask around, perhaps, and find an answer.

[he tilts his head to look at gojou.]

If you know what to ask.

[mukagen]

[ Knowing what to ask really is important... He sure had fun with his theories, especially going wilder with them as ideas dropped in.

He thinks as he looks through shirts. ]

Maybe I'll ask about its birthday.

[ Snickering! ]

[probe]

[...hm. no. greed is just back to being mildly uncertain.]

I'm glad this is a joke to you. [it's a conflict because he says that and there is, actually, a flicker of relief among the other mess of annoyance and curiosity and being on-edge. ]

[mukagen]

It isn't, but at least you're a little less anxious about it.

[ Even if by a notch or two. While he he holds clothes in one hand, he goes to pat Greed's shoulder over there. YOU SURE LOVE LEANING AGAINST WALLS. ]

I was told there was an exchange. Is that part of a contract?

[probe]

Hm. [stop this is his emotional support wall since his metaphorical wall for his emotions is GONE. he allows this shoulder pat though and there's a weird blip of something almost nostalgic to it.]

Where did you hear something like that? [the tone is flat, because he can guess.]

[mukagen]

[ Nostalgic, huh. Curiosity stirs, but Gojou stays quiet despite the question. He doesn't want to answer since they both know it is a recent sore spot?! Goes back to just looking through the clothes. Don't look at him.

It is a little drop of guilt. ]

[probe]

...I'm not under the impression that I have any semblance of privacy. I'm very well aware that the things I say to people will travel and be mentioned to others.

[he's fairly sure anything he does tell gojou will wind up back to yuri anyway.]

That was an assumption on Leclerc's part. The exchange.

[mukagen]

Hey... I've kept more personal stuff about you a secret.

[ Which is like The Bar to set. There is no doxxing about receiving a number of kisses from Greed? Good? Huffs and his emotions bristle, though more playful than anything. ]

But this is a concerning topic.

[ says the dude that kept quiet about mahito at large for weeks ]

[probe]

[thanks for not doxxing, though he's just going to continue reading as emotionally flat for a moment.]

I'm afraid I can't give you an answer to that. Though as I said to Leclerc, it happens every Friday so that we may know what occurs Thursday night.

[mukagen]

Oh yeah, how are you feeling?

[ There is a flare of worry and also curiosity... Curiosity because Gojou wonders what it's like being tentacled, then wondering if the nature of it would tell them anything, and... He's just a curios cat.

Worry is because what the fucking hell ]

I know you didn't like it, but... I'm guessing it just felt gross.

[probe]

[how valid of him. greed stays against the wall, seemingly thinking about it. there's a blip of exhaustion, along with a little waver of uncertainty like he doesn't want to admit it's less than stellar.]

We're asleep when it happens. So we never really feel anything when it comes in. But Fridays are always a bit difficult after the information has been passed on to us. [...] It isn't pleasant though, no.

[mukagen]

And this has been a thing even before us.

[ Gojou makes assumptions based on the stuff shared in the meeting... These other people, these memory remnants. His emotions level, almost quiet as he thinks on it. ]

As far as you remember, has it always been here?

[ He asks, while seeing if this jacket is Greed's size by holding out to estimate measure. ]

[probe]

[the weird thing is that greed's still out here letting gojou do whatever he wants, even almost obediently holding his arms out a bit as if that'll help. it's mostly because he likes to keep busy while dumping trauma lore on people or something.]

We're unsure when, precisely, it appeared. Perhaps it always was and it's only recently decided to show itself more.

[mukagen]

Correlation...?

[ Though he guesses he would need to know about the previous cases first. He thinks this color looks better, so he puts the other shirts away. Why are they doing this..... ]

[probe]

Are you asking if I know what it is, or are you asking if there is one? [he at least seems open to discussing that part for now. also because unfortunately gojou appealed himself to greed just enough that greed likes him and will tolerate so much from him.]

[mukagen]

I’m wondering what your thoughts are! Since I personally think there’s something strange about it and coincidence doesn’t fit.

[ From Greed’s account, it went from possibly not being there to getting seen every so often. Okay, now color coordinating coats with the dress shirt. ]

Maybe it’s fattening up for its big reveal after chewing on you guys so much—oh, yeah. Are you a tie person?

[probe]

This is one of those things I may have to ask you to find on your own. I've told you that it doesn't like to be perceived, and anything we say out of line is likely going to come back and punish us instead. I have thoughts, and most of them correlate to it caring less and less about being noticed.

[which still doesn't entirely add up, and his own puzzlement is apparent.]

I would truly prefer for it to not chew on us again. [he pauses though.] I don't wear them often but I'm not opposed to them? [he does not mention his cravat.]

[mukagen]

[ Gojou shares the same emotion, since that's strange itself, then there's a red alarm that sounds in his mind—at least that's what the emotion conveys for a millisecond, but... That must mean there's something to be discovered that makes Greed think that. ]

All right. We'll keep looking so it doesn't punish you naughty, naughty people.

[ Let him show Greed the outfit he assembled! There's a hood attached to the coat, too. Imagine asking if you like ties and just not using them anyway. ]

[probe]

[gojou understands when greed doesn't say words and that's another reason he's still hanging around.]

I believe some of you have tools to utilize now? It may be worth a closer investigation as well.

[...this outfit sure is happening, and he tilts his head.]

Your taste isn't terrible. [confused...but accepting this. maybe gojou was just bored. that's fine, too.]

[mukagen]

We do! We’re organizing groups to use them. Get ready for us to call everything we find with slime disgusting.

[ GOJOU DIDN’T GET TO SEE IT!!! There’s some disappointment here that he didn’t get a two second peek. It bounces away. ]

Go try it on!

[ No more weird skeleton slime monster thing. Fashion now. ]

[probe]

That's because the slime is disgusting. [he will outright admit that.] I cannot say I'm much of a fan myself.

[but suddenly we're not talking about the monster, it's fashion hours. it means that greed's staring at gojou for a moment before. taking? these clothes??? jesus.

emotion-sharing means there's no hiding the absolute "what the fuck am i doing" that's rolling off of greed's shoulders as he heads for a dressing room? he guesses???]

Is this a thing you normally do to people? [he asks as he enters a dressing room.]

[mukagen]

[ He was gonna say that lubricant is similar to slime, but he will not. He will behave.

Gojou is amused the whole time, but it changes as he thinks on how to answer. ]

I think this is a normal thing for normal people?

[ hmm. ]

When I was in high school, I used to do this with my friends, but they come from non-sorcerer families.