Audience: Sheila Hammond

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Comments

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[envy may or may not be totally cool with that. it is a mystery.]

I'll tell you if they give me trouble, then.

[thanks mombie... but at the reminder, their extra eyes blink in unison, and they nod.]

Oh! Uh, it was my mark, right? I can show you, but, um, I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself... I kind of wanna decide whether to show people or not, you know?

[but they do offer out their hand to her. they have envy's mark, but modified: there are more eyes, and they're framed in a rectangular border, with III. ENVY written within the bottom margin of that rectangle.]

[toesies]

Whoa.

[She will take their hand in hers if they allow it, staring at the tattoo with a perturbed look on her face.]

Relax, I keep horrible secrets from everyone in my life all the time. No one will hear about this from me. But, why is it different?

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Well, I am an Avatar, right? Kind of stands to reason it'd be a little special!

[they don't sound perturbed at all, and she can definitely take their hand. uncannily long fingers and all.]

[toesies]

[She will support these uncannily long fingies with her average sized fingies.]

... Okay. Fair enough. I guess that answers my follow-up question— if your other buddies had one.

[Special tattoos for special NPCs.]

You don't find it even a little weird, though?

[probe]

Um-- not really? Why, was I supposed to?

[their head's cocked slightly, a faint frown visible beneath their hood.]

[toesies]

I don't know. I guess I'm still stuck on the questionable artistic choices.

[Her tongue tattoo. It haunts her.]

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[please forgive them, because they giggle a little.]

Y-yeah, some of them are-- god, I can't unsee the Hamburger Helper hand, I almost lose it every time, I'm sorry--

[toesies]

[she fake gasps]

How dare you shame the Hamburger Helper, brand of my people? You're worse than my daughter.

[probe]

Hey, I'm not saying anything bad about it-! We used to make it at home too.

[toesies]

Whoa, slow down. I wasn't being serious! I think it's ugly as fuck, too.

[... wait.]

You had Hamburger Helper at home?

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Yeah. I, uh, don't really make it on my own, but my mom would.

[toesies]

Oh... That's nice, actually. What's your mother like? I think this is the first thing you've said about your home that isn't objectively horrible.

[probe]

-did I say anything that bad...?

[envy. please.

they shift a little uncomfortably, though.]

She's, um, she's fine! She's a doctor. Usually pretty busy. We never talked a lot-- pretty much just holidays, you know?

[toesies]

[She makes a face and nods a little. Yeah, they did say some pretty bad things. Envy, please.]

That's... a little less nice. Was it just the two of you at home?

[probe]

Well, no, not just us, but- you know. Sometimes things just don't, uh, work out long-term, I guess?

[toesies]

... Yeah, I guess. I'm sorry to hear that.

[probe]

It's okay-! I mean, we all kind of got along a little better after I left, so it's fine.

[toesies]

Mm... I can't think of a nice way to tell you that doesn't really sound fine.

[probe]

It was just, uh, better for all of us without me around. It's better now than it was, so it's still fine, right?

[they sound faintly uncertain, shrugging awkwardly.]

[toesies]

[Envy...........]

Are you happier now?

[probe]

Yeah. We all are, which- I guess might be a little fucked up, probably? I don't know, I did school online, I don't exactly know what everyone else's family situation was supposed to look like.

[toesies]

It's a little fucked up. [Someone please save Envy from their apparently crappy family.] But you know what, if being away from them makes you happier— then good for you! No one should live with people who make them feel bad.