#mint.choco

[cookie-cutter-communications]

A mumbled apology was faintly heard, fans not yet kicked on to their usual use as consciousness was fleeting. That sorrowful tone, was that Roguey? What were they apologizing for? It was hard to keep awake, as energetic as Cyborg typically was. It seems their internal clock was a bit messed up- what time was it now? Were they supposed to sleep? Agh, too many questions... Barely mustering enough energy to nuzzle into the pillows beneath them, the half-bot would lose themself to whatever dream lay in wait for them.

...And such a dream it would be. Their body felt light in this achromatic place, wandering through halls similar to the mansion that they'd spent time in, yet... It was a mess. Disheveled. And there definitely weren't steps like in the place that they somewhat knew. It was like the place was renovated... if it was even the same place at all. Cyborg would open their mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Shouting? Still nothing. Screaming? Nothing! Oh well... At least they weren't in danger. They scanned the perimeter of this strange place, finding nothing but more and more of this uncolored mansion. It was so dusty... Was anyone even taking care of this place?

It felt odd walking. It was almost as if they could phase through the floor... Neat idea! With a silent chuckle, Cyborg would give a jump to let gravity take them down. Which... It did. But very slowly. Like quicksand, almost. Cy would look down at the floor inquisitively, though couldn't for long, since the moment they looked down they fell straight through with a soundless yelp. They'd crash into the floor- wooden and creaking- and gravity felt heavier. Or... Was it normal?

With a groan that still made no sound, Cyborg would pick themself up and look around. They froze. Before them, a mess of writhing and mangled limbs, meshed together with some odd, squishy black substance. The only color that they could see lay in the masses... Orange. Or was it gold? Yellow? Hell, was it red? Their visor wasn't processing it right- it couldn't- not when their nerves were biting at them to run. Huh, what- biting?

Cyborg whipped around, spotting some dismembered mouth trying to bite at their shoulder and tear through the fluffiness of their outfit. They'd cry out for the horrific thing to stop as they swiped their blaster at it to remove it and knock it away- but there were no words. Instead, the movement of the melding masses around them would seem to kick up dust as they moved, starting up a coughing fit from the partial organic. Did they even have lungs? Why would this be happening without them?!

Raising their gaze once their 'lungs' had gathered enough clean air, a mass of wriggling limbs- legs cut at the hip, arms breaking from the shoulder or the elbow, heads of undescribable origin- all rotting and decaying from maltreatment would reach towards them. Their body trembled, unable to get away as the mass would collapse on top of them, and-

-Cyborg awoke with a terrible start. Their blaster and gloved hand as they swiftly sat up in bed to defend themself. They would have screamed, but in that realm of silence, what would it matter?! It would take them a minute, realizing that nothing had happened... Visor blinking to open eyes, Borgie would cautiously retreat their arms back to their side. Huh... Just a dream, huh? A nightmare, even. There was a pitiful laugh from the cyborg, a sigh soon after. Seems like they went from one nightmare to another... From a bloodied mess to a bodied mess... Maybe they should tell Roguey about this! Maybe then they could be reassured that uh... None of that was real. None of those bodies covered in red, that colorful building with the weird toothpaste boy in it, or that colorless one with the body parts... Haha! What a ridiculous thing! Just because they made a violent mistake doesn't mean that their thief and friend would do the same, right? Right? Right? Right? Hehe, what a dummy-like thing to think!

Standing on the bed they were just resting in, Cy would stretch and jump off of the bed to have their blaster boots kick on and send them through the mansion. They couldn't blaze through it, but they could at least go through a semi-familiar place with some speed! Ah, maybe they could head to the kitchen... Get some breakfast! Though, ah, judging by the windows they were passing- was it already late? Then that just means they can skip the meals and get right to dinner and dessert! Dinsert, even! Ooh, that sounded like a wonderful meal to have! Ice cream and steak, maybe? The possibilities went through their mind, making them more and more chipper as they always were when approaching the meal-giving place that was the kitchen!

Barely slowing down before the entrance to the kitchen, Cyborg would begin to hum a tune of something unfamiliar to them but they held in their memory anyways. No one was in here... Perhaps they were in the living room instead? That's fine! That just means they get to sneak more ice cream than usual! With a fiendish giggle, the half-bot would practically sprint to the fridge, swinging open the freezer to look at the flavors that could be in there, only to find... More coconut ice cream. What was with this flavor popping up so often? Ah, whatever! Borg shrugged it off, taking the container out of the freezer and searching for a spoon.

"Can I have some?" A soft voice stopped Cyborg in their tracks. That wasn't Roguefort or Aloe. Their processors buffered, the voice is only faintly familiar. "H-huh...?" They lost their grip on their tub of ice cream, having it clatter to the floor as their LED eyes flickered and darted to the one that spoke. The toothpaste one... Green and white blurred in their vision as their mind tried to process this. Flashes of the red that was in their vision not too long ago came to their mind. No, no that couldn't-...

"Are you... oka-?" "STAY AWAY FROM ME- YOU'RE NOT REAL- YOU'RE NOT-!!" "Wh-... What?" "YOU'RE A DREAM- YOU'RE A DREAM- I'M STILL ASLEEP- I-I HAVE TO BE-"

[cookie-cutter-communications]

Wading through the bodies to exit the building was not the most pleasant thing to do, but considering the only one within the party that could fly was currently weighing down the most agile of them... This was the only way out. "It is unfortunate... That there is so much stained red..." The scientist would murmur, keeping the newcomer close as they walked side by side. Though unseen to those two, Roguefort would grimace at the prospect that so much blood was spilled. "Regretful, yes, but... I would have done that and more in that state if it were to keep you both safe from this place and those... things..." "...I mean our clothing, Roguefort."

It took the thief a moment to process that the matter was not as serious as they took it to be. Well- perhaps it was- considering how much these outfits meant for their freedom. They'd look back at the other two, confused for a moment, but... "Ah, I- I see..." They'd fumble, giving a dry, sheepish laugh as they turned back around. "No worries... I am certain there will be a way to get any and all bloodstains out... And if I do not know a way, I will learn such. It would be a shame if you and Cyborg's work became tarnished so soon after it was made." Aloe would give a hum of acknowledgment, and silence would be brought between them as they finally dragged themselves out of the building they were tossed in. Such a horrible place... If Aloe had the authority, they would tear this place down.

Both Aloe and Roguefort would take glances around the area, their respective grips tightening upon those they held and carried. "It... Has suddenly gotten so late. Was it not broad daylight out when you two had gotten caught?" Aloe's look of scrutiny to all that surrounded them lightened up, looking to the attention that was placed upon them. "Oh, well, yes... Most do not notice since there is no thought given towards it, but the time of day can change drastically depending on the desires of... Well, let's just say it decides what will 'suit the mood' of a situation." There was a gaze of scrutiny upon Aloe, one that made them look away.

"Oh, I-I think I know..." The soft words of Mint caught the attention of both the researcher and gem procurer. "U-um...! Well, you see... The world gets tired just like people do, so... It- It goes to sleep! And then everything becomes dark! I... I would be tired, too, after what it had to see with- with u-us!" There was a pause, the thief for a moment believing it to be true while Aloe simply sighed and shook their head. "Your head is more hollow than I took it for..." Mint thankfully would only look in confusion, not even processing something that could be seen as an insult. "No matter, you will learn how the world truly works in due time. I suppose that goes for the both of you- but one of you needs to learn more than the other." "And which one is that?" "I... You will know once we are back home." Home? There was a place such as that? The musician would blink, not having much time to process such a simple sentence before Aloe would bring him along and motion for the thief to follow. The four of them were going 'home'. But he already had a home, didn't he? Where was that? No, that- that was back where all those bodies were. The sight of red was still fresh in his mind, Mint wasn't sure what to make of it. He wasn't sure what to make of anything, truly.

The streets are empty. Dark and empty. As much anxiety could be instilled from such a thing, the lack of husks around was more of a blessing of safety than a curse of loneliness. The only sounds were that of the group's footsteps and the sound of water from a running fountain nearby. "You know... For a city as big and expansive as this, there seem to be so few places that seem significant. That, and..." Roguefort's gaze would lift, trying to see if they could find any other notable buildings. They all looked so similar to one another, almost copy-pasted. "Everything looks so similar." How had they not noted this before? Well, obviously they were thoughtless, but how could they even spot the places where paintings were when the whole city seemed like this?

The scientist would hum as they attempted to formulate a proper answer, though they didn't answer just yet. Rather, they overheard the doe-eyed survivor humming with him. "O-oh, am I being too loud?" Mint seemed embarrassed. Not that he recognized that feeling, and thankfully it wasn't a negative one, but it still existed within his body. "Sorry, your hum just hit a perfect low C, and I um... Wanted to harmonize with it. It's like the first note in the piece I play..." "Piece... Singular?" Aloe questioned, genuinely curious about the word usage. "Well, yes! I-I wouldn't need to play anything else..." "...I see."

The solid sound of shoes on concrete would permeate the air for the next few moments, only to be followed by Aloe finally answering the aforementioned question. "It is a design choice, of sorts. It helps buildings that do have importance to stand out. Your manor, for example, has importance since it is where you and your 'character' would reside, along with all the paintings you used to procure. My lab, too, differentiates by virtue of being a location where Cyborg and myself once resided." "Character..." Roguefort would ponder, sight falling from the buildings to the cement. "Is that another name for husks? How they act being known as their 'character'?" "Precisely... Though we can discuss this more later, yes? We should be getting close to your home..." "Our home." Aloe blinked, almost stopping in their tracks. They shook their head at such a prospect. "It does not belong to us. It is your's, and we are simply residing in it." "Ah, say what you will... I will continue to call it our's. After all, it is a place of safety against all of what is out here for all of us... And we all need a place to call home- so why not have one together?" "..." "That's what I thought."

[cookie-cutter-communications]

“I’m...not?” “YOU’RE NOT REAL! G-GET AWAY FROM ME, Y-YOU…” Cyborg couldn’t think of anything to call him- whoever this was. They didn’t realize as they backed away that their blaster had fired up...And as their back hit a corner on the counter, they watched this- this thing move. He was trying to approach them, curious as to why they were so...insistent on something like this. “I may not be real, but even unreal things have na-” “THEN YOU’RE THE WORST DREAM I’VE EVER HAD!!! ROGUEY KILLED PEOPLE IN IT, AND YOU STOOD BY A-AND LET THEM!!! YOU L-LET THEM, NOBODY WOULD DO THAT!!” “...It’s hard to remember that moment…” Mint held onto one arm with the other, seeming to disapprove of the yelling. “C-Can’t we just talk…?” “You don’t remember…” The half-bot remarked, a huff escaping them as they narrowed their eyes, their mitten going to their head. “OF COURSE YOU DON’T REMEMBER!!! YOU’RE JUST A PIECE OF SOMETHING I WANT TO IMPROVE WITH MYSELF!” “....What?” “THERE’S NO WAY MY BEST FRIEND WOULD KILL PEOPLE, SO YOU’RE JUST...JUST…” “An illusion…?” “...Yeah, that.” There was a pause, and it was only after that when Mint’s eyes trailed down to the weapon pointed at him. He didn’t really seemed to react- His eyes simply became more hollow as he stared at the beacon of light. It seemed that the half-bot couldn't control their emotions anymore if they felt no resistance to doing something this drastic... “Do you have NOTHING to say?” “...I...I don’t have a lot I know I can say. I...I don’t know how I’m not real, how I’m just a part of your dream, but I can’t really say you’re wrong, either…” A hand went to his chin as he did his best to think. “...But! Something tells me you’re not right! I was there when I saw it all happen...Aloe can tell you! You...uh...You passed out, I thi-!!!”

Feeling a sudden burning pain, the pianist looked down in shock to see that there was a blow to his side- thankfully nothing as bad as what Aloe received, but… those burns were garish to gaze at. “I DIDN’T PASS OUT!!! I WAS DREAMING, YOU IDIOT!” There was oil beading from beneath their visor, the hand with the weapon trembling. “ROGUEY DID NOT KILL ANYBODY! Y-YOU’RE FAKE, SO GET OUT-” “Cyborg...wh-what the hell is going on…?” Aloe’s words got them to tense up, the trembling only getting worse. “TH-THIS IS JUST A DREAM…! THIS IS JUST….” Ah...there was blood. There was blood everywhere. The image of that nightmare was painting itself into their sight- blotching their vision. “A dream…? Cy, what-” “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! I KNOW THERE’S NOBODY I KNOW THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT!! WE-- WE NEVER WENT ANYWHERE TO FIND SOMEONE LIKE THIS!” There was a sob that followed, and they attempted to fire another shot, but thankfully Aloe tugged Mint away from the line of fire. They- They couldn’t just let him die! “M-Mint, you’re…” They hadn’t noticed the wound until now, and...seeing it, the scientist- “I’m alright! All I feel is something crawling on my back.” “...But...there’s nothing there...?” They murmured, running their hand along his back. “...yes there is! It’s you!” The note would have made them sigh in disappointment, but they didn’t even have the chance. They had to focus on Cyborg. “Cyborg, we were all there. I- I don’t know why you perceive it all as this bad dream of yours…” There were husks in the room. Tens of the damned laid on the floor around them, several by Cyborg’s feet. The disfigured clusters of flesh began to line the walls once more, hands reaching out for them. Blood coated their vision. They look down at the puncture wounds in the back of a nearby corpse, and their mitten began to tug on their hair. “I d-don’t want to think…” “...What?” Aloe approached them, worry covering their face. “I SAID, I DON’T WANT TO-” …

The room turned dark as arms reached around them. Not the dismembered ones, but… “I-I’m so sorry…” Was their vision black simply because of an error, or because it was drenched in oil? They shook their head when hearing such a voice, a sob escaping them. “Y-YOU’RE….YOU’RE NOT REAL!!! YOU N-NEVER DID THAT, NEVER, N-NEVER…!!!” Once more, they began to charge their blaster, aiming it about to see if they could see something- anything around them. … Nothing. They just held it ahead of them...even if they could feel it lightly brush against something, which they simply mistook for a phantom touch. For a moment, there was silence...not even a breath from the other that just spoke. “I had no other choice. Please, believe me.” “...You didn’t have a reason to do that!!! You!!! Hhh, there- there wa-asn’t…” they stammered, their voice trailing off as they heard something in that darkness. “...What are they doing?” The voice was that of the semi-organic. Their own voice, despite it coming from someplace else. That who responded had the voice of the scientist, their voice not more than a whisper. “...Saving us.” ...Saving them…? They blinked, a soft light finally peeking into their line of sight. It casted outlines onto Aloe, that new twink, and… the thief. They were clearly still bloodied, but most of it was obscure, their figure being nothing more than a silhouette eclipsing the light from behind to Cyborg. They stared, the thoughts starting to sink in. Their friend...killed somebody. Scratch that- they killed many people. More than they could count. Yet… if it weren’t for that? They would be… Their vision flickered, and it wouldn’t take long for their vision to fizzle a little in an attempt to try and snap out of it. They wanted to see Roguefort!! If not for denial, then maybe they could get some form of closure…!

The room was quiet. A little too quiet. As the half-bot’s vision slowly corrected itself from the nightmares that plagued them, they… they looked down to see their fully charged blaster placed against the thief’s head. Fear and dread filled their body as they slowly glanced up to see Aloe attempting to tend to Mint’s wound. A wound they caused. They would have reacted startled, but… there was nothing more than anguish. They didn’t mean to be so violent!!! Yet… They could have killed a friend that killed others to protect them… over some delusion? Roguefort felt the heat of the blaster die down, as the smaller trembled in their hold. “It’s- It’s okay, Cy. I’m right here...I’m right here…” They spoke as if out of breath- or as if they forgot to breathe the whole time the other was poised to purge what seemed to them as nothing more than a bad dream. Oil filled their gaze once more as they collapsed under their own weight, clinging to the taller one and apologizing profusely. They apologized, yet… they felt all the same as if they shouldn’t have even been allowed to beg for forgiveness. Oh, if only they hadn’t offered those husks some snacks… Oh, if only they weren’t denying that they were broken.

[cookie-cutter-communications]

The steps the thief took were much more unsure than they were in all the weeks they perceived thought, A stumble made here and there as they carried the half-bot to bed. Sure, Aloe said it was fine- somehow, it was fine to kill masses of the mindless- But it didn’t shoulder the image branded into their mind of those carcasses.

It didn’t shoulder Cyborg lifelessly falling to the floor, even if they were only asleep.

There was a huff from Roguefort as they laid the small one down and looked them over. There was a stray stain of drying blood- likely from being carried by someone covered in it. They attempted to wipe it off- ah. Right. The bottom of their glove was still drying, as well. Haha, just- just use the other side- there.

There was a weak hum from the half-bot as they were gingerly tucked in, careful to try and not show any signs of what had happened so shortly ago.

“I-...” Why did they speak to nothing? Even if it was slightly comforting to have no response…

“Maybe tomorrow will be better, hm…? Perhaps I should have stayed a little longer, to stop you from going out there…” how irrational.

“...But, the past is the past, huh? Still, I apologize for such actions.”

…

“Have a good rest, will you? I know these stains of mine will not come out so easily.”

And, as they were leaving, they could have sworn they saw the faint glow from the visor of that friend they came to know so well, but the moment they turned to look...ah.

There was nothing upon their visage.

~

“Will you stop eating the pasta raw? I do not believe that is good for your teeth.”

“...”

“...”

The soft snaps of thin pasta would continue after a pause.

“...They’re crunchy.”

The scientist couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of their nose hearing this. Not out of anger, just...bewilderment. Did the thoughtless always do this?!

“If you wanted something to eat before I was done making this, you could have asked!”

“Well, yes, but...you led me all the way into a dungeon!”

“This is a makeshift lab.”

“Dungeon.”

“Whatever.”

“....So you led me all the way to the dungeon, and...um...That was a long way! So….I stared at the things moving in the ceiling for a little longer, grabbed the first thing I could feel, and...it was this.”

“...That is…. More concerning than it should be.”

“...No?” Mint still smiled through all of this, even if his tone was confused rather than happy. “The things in the ceiling gave this to m-”

“AH!!! DO NOT EAT MORE OF THAT!” In a swift motion, the….food? Could you even call it that? Was knocked out of his hands. Since it was done out of impulse, the action was regretted an instant later. “S-Sorry, I-” Their raised shoulders would relax, watching the soft one simply stare at the spilled, raw food. “...Mint-”

“How did you do that?”

“Huh?”

“Look.” He pointed, their gaze following to the box, where...a few spare noodles poked out from the back of the box.

“Th-That…. That shouldn’t be…” They trailed off, looking back up to see Mint leaning over the bowl that Aloe was making food in. The very moment they noticed he was trying to reach for it, the succulent would grab onto his hands. “That is being cooled by liquid nitrogen, this is the fifth time...You don’t want your hands stuck to the bowl, do you?”

“...Ah...What does that feel like?”

“You don’t want to know. Trust me.”

“...I don’t?”

“You- I- ….Trust me.” The thought of putting words in another’s mouth… They glanced up, seeing the wires dance above them. Tch...mockery. Those instruments know that wasn’t what was intended by their words.

“Trust? I don’t… not trust anyone!”

“Good enough.” Aloe sighed. Goodness, what had they gotten themself into? The others weren’t this empty in the mind when they decided that thoughts were okay to have! “So, this is a treat that not many get to have, as it’s not as prominent, but I would argue it tastes better than normal ice cream...even if it’s relatively the same.”

“What makes it better?”

“...I don’t know, really…”

“Oh! Me neither!”

“I-...right, you don’t.” This soft-spoken musician would not stop making them baffled! They didn’t even know how to take it!

There was a sigh, and then the scientist began to retrieve the frozen treat from the bowl and put it into smaller ones. “I don’t often like eating sweets, but… I’ll make an exception.”

“Because it’s from you!!”

“Huh?”

“It’s something you made! Maybe it tastes good!”

“Trust me, it does no-”

“Nonsense…” Such sudden flattery, too? Aloe was forced to glance away, muttering under their breath as they handed him a spoon. He took it, then looked at the treat, and then back up at Aloe. “What is this?”

“Y-You really don’t know?!”

“Noooo….”

“It’s just ice cream...what you said you wanted!”

“You put mist on it.”

“Mint, that was liquid nitrogen. I didn’t even put it on the food!”

“...”

“What?”

“I miss the pasta.”

“That was from the wires! You- You could have just asked me!”

“But I didn’t want to bother you! I already said ice cream sounded interesting enough, haha… I didn’t even know what it was! So, when you said you didn’t want it, I had a thought! What if I just had the pasta?”

“This is fine, I wouldn’t be eating it if I didn’t want to.”

“I dunno, the pasta looks kind of ta-”

“It’s fine.” They took a spoonful of the treat, managing to smile. “Why are you so persistent?”

“Oh...sorry.”

“No, it’s-...it’s entertaining. Past the worrying things… How you act is so different.”

“...what?”

“...I said what I said.” They took a bite of the treat, watching as the other merely poked his spoon into the treat. He made a small smiley face with the marks. “You’ve… You’ve been quite intriguing. So little thoughts, yet… You spill so many without realizing it.”

“...”

“I’m guessing you’ve zoned out?”

“The spoon smells sweet.”

“Figures…” Aloe watched him curiously, realizing he wasn’t really attempting to scoop anything out of the bowl. “Are you not hungry?”

“I am.”

“Then eat.”

“I’m supposed to eat this?” His words weren’t met with a reply. Instead, they guided a hand of his to the treat, and helped him retrieve a little bit of it. “Oh…” Mint gazed at it, before eating the bit he was given. “Hm!!!! It tastes better than before!”

“Before?”

“Mhm!!! It just smelled sweet before, now it also tastes sweet!” Though his eyes looked so hollow, it was clear to see he was happy. Whether it was remnants of his needlessly perfect self or genuine happiness, however...Aloe could not tell. What Aloe could tell was that the musician was going for a second bite.

“Hey, Aloe…?”

“Hm?”

“What do you do here?” He gazed at them, his spoon nearly missing his mouth just for doing so. “What would you need a dungeon with mist for? Do you write books, or something…?”

“Hah, that has no correlation!” They figured they could overlook the stupidity of some of these questions, just for him to adjust to thoughts coming in a bit slower. “No, I’m a scientist. As stated, this isn’t a dungeon...it was never anything of the sort to begin with.”

“Then why is there no light, aside from...this…” He pointed to a flask with bright blue fluid within it, “That…” then pointed to a whole shelf full of those flasks, “And...uh...thick crayons?” He pointed last to the candles.

“It’s something that’s makeshift for now, silly.” They chuckled, not giving his words much thought. “I’ll get a light system working in here eventually. As for you… what might you do for a living?”

“Uh….oh! I play the piano!!!” He seemed excited when he said it, yet his eyes became more empty when saying it.

“Do you know a lot of songs?”

“Mhm! Just...two!”

“And...you’re a professional?”

“Of course!”

“That only performs two songs.”

“Mhm!”

“...This world truly has problems. Ah, well, I hope you may be able to learn more.”

“I think I will be able to!” He beamed at them. “Because now I can...uh...do whatever I like! Which is not much! So maybe I’ll try to find other songs I like…” And yet, he still looked cold and empty.

Another bite of the ice cream was taken.

A moment later, there was a noise of surprise drawn from him, and he dropped the spoon as his hands went to his head. Out of impulse, Aloe reached for him, momentarily worried for this new ally.

“Mint, are you-”

“Mmm, headache…!”

“...oh.” It took a glance at the treat and then back to the pianist to realize, once more relaxing their tensed form…

“You’re having a brain freeze, aren't you?” There was a small nod, albeit confused from the smaller one, and the scientist nodded in solidarity. “Understood. Please… you must remember to savor your food a little more rather than eating it all at once, like Cy does.”

“I-I’m trying!”

“Pff- you couldn’t have before I made the comment, but...I’m still happy that you’re trying. There’s not many that are willing to do such, hm?”

[cookie-cutter-communications]

The doors to Roguefort's manor would creek quietly as the four of them would enter, Roguefort seeming utterly spent after all that had occurred. Aloe, too, was exhausted... But awake enough to withstand being awake for longer. Seeing the thief nearly stumble after taking a few steps in, the scientist would speak up after closing the door behind them and Mint. "I suggest putting both Cyborg and yourself to bed... We can take care of the bloodstains tomorrow." The response was a slow blink, one that felt more contemplative than truly being out of it. "Right," they would reply, shifting their hold to ensure that they wouldn't drop Cyborg, "And you, could you make sure Mint adjusts to living here? I know you may not know the place well, but being left with one's own thoughts after coming out of thoughtlessness can... Be frightening."

"I take it you are speaking from experience?" "...I would be vague about such a thing, but I am sure you understand from your own experiences as well, don't you?" There was a small scoff from the researcher, followed by a dismissive wave of the hand. "Just get some proper rest... I will tend to Mint, and perhaps we, too, can rest in due time. After that amount of husks being lost, I am sure that we will have some downtime before they try to rear their heads around again." "That's a comforting thought..." "Shh, shh... Go get some well-deserved rest, before we have a longer conversation than we should."

It would take a moment of silence, but Roguefort would inevitably nod and make their way out of the entry hall that spanned way further than it needed to. So big for so few people residing in it... A place like this was unsuitable for so few, now that they thought about it. If there were others grouped here, this place could easily fit at minimum fifty people in here, but all that remained here were four little rebels.

It was with a grimace and a sigh that Aloe would turn their attention to Mint, that of whom was staring at the ceiling. "What are you looking at?" They would inquire, looking up to see that despite how well-lit the room was, the ceiling itself was darkened as if some sort of haze or overbearing shadow was above them. The only thing visible, truly, were the bottom bits of chandeliers, whose lights were hidden from sight. Aloe could feel the hole in their chest ache at the sight. "It's dark up there..." Mint would murmur. "Do you think the ceiling lights are lonely?" "...The ceiling lights cannot feel, Mint. They are objects without nerves or the capacity to even have a consciousness." "Huh... Weird... But, um, if this room is all bright and stuff, then how come we can't see most of what's up there?"

"That is... My fault, I think?" Aloe would quirk a brow, staring into the darkness above them. They could feel Mint grip their hand tighter for just a moment, as if he was about to speak in response, but wasn't quick enough to get the words through. "Wherever I go, this always occurs... Where I come from, every room and hallway had high ceilings to obscure my wires in the darkness... Made the methods more effective to fix, surprise those that come out of line while not knowing what to expect, or even knowing and... Not being able to react in time." The more Aloe spoke, the more hollow of a gaze they would begin to show. Though thankfully once they paused, they shook themself out of their daze. "Apologies, I tend to ramble when the chance presents itself. Now, would you like to...?"

Huh. Mint seemed to be staring into the darkness above him without a word. He seemed oddly content, even after a description such as that. Aloe knew that this, what was he, a musician? They'd have to ask more about him sooner than later, since this one was unlike any other thoughtful individual they'd encountered... Not that there were many. "Mint, look at m-" "There's something moving up there." The tension in Aloe's body grew considerably at that sentence, gaze snapping up at the ceiling to see a wire wriggling about above the two of them, as if taunting both of- or, more than likely, just the researcher themself. Though an oddity that they spotted as they would think of sending that chord back into the darkness... Their wires weren't hooked anymore. They were just double-barbed at the tip. There would be a very brief thought that their death had done something to those but, that...

"I'm hungry." An abrupt and casual interjection to their thought process would come from the one that stood next to them. Did he not even notice the retreat of the wire? How their hand had held tight to his? Ah... They should likely let go of that sooner than later, once they could ensure that he wouldn't get lost. They... were not the type for hand-holding.

"Hungry, you say at a time like this..." Aloe murmured, tugging at the other's arm to make sure that attention was actually on them. "There is a kitchen close by if you would like to have something to eat before we also depart for rest... And perhaps while we eat, we can discuss more matters about each other?"

The gaze that stared back at them felt empty. Ah, not entirely, but it was still... Off. It may take some time before this musician was able to show more than a thoughtless stare or a default smile. There was a small squeak-like noise of joy out of Mint as he would nod, some minor swaying side-to-side present. Aloe would observe this action inquisitively, but would not verbally question it just yet. Rather than dealing with the mystery now, they would gently guide Mint along to where they believed the kitchen to be. They sure hoped that they remembered that, at least... and that their wound wouldn't act up whilst they would cook.

"Is there any food that you enjoy in particular? Such as ice cream, microwave meals, etcetera?" "Mmm... No. I've never thought about it, really!" "...Of course you haven't."