[It's something like two weeks before Stocke responds. Greed might have seen his name on the network, a rare once, maybe twice, in the time in between - but not since over a week ago. And that the response is now, now that the fog's come back... well, that's telling, isn't it? No matter what Stocke tries to keep hidden.]
[In the forest, dark, Stocke plays the message aloud once. Then a second time. His claws, the black shadows of them oddly textured like bark, splay over the keys; the forest in him keeps real unease from roiling through his gut, but still there's... something. Regret. No matter what Greed says...]
[It's not at odds with the forest, after all. It wants them all to get along.]
[Finally -]
sorry to keep you , boss [As always, an ironic echo.]
know it's not what you'd have wanted it's not [...] if i knew all the cost beforehand wouldn't have done it i'm yours first but so long as elias and the fog sit where they do [...]
[Stocke's tendrils rub against each other with the creak of old, rotten wood as he pauses a moment.] this is something we should say face to face not like this
[And it's true. He does think that. But he's also -]
might need some help getting back ended up in the forest the one north of lake dala it won't let me out [Technically...]
<swordpacts>
[In the forest, dark, Stocke plays the message aloud once. Then a second time. His claws, the black shadows of them oddly textured like bark, splay over the keys; the forest in him keeps real unease from roiling through his gut, but still there's... something. Regret. No matter what Greed says...]
[It's not at odds with the forest, after all. It wants them all to get along.]
[Finally -]
sorry to keep you , boss
[As always, an ironic echo.]
know it's not what you'd have wanted
it's not
[...]
if i knew all the cost beforehand
wouldn't have done it
i'm yours first
but so long as elias and the fog sit where they do
[...]
[Stocke's tendrils rub against each other with the creak of old, rotten wood as he pauses a moment.]
this is something we should say face to face
not like this
[And it's true. He does think that. But he's also -]
might need some help getting back
ended up in the forest
the one north of lake dala
it won't let me out
[Technically...]