Maruki winced slightly at Hamuko’s laughter. He couldn’t exactly share her lightness over being branded as a brainwashing control freak on discussion boards, but… there was no bitterness in her voice. No judgment. She didn’t seem to be holding anything against him—not yet, at least.
And if he was honest with himself, part of him had been expecting the worst. Maybe even hoping she’d walk away in disgust. It would have made things easier.
It didn't stop him from being pinned down by the crimes he didn't commit. Or committed them in another world. Just like he never had a son but he did feel responsible for taking care of him nonetheless.
"My research...its pretty simple in principle," he admits with a sheepish tone. "But it seems my other selves across the multiverse had their own... interpretations. I don’t know if I agree with all of them, but the intentions were likely the same."
With a small sigh, Maruki reached up and adjusted the hood of his hoodie. He let it fall away from his head, revealing his face fully at last. His dark hair was slightly tousled from the fog and sweat, and the cat ears drooped slightly from where they had been folded into the fabric.
“I’m not planning to leave this place without answers,” he said with a bit more steel in his tone, his kind eyes sharpening just slightly with determination. “I have a hypothesis about why this place works the way it does… and if I’m right, it’s not pretty.” He hesitated as he turned back for a moment and quickly bent down to grab his clipboard from the ground. Dusting off the dust from the pinned papers, his lips pulled still. "This place has a way of getting into your head. Digging into thoughts you might not even realize you had."
no subject
And if he was honest with himself, part of him had been expecting the worst. Maybe even hoping she’d walk away in disgust. It would have made things easier.
It didn't stop him from being pinned down by the crimes he didn't commit. Or committed them in another world. Just like he never had a son but he did feel responsible for taking care of him nonetheless.
"My research...its pretty simple in principle," he admits with a sheepish tone. "But it seems my other selves across the multiverse had their own... interpretations. I don’t know if I agree with all of them, but the intentions were likely the same."
With a small sigh, Maruki reached up and adjusted the hood of his hoodie. He let it fall away from his head, revealing his face fully at last. His dark hair was slightly tousled from the fog and sweat, and the cat ears drooped slightly from where they had been folded into the fabric.
“I’m not planning to leave this place without answers,” he said with a bit more steel in his tone, his kind eyes sharpening just slightly with determination. “I have a hypothesis about why this place works the way it does… and if I’m right, it’s not pretty.” He hesitated as he turned back for a moment and quickly bent down to grab his clipboard from the ground. Dusting off the dust from the pinned papers, his lips pulled still. "This place has a way of getting into your head. Digging into thoughts you might not even realize you had."