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[epitaffio]

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[pennyloafer]

They don't have any feathers, or even fur or anything. They don't look like any people I've ever seen before. Some of the animals here look closer.

[epitaffio]

[...

There's only one way this makes sense.]

Did you live in a storybook?

[Sure, it sounds weird. SURE, he could still be getting messed with. But... well, the two of them are a little weird themselves, aren't they? Maybe it isn't impossible...]

[pennyloafer]

...I live in a houseboat.

How would I live in a storybook?

[epitaffio]

[The answer comes immediately, and brimming with awe:]

You live in a boat?!

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS NOW SORRY]

[pennyloafer]

Well, yeah, but it's not like it's that cool. We never get to take it anywhere.

[epitaffio]

Oh.

[His disappointment is palpable.

Still... Doesn't that make it more likely that Louie is telling the truth? If he really wanted to mess with him, he could say anything he wanted, up to and including any unbelievable claims about traveling the world on a houseboat...

... So maybe he does live in a storybook and he just doesn't know it?

They could just be dreaming, he realises. If that's the case, he kind of wishes this dream was a bit less confusing.]

Is your houseboat just on land all the time?

[pennyloafer]

Kind of, it stays docked in the marina. Why? Do you like boats a lot?

[epitaffio]

... I just think it sounds nice. Being able to go wherever you want.

[pennyloafer]

Well, it could be, but we don't. We never do anything interesting.

[epitaffio]

That sucks. I'm sorry.

[Louie would probably get in trouble if he tried to sail off all by himself, right? Right. He can't just suggest that.

... But he kind of assumes it's crossed Louie's mind at least once.]

[pennyloafer]

Thanks.

[Louie feels considerably more trusting, by now, in this phone call than he was with Armin. Sure, he's determined Armin must actually know him, but that whole thing is still weird. This is just some other young person. And he seems very smart and reasonable. After all, he agrees that being stuck in a boat is bad; that boat should go places.]

There's somewhere I wanna go... My brother told me about it.

[epitaffio]

Where is that?

[Chitchat may not be the most productive thing to do at the moment, but... it's not like either of them have any better ideas. And neither did he, the last time he checked in with him.]

[pennyloafer]

A place called Cape Suzette. Everything there is boats and planes, and I think that sounds pretty fun. With all those people going through, it's got to be interesting, right?

[epitaffio]

People coming and going... I live in a place sort of like that.

[pennyloafer]

You do? I bet it's really cool there. What's it called?

[epitaffio]

[...]

Um... Can you give me a minute?

[pennyloafer]

...What? Well, sure, but don't you just know?

[epitaffio]

I do! Just... hang on a minute.

[There is silence, except for what appears to be the faint sound of a pen on paper. Silence again. A brief, quiet and skeptical "Hmmmm." Pen on paper again. A few more moments pass, and finally...]

I live in Sardinia, but I'm not telling you exactly where, okay?

[pennyloafer]

...Sure, that's okay. I've never even heard of that place at all.

You're kinda weird, huh?

[epitaffio]

[On his end, he's making the uncomfortable, self-conscious face of a kid who gets that a lot. But this is a voice call, so what effectively happens is that, after a few moments of silence, he says:]

It's not weird to be careful when you're talking to strangers.

[pennyloafer]

Well, no, not usually. But I'm a kid too, what am I gonna do?

[epitaffio]

You could still be lying.

... Not that I think you are! But if someone wanted to be really careful, they might not trust you just because you sound like a kid.

[pennyloafer]

Huh... You mean, someone could pretend to be a kid to trick another kid? That makes sense, but it's kind of freaky.

[epitaffio]

Oh... Yeah, that too. [Yeesh.] But kids can lie too, right?

[pennyloafer]

Well, yeah, we can. But kids don't like to each other so much, I think. Like, it's normal to lie to adults to get out of trouble or something. But kids don't get a lot from lying to each other, unless you're tricking someone into giving you something I guess.