westedge | PC: Mizuki

This city's not too wildly different from home, there's just not... much.

[ says child spoiled by tokyo. anyway, she follows. ]

I can admit that it's a little bigger than where I'm from. All of this is stuff that exists and I know what it's like, but...having all of it so close is what's new. [ there's a pause. ] I guess being able to do all of these things and afford stuff is also new.

Right... You're probably from that same small town Alex is, aren't you?

[ hm. ]

Sort of. I just moved there not long before we got here. But before that I was from a different small town not that far from where she's from.

From one small town to another, huh?

Yup. But Camena's a crapton nicer than Westedge, so if you want to hear about something better talk to Alex. She'd know the town better than me at this point.

Oh, I asked her about it. She said there was nothing to do and it was full of old people, but she likes swimming in the freezing cold ocean for some reason.

[ just. rolling his eyes. they're still walking but he shakes his head at the response anyway. ]

That sounds about right, yeah. Right down to the ocean. The place I'm from wasn't as close to the water, so that's kind of new. And we had old people but it was mostly a bunch of bankers and farmers and people who didn't want to do any better with their lives. Not exactly tourist-worthy or anything.

Neither one of you make the boonies sound appealing like, at all.

I don't think it's supposed to be appealing. It's just where we ended up. [ funny. ] As far as I know, Alex is thinking about leaving as soon as we graduate anyway. So it's not like it's forever. There're plenty of places around that're bigger.

Yeah, she told me that too... So where do you wanna go?

[ this is where he gets a little unsure of things, walking to the theater in silent for a few minutes. ]

I haven't really thought about it. For a while it was about not really wanting to leave. And then things changed and we left anyway. And now it's about if I think I can leave and actually make it work.

I don’t see why not. There’s more to do in other cities, right?

Sure, obviously. But it's the whole...trying to figure out how to support yourself in another city and start there permanently. [ ...but mizuki's 12, so he veers off the subject as the theater comes into view. ]

Who knows? Maybe I'll just go where Alex goes.

Heh heh, attached to her already?

Maybe. [ easily. ] We've...been through a lot together. So it makes sense to stay together, too. But we'll see how it goes once we finish school and graduate. Maybe she'll change her mind, or maybe I will.

If nothing else, maybe you'll be close enough to visit often.

We'll see if she's sick of me by then. [ a joke. kind of. but they're at the theater! so he's derailing them to look at posters. ] A lot of these are older, but what kind of movie do you want to see?