It’s nice to meet you… And I would understand your confusion if you’re not in the correct body. Hm… ( This is a conundrum. It’s a good thing the other isn’t seriously hurt, but how would he stand in such a state, let alone start walking…? ) If you’d like, I can try to teach you…?

( They kneel down slowly, assessing his condition; the scrapes aren’t life-threatening, thank goodness. But he doesn’t seem to be interested in moving. ) Of course, I’ll help you as much as I can. My name is Dragon. What’s yours…? And what happened? ( Their voice is soft, but a bit aged. )

That does sound exciting, I’m glad you’re getting enjoyment out of it. Sometimes, curiosity is a better feeling than knowing everything right away.

black holes going off next to me

it's okay. I'm a professional and this happens all the time. ( this is not reassuring )

MORE

my secret stacking technique ( it literally breaks the laws of physics )

Can I come over and watch with you

That's right, you wouldn't have background processes, just your own thoughts! That's an interesting trade off. ( They're starting to sound a little more energetic. )

( The pile isn't really that big - just some things that were left behind during camping, or something similar. Dragon can use all of them for their own shelter... although the sound of movement makes their ear perk up in the other's direction. )

Oh, that sounds wonderful. Hopefully it wasn't too overstimulating at first?

( Without much to talk about, the house becomes awkwardly quiet again as Dragon waits for the delivery. They should really say something... ) Anything else exciting about humanity thus far...?

( This melancholic feeling is one that Dragon knows all too well. The sheer exhaustion, without any rest to alleviate it. The mood that can be felt, even without speaking at all. ) ( The old Robot Master was standing by Lunus' side not to attempt conversation, but to just... be present for them. )

( ... All they're doing is trying to help, right? Seeing him so tense and irritated makes them doubt their actions every single time. ) ( Dragon just nods without a word, getting up from the computer desk and heading past him, back upstairs. )

Mega, I'm doing this because I want to. It'll be here in a little while, alright?

washing our powers so hard rn

It's really alright! I want you to have a good first impression. ( They call from the computer console. And they click the 'order' button; holy shit, how fast did they put everything in?? )

oooough… power wash simulator…

ㅤ ㅤㅤWHAT THE HELL IS EVEN THAT ㅤ

... Yeah, I'm going to order something. I'll be right back. ( They head downstairs to use the computer. )

Most of this requires combinations and cooking... which I don't know much about. Enker's better at it than I am. ( They sheepishly gaze away. ) I can order for something to be delivered...

It’s no problem, haha. ( They accompany him to the fridge. They don’t anticipate much being in there, since Dr. Light’s usually the only one using it… )

Oh— Mega, you’re still wet…! ( Dragon gets up and follows him there, towel still in hand. )

( They pause to think. They don't feel it like humans do; so all the way back to when their father described it... ) ... I've heard that it's like a pit deep in your abdomen. Not necessarily /pain,/ but a unique discomfort.

I didn’t think you were. I don’t mean to be overbearing. ( Shrug. ) … Are you hungry, though? You must be by now…

( It seems like they have something specific to say about his last comment, but they hold their tongue and say something else. ) … I didn’t… think you /were/“some kid”. You’re the one who’s been working so hard, despite being in a different body. You carried me back…

I know, but I want to rest /after/ I’m sure you won’t catch a cold. ( Sure, that’s an old wives’ tale, but Dragon won’t take no for an answer regardless. )

Well, thank you. It’s dry now. ( They gently hold onto the towel, inching it towards him. ) So let me return the favor.

Well, yeah, heh. It's... really nice to be taken care of. I'm not used to it. ( They open their optics again, laughing just a bit. ) Did you dry off, too...?

( Is that purring he hears…? They smile a little, enjoying how that feels. ) … Thank you. ( They say in a whisper. )

( Dragon sinks into the cushions, with their optics opening back up just a little. They’re sort of half-asleep, but it’s still better than being panicked. ) ( They let their eyes close again once he comes back, but they can’t hide their tail swaying. True to their word, they know when he’s there. )

( When they get inside, they seem to unconsciously shudder, uncomfortable with the rainwater soaking them. They must have been out there for a long time; no wonder they’re so drained… )

Oh, that’s a good thing, at least. I’m glad you were unaffected by whatever’s going on… ( They sound a little rattled… ) My body didn’t change, but, um… I suppose experiencing a horrific endless hallway counts?

( It's a strange noise coming from the woods! It's hard to make out, but there's a distinct, large silhouette going through a pile of things that had previously been discarded. They look like an animal, but it's soon apparent that isn't the case. ) Humans will throw away /anything/ these days...

That's... a good point. That helps a lot. Thanks... ( They relax further, no longer holding up their own weight. Reassured, Dragon feels safe enough to drift into sleep mode. They're still soaking wet, but at least the chill isn't bothering them...? )

I just hope I don't have another dream like that... ( They're still unsure if it was or not. Either way, if Mega weren't here, they'd probably refuse to drift off like this. ) ... Thank you for believing me.

It's kind of... reassuring, actually. I'll still hear your presence, even if I fall asleep. ( Seems like they know exactly what's about to happen. )

( They freeze, taken aback by how easily he's carrying them... but after a couple seconds, they relax, leaning their head onto him. That ordeal exhausted them. ) ... I can hear it. The heartbeat, I mean. ( They speak quietly, but they sound much less afraid. )

( They catch onto his fear, but who could blame him? They need to distract him. They both need a distraction, to be honest. They gaze back up, towards the trees and the rainy sky. ) We should... get back to the labs. It's freezing out here.

( They cautiously nod. They're slowly coming down from the mental break; gripping just a bit tighter, but not enough to be uncomfortable. ) I-I'd be unsettled by that, too. Especially the heartbeat... ( This is just as unexplainable as Dragon being from the future. These things just /happen./ )

That means I can’t… nothing can repair you, if… ( No, Dragon. Get your mind off of the negatives, before you lose it completely. Don’t drag him into your fears, too. ) … How does it feel? I-It must be strange. ( It’s the best save they can manage. )

Th-Thank you… ( Dragon wraps their arms around him, but their grip is so, so very light. Their first law protocol is alerting them so badly that they’re afraid to even touch him. ) ( And the /heartbeat./ Dear God, it’s true. This /is/ real. ) You’re actually… human, now…?

( It means a /lot,/ actually. Mega believes them? He doesn't think they're making things up? It's enough to get them to tear up again, almost unable to speak for a moment. ) I'm... really afraid. I-I don't know what's real and what isn't. It asked me if I was really /alive,/ and... I didn't know.

( At least that seems to calm them down slightly; because yeah, they don’t know the answers to anything, either. And they need to talk to /someone/ familiar, despite the worry that he might not be real. ) I… T-There was a door…

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤI dreamt last night. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤI expected it a little, being human now, but it was still jarring to wake up from. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤI don't remember where I was in the dream. I don't think I was /anywhere,/ I just was. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤAnd, for the most part, I was alone. ㅤ

( It’s enough to make them scramble to sit upright. They’re /terrified,/ clearly. ) Y-You’re not— You can’t be… Mega isn’t— ( But he has the missing eye and the scar, still; it’s his face, his resemblance. So why…? Was this still part of the nightmare? )

( They slowly shift their head to look up towards him. They look /awful,/ like they'd been crying for hours. ) ... Wh... M-Mega...? Is that you...? ( They're not even sure of /that,/ considering his appearance. )

( <— lying there face first. absolutely sopping wet. unmoving. )

( They hardly react to it at first. Their temperature is spiking, everything feels fuzzy, and their optics burn with saline. ) ( After a few moments, they shakily reach for the handle, certain that it’d lead to the same hallway. )