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[samsa]

Hello! I'm not around at the moment, but if you leave a message I'll get back to you!

[Beep!]

Comments

[shuttermouse]

Maybe they're just hanging out? [She says, biting off a large chunk of her taiyaki.]

[samsa]

Mm...maybe. They sure have been there a while, though... Maybe they just don't move around much...?

[He's not insanely familiar with Paras to begin with, this being the first time he's ever encountered one.]

[shuttermouse]

I guess [ chew ] that's possible... [ Chie, don't talk with your mouth full, that's rude. ]

I wonder if the mushrooms on their back are edible.

[samsa]

[Kaneki looks over at Chie as she says that, paling a bit. It doesn't help that she's eating something very close to his ear.]

...that sounds disgusting.

[THOSE THINGS ARE BUGS OR SOMETHING]

[shuttermouse]

I wouldn't eat them, I was just wondering. [ She agrees, it does sound pretty disgusting.

There's a pause as she takes out her PokéGear to see what the Pokédex has to say about it. ]

"Paras has parasitic mushrooms growing on its back called tochukaso. They grow large by drawing nutrients from this Bug Pokémon host. They are highly valued as a medicine for extending life. "

[samsa]

They're used in medicine?

[He whispers, keeping his voice low so as not to scare the Paras away. They don't seem particularly eager to get going anywhere any time soon, though, so it's probably fine.]

I wonder if that hurts them at all...

[shuttermouse]

I'm sure there would be laws against that if taking the mushrooms hurts them. The locals here are really big on treating Pokémon well.

[samsa]

That's true. And if they're a parasite, maybe removing their mushrooms is actually doing them a favor.

[Now that he looks at them more closely, it does look like the mushrooms are growing right on their bodies.]

[shuttermouse]

Probably, yeah. The mushrooms could possibly kill the host bug eventually.

[ She moves a few steps closer to the Paras, looking intently at them. ]

[samsa]

[The Paras nearest to the edge of the rock lifts its head, blinking slowly as it watches Chie approach. It responds by edging a bit closer to its partner, nudging its head against the other's with a soft series of clicks.

Kaneki follows behind, lifting his bag a bit higher on his shoulders.]

Do you think they just...grow back? Even if they're removed?

[shuttermouse]

[ She shrugs. ]

I dunno. If there are any spores and stuff left, then... probably?

[samsa]

[He can't help but shudder at the thought. It sounds terrible, living like that with something just...feeding off of you, constantly.]

Well...they do seem pretty happy, either way. Maybe they're just used to it.

[shuttermouse]

Yeah. It seems to be a species-wide thing, so maybe they're... born with them, or they come in contact with the spores shortly after hatching. Maybe from their parents?

[samsa]

That would make a lot of sense, actually. Then it would just keep getting passed down to each generation.

They're actually...sortof cute, in a way.

[shuttermouse]

...Yeah, for a parasite-infested bug I suppose they're sort of cute.

[samsa]

[Well when you put it that way...]

Even the weirder things around here seem cuter than they should be, though. It's...really strange.

[shuttermouse]

It is a franchise for kids. Maybe that's why?

[samsa]

That's true. I guess it's easy to forget that.

[...he's a little surprised he did, actually.]

I guess these two don't plan on going anywhere any time soon.

[shuttermouse]

They're probably going to be here all day.

[ The Paras seem to be having a good time hanging out on a rock, though. ]

Maybe I should catch one of them.

[samsa]

Yeah?

[He looks back at the Pokemon, both of which are still very much aware of Kaneki and Chie's presence, but don't seem to mind their audience much. They haven't done anything but watch them, anyway.]

What about the other one?

[shuttermouse]

I don't want both. [ And she doesn't seem to have any issues with the idea of separating the two. ]

[samsa]

[Well he certainly does, and it's evident in his expression as he looks back over at the Paras.]

You don't think that would upset the other one, though? They do seem to be pretty close...

[shuttermouse]

Why don't you catch the other one, then?

[samsa]

Well...I guess I could.

[He's probably going to regret this later but goshdang he suddenly cares very much about the outcomes of the lives of these tiny parasite crab things.]

[shuttermouse]

Okay, let's do this. [ She opens her shoulder bag, pulling out an empty Pokéball which she throws at one of the parasite crabs. The ball successfully connects and the poor thing goes inside with a flash of light, and it shakes a few times before that click is heard.

Chie Hori is now +1 Paras. ]