[The drooling Tribble kisses were comforting, even if they did vaguely smell like dirt and raw steak (ew). Genius--Topher now even if he was still having a hard time adjusting to his old name--was grateful that Rick seemed to be handling his memory return a lot better than him. It meant that he had someone to lean on, the same person he had always leaned on.

The person that didn't exist in his world. The one thing he didn't even realize was missing until everything else about himself was missing.

...God Edensphere had made him sappy.]

I did, I needed to just not deal with Gai and Be--Kakashi and Romana banter. I needed to just be alone for a bit to...to remember how to be Topher again.

[He smirked.]

I never thought I'd want to be him again but...he's me. Ben--Luke--was right. You can't run away from yourself forever. He--I'm--not a monster.

[He paused.]

Just...a very lost person. A very sad person. Who was lying to himself about how lost and sad he was.

[He thought about Rick's question for a long moment.]

I'm not sure. I don't think--ha. I've been gone for two years. [He stepped away and gave Rick a sad, slightly frightened look.] I'm pretty sure if I went back home, it would be very very bad. I'm not even sure I want to tell you what I think will happen.

[He fidgeted--he really couldn't keep this in, even if he knew it would bother Rick to know the truth of his world.]

Like, I'm pretty sure the evil corporation I work for will come after me, interrogate me to find out where I was and why I left my job for two years. They will then download my memories to prove I was where I said I was, then erase them and at best, make me into an Active, which is a memory less, personality less being. Ironic huh? At worst? They'll throw me into the Attic, which is basically a living nightmare that never ends.

I ah...come from a bad place.