Stone's Throw

[Charon Tethras]

"Seventeen," he says bitterly. "They won't  let me go until I'm seventeen, because I'm a merikos. Same for you I guess. Should be fifteen though."

[Diligence]

"Sure, but I'm not merikos," Dil points out. "...or at least, I'm like almost certain I am."

[Charon Tethras]

"Oh, really?" he asks. "Somehow I thought you were like me. Anyway, then I guess you could petition to be emancipated?"

[Diligence]

"You can? How does that even work?" Dil looks interested but dubious. 

[Charon Tethras]

"I mean you turned fifteen so for a short-lived, that's adulthood. So you uh. Tell them. That?" Charon sounds dubious by the end. 

[Diligence]

"...tell who? My Good Parents?" Dil sounds very dubious from the start.

[Charon Tethras]

"Whoever, uh. Makes the assignments? Don't you have a caseworker?"

[Diligence]

"That... seems like a thing I should have, yes. How do you find them? Or contact them?" Dil blinks rapidly, tongue flicking out in counterpoint. Have I ever met my caseworker? How would I tell?

[Charon Tethras]

"Uh. Mine shows up whenever I get kicked out or thrown away," he points out. "She gave me her address but I lost it."

[Diligence]

"Huh. Guess that's why I don't know who mine is," Dil realizes awkwardly. "Doesn't matter; there's no way it'd work. Plus you'd still be in the system, right?"

[Charon Tethras]

Charon blinks. "Well, yeah, but so what? I'll survive."

[Diligence]

"I hope so, yes." Dil gives Charon a funny look. "This is all in the aims of not being separated so please survive. I'm way away from being able to summon you back as yourself."

[Charon Tethras]

"I meant more, nobodys sending me across the city. I might een be able to stay here the next ouple years and stick it out. Who knows."

[Diligence]

"You really think so?"

[Charon Tethras]

Charon hesitates, tail lashing. "I mean, I've got a good setup here... it's possible..."