WEEK 5

[bathymetric]

That's three murders now - and this last trial got more than slightly out of hand. It looks like you might be in for another tough week... or at least, maybe that's just the refusal of this place to change too much. You lose Saturday again, but maybe six-day weeks are starting to feel normal by now. Who knows? The cycle of day and night continues apace, changing so little.

Speaking of change, though, there's a new area to look through, the biggest and most complex yet. And the end of one wing of the facility, from the looks of it - though you can probably guess where more areas might start to open up.

And speaking of opening up (segues!), this week if you're out particularly late, you might sometimes see Angel out and about! So hey, maybe change is on the horizon.

Just gotta hope it's a change for the better, don't you?



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to Week 5! Remember to turn in AC here, threads for regain coins here, and if you feel so inclined you can visit Angel's office hours over here! Or, if you want Angel to come to you, that's now an option! Simply put a prompt after lights-out into your toplevel and indicate you want Angel in the subject line, same as investigations! ]

Comments

excuse me ma’am that’s my emotional support watermelon

[hardnosed]

[ Unfortunately for Della, and indeed everyone, Jasper knows the word watermelon now! Thanks, Mira. Thanks a lot.

She’s stalking down the hall with more than a few coins of her own when Della sticks her head out, so to enter the vending machine room is just a logical next step. Once she’s in there: ]

Oh. [ She crosses her arms across her chest. ] Rose made that.

[nothingcanstop]

[ This is sure going to be a thing! Della looks from Jasper to the watermelon. ]

Oh! Oh, should I, uh...track her down?

[hardnosed]

[ She appears to seriously think it over, which is definitely born of concern for Rose!! ]

Do what you want. But since I recognize it, she might not. I'm years ahead of her.

[nothingcanstop]

You are...? Oh. [ This is...news! ] That must be kinda weird... So, this is a thing she made recently? A...little round watermelon kid?

[ Like no judgment but huh, at least Donald's emotional support watermelon was just a mouse head he could hold. ]

[hardnosed]

Not just this one. There's a whole colony of them on some island in the middle of nowhere. It's ridiculous. [ ... ] Tell me you haven't seen this one move.

[nothingcanstop]

A...a colony...?! [ ROSE??? ] No! No, not at all, it's been uh...still as anything. Kind of creepily. You- it's normally alive?

[hardnosed]

Good. The last thing I want to deal with is more of her.

[ And we don't have time to unpack all that, so let's immediately continue on to— ]

It's one of her powers — making living sentries out of organic life. [ It's just plants, but Jasper historically doesn't exactly draw a line between literally any kind of non-Gem life form, so. ] I don't know why she made these ones so small and weak, though.

[ it is the size of a 14 year old boy ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ so she.......creates life, you say ]

It, uh. It...kinda looks like the size of a kid. [ ... ] Like. A human kid, duck kids are smaller.

[hardnosed]

[ oh my god it's the crossover we've needed all along ]

... wait, is that what she's been doing? Making kids?

[ literally, yes ]

[nothingcanstop]

You'd...probably have to ask her. ...The future her. That her. Or...maybe Rose here could have some insight?

[ Gently...trying to get them to talk to each other...again... ]

[hardnosed]

And owe her something?

[ SORRY, DELLA... ]

She knows where I stand. The fact that I'm not spending my every waking moment trying to shatter her is more than she deserves.

[nothingcanstop]

Don't think about it as owing, think about it as- as gathering information!

[ She's fighting a losing battle. ]

[hardnosed]

You don't know the Crystal Gems. There's no limit to their lies.

[nothingcanstop]

[ well this is gonna be real funny later huh ]

That's...true, I don't... But wouldn't it be in Rose's best interests to, you know...not cooperate, with all of us...? If...you make it sound like something of importance, to the group...?

[hardnosed]

"All of us" isn't me. Maybe if you asked her, or one of the others — but she's got no reason to give me anything.

[ But she pauses after the instinctive response, appearing to consider this. ]

Why do you want me to talk to her?

[ Since this is not the first time it's come up! ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Aw, heck. ]

...Because I think it would do some good, if you could just...communicate with each other. There's clearly a lot of disconnect and...and it might be a little easier around here for you, if you at least could come to some kind of...truce.

[hardnosed]

What?

[ The reason why she asked this, and why she looks truly puzzled, is made clear in a few seconds. ]

This is a truce.

[nothingcanstop]

I mean... [ Della waves her hand back and forth. ] I guess, but...you guys still sort of...scream at each other. Often.

[hardnosed]

So you want us... to talk more.

[ Della. ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Listen? She's stupid?? ]

Yeah! I mean- no- well- maybe to get used to the talking-without-screaming part! Try and have a...a conversation. Like this! [ ... ] This is a bad example.

[hardnosed]

[ Almost despite herself, she snorts under her breath. ]

It's a lot better than anything I've managed with her.

[nothingcanstop]

...Okay. Fair, in that case.