GRADUATION

[descentinto]

[ There’s a spark in the darkness outside the dome, somewhere. The pale rainbow of some kind of bio-luminescent jellyfish. Then another. Then two more. Then ten more.

Within moments, the seafloor around you is illuminated by jellyfish, shining brighter than nature should allow, and you find your surroundings changed. Statues, piles of gold, paintings, all of them lie scattered around for as far as the eye can see in any direction. Just a disgusting amount of wealth.

The frosted glass box in front of all of you just… vanishes. And standing at a podium that doesn’t at all match the previous silhouette, you finally get to see The Professor, in all his slightly ghoulish glory.

Honestly? This might be exactly the kind of man you pictured he would be. ]

Allow me to introduce myself properly, boys and girls. I am Professor Gunnar Maelstrom, one of the five sitting members of the Faculty here at VILE. I suppose, one way or another, this is where it ends.

[ You’re getting close, gumshoes! Don’t give up! ]

Comments

[hardnosed]

So we're supposed to be, what — your couriers?

[descentinto]

No. What VILE produces best: thieves.

[bogwife]

Thieves- is that why there were all those odd rooms? The museum, the crime exhibit, the aquarium.

Were all the things in there stolen? [DID SOMEONE STEAL SHARKS?]

[descentinto]

We've stolen several of them, but these truly are all digital copies. Our main opposition fell behind a while ago, and is still struggling to keep up.

[ladygeryon]

Your main opposition?

[descentinto]

A former student. We took care of some of her associates, but... judging by the tone of your ghost friend, she might be back in the game enough to worry us. A problem for once this is ended.

[philoxenia]

Ah, no wonder you were so riled up with Nova. She's certainly given you trouble, hasn't she?

[descentinto]

More than you know. But she vanished for a bit once her friends were convinced over to our side, and that gave us the chance to really get the gears of this operation going.

[philoxenia]

"Convinced." Is that what you're calling it now?

[descentinto]

... You know full well what I meant.

[philoxenia]

Do I? You're a professor, you should really be more precise and careful about your wording.

[nothingcanstop]

"Convinced" or "brainwashed?" Come on, we're smarter than that.

[bolderfell]

[He chews a bite of muffin thoughtfully.]

Would that be Subject Gamma, or someone else?

[descentinto]

Subject Gamma is effectively an entirely unrelated matter. A failed attempt to search for someone to create the environment I was looking for.

[philoxenia]

You're just mad she outsmarted you and managed to escape.

[ladygeryon]

[A smirk.] So even your own students don't fall in lockstep with your twisted ideals.

[descentinto]

The one. A particularly talented one, but just the one nonetheless. At any rate, she and her little... hacker sidekick are not a barrier right now.

[hardnosed]

[ oh, gross

(no offense therion)

(some offense therion, she's still herself) ]

Is that how you got the Rejuvenator.

[descentinto]

Once it became clear that the two of you were here and would prove resistant to the biological approach to brainwashing, we needed options. That proved the easiest one.

[hardnosed]

You were gonna reset Pink Diamond because it was easier.

[ rip professor maelstrom, brained by pink's stupid clown shoes
... although honestly maybe this is her and rose's fault for even mentioning rejuvenators, serves her right for ever conducting any conversation whatsoever ]

[descentinto]

[ rip in fuck everyone involved in this choice ]

Yes, well... it was never exactly a perfect plan.