OFFICE HOURS

[didntgetdadslooks]

Got something you want to say to your good friend The Professor's Assistant? Come on in, don't be shy! Her official hours are daylight hours - girl has to sleep? after all, probably - but if you knock on the door at night she'll generally answer. Please just make sure to leave the in-game date and time in the header of your toplevel!

All comments are screened for confidentiality during the course of the experiment.

Comments

[nothingcanstop]

[ Have you regained control over all that permanently then?
The glowy tattoo stuff? ]

...Yeah, if I'm going to worry about suffocating to death, I'd rather it be once a week rather than full time. [ That's a bit of forced sarcasm. Della doesn't seem too pleased to be saying it. Instead she drops her eyes to some of the notes mentally re-calibrating. ]

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ No idea, was more of an outburst
Going to work on it ]

The facility should be fine. It's actually really safe, for a building constructed for underwater murder.

[ And, interestingly- Have you been in that room yourself? ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ She's asking a question this time? Huh... Well, Della was about to ask about the mask, but-

Not yet
Had other things to think about ]

I'll have to take your word for that one... Even though I did learn you can't lie to us.

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Tried to go in there last night, got really shaky and sweaty. Assume that's not happening to you guys. ]

Yeah, that's... well, I guess it's the kind of thing I'd lie about if I could, but it's true.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Mira and Rhea didn't mention anything like that. ]

It sounds about like the kind of rule you'd have. [ ... ] So. Did you know about today's offer in advance?

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Hm. She doesn't write out a response to that. ]

I learn about the offers not too long before you guys do.

[nothingcanstop]

[ ... ]

Do you know if he can actually do it?

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ ... Ah. ]

I mean... with the way the machine works, it wouldn't be too hard to send someone to force your hand on something one way or the other, no.

[nothingcanstop]

So, he sends someone else back through time to correct that mistake. And then what happens? Does the timeline reset? Does it create an offshoot? What happens?

[didntgetdadslooks]

I... don't know.

[ Now that's the sound of a girl who's just come into a few Big Regrets herself. ]

But I'm sure he has a plan to figure it out.

[nothingcanstop]

"A plan" isn't good enough. He can't expect anyone to listen to his suggestions without a detailed briefing. That's just sloppy.

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Angel shrugs. ]

I think sometimes people don't-

[ She pauses, visibly suddenly annoyed, and puts a hand to her earpiece. ]

He says he'll make it change your personal timeline. Not just create a new split. Or he can just send you wherever in time you need to be to fix it yourself, if you don't trust him.

[nothingcanstop]

[ ...]

...He's listening right now, huh? He's talking to you.

[didntgetdadslooks]

Apparently.

[ For once, Angel is outwardly and visibly Not Here For This Shit. ]

[nothingcanstop]

Can I feed a message to him?

[didntgetdadslooks]

Fire away.

[nothingcanstop]

[ She leans in, a little, and her voice drops to a low growl. ]

You overblown, tyrannical piece of shit. You slimy, underhanded monster. I will, I will make you regret targeting me. This isn't a threat, it's a promise. I'll make you the one with regrets.

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Angel gives an impressed look. ]

I'm sure he heard you loud and clear.

[nothingcanstop]

...He better.

[ Della's shoulders slump a little. It doesn't look like this is giving her the catharsis she wanted. ]

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Angel sighs. She looks... more tired than she's probably looked before in here. ]

He's a bastard, it's good to remind him.

[nothingcanstop]

I'll remind him too. After the jab he made, I don't think he's allowed to have a single word in this conversation.

You have any idea where he gets these ideas from? ...The offers, threats?

[didntgetdadslooks]

He's a criminal psychologist watching and gathering data on a lot of stressed people. My guess is he just runs data about what has the best chance of working each week.

[nothingcanstop]

That all, huh...? [ Her eyes narrow. She's...she's thinking. Maybe not nice thinking. There are questions she could ask. Aren't there? But right now, she can't...think of any. ] He can just do that. Flip someone's whole life upside-down. Just...whatever regret. Whatever we want...

...as long as we throw away our morals.

[didntgetdadslooks]

And trusting him, don't forget that one.

[ That actually seems to get Angel angry for a second, which... might not be an emotion she's actually displayed in front of anyone here yet? Huh. But she bites it back. ]

Just remember, you'll still have been here.

[nothingcanstop]

[ If only Della could take note of that, right now... ]

...So how's that work? I go back, if I don't die in the process of throwing all these perfectly nice and innocent people under the bus, remember everything the way it was, and have to just pretend that actually I didn't throw myself into outer space with no recovery plan, letting everyone I love believe I was lost forever?

I just pretend that didn't happen?