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]

[ ...At least she doesn't have to start suddenly worrying about some avenging beasts rising up and killing all of them. ]

At least you understand that. What do you have for us? Instead of asking me what I want--what can you even do for me?

[didntgetdadslooks]

Well...

[ She gestures to her tablet. ]

I can requisition small supplies you guys need - or want, really, it's my jurisdiction - as long as they're not... I can't exactly get you bombs or anything like that. And if you need someone to talk to - or yell at - The Professor does listen in, but I'm specifically forbidden from discussing anything said in here with anyone else without express permission. I also monitor the facility to keep the lights on and the walls intact, but I doubt that's what you mean.

[nothingcanstop]

So, you can give us things to placate us until your boss makes us crack.

[ Della gives Angel her full attention now. ]

What's your job here? Babysitter? What does the Professor get, from you?

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Oh Boy. ]

I...

[ She sighs, swallowing down... something. Fear? Anger? Who knows. ]

I'm trying to help. My job is to watch you guys, but... I chose to come here because I wanted to help. I can't speak for The Professor, but my job description didn't include that when I took it.

[nothingcanstop]

What are you trying to help with? To help him? Or us?

[ That's what it comes down to, isn't it? ]

[didntgetdadslooks]

I'm here because I owe the Professor... a lot. But he doesn't exactly spend time pretending to be a hero, and I'm not stupid enough to think he is one. I'm sympathetic to you guys as much as I can be, but... I have a set of rules I have to follow too. I can't help doing some things that help him here. That was the job when I took it. I'm not going to lie about that.

[ She exhales. ]

But at the end of the day, I want to do what good I can do. And when he explained this whole thing, that meant signing up to try to stop what I can. So you guys can at least have one person saying maybe you shouldn't kill each other, and who will be as honest as she can about her intentions. I've never been in the business of betraying the good guys.

[nothingcanstop]

[ She listens. That's all Della can do, she does listen. And... ]

...That profile of yours, is that accurate?

[didntgetdadslooks]

Yup. Just as much as all the others.

[nothingcanstop]

So. When all of this is done, however it shakes out, you want to see the world. Go look at all the...souvenirs you got here, except up close. Where they're supposed to be.

[ She's back to looking at those. ]

Who are you going to see it with? The Professor?

[didntgetdadslooks]

Hopefully not. I know better than to think any of you guys are going to want to hang out a bunch when this is over, but... I've never really been able to be out on my own. Even if it doesn't come for a while, that really is what I want.

[nothingcanstop]

Well, let me tell you, one world-traveler to a wannabe: Being on your own isn't all it's cracked up to be.

[ ...It's pity. It's anger in Della, but- it's pity, too. ]

Seeing the world doesn't mean anything unless you have people to share it with. And if this is how you're trying to do some good, then I don't think you're going to have many, at the end of all this. Not even that asshole.

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Angel doesn't say anything for a bit, and can't quite meet Della's eyes. ]

... Maybe that's the price I have to pay in the end. But I don't have anywhere to go back to, so all I can really do is move forward.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Without another word, Della turns to leave. But. ]

Some of the others might look at you as a kid. ...I sure know for a moment I did. [ There's just...an air about her. But- ] But I know you're old enough to make your own decisions.

You're old enough to know what you're doing is wrong, if you're going to start talking about...good guys and bad guys. If you keep hurtling forward, you're going to crash and burn. And you're going to be all alone.

[ Endless nights. Tally marks on a wall. Days on end talking to people, who in the end never heard her. ]

Think about that. If this price for...whatever the Professor's doing isn't enough.

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Can't believe Angel just got fuckin wrecked by a duck. ]

... Alright.