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

[bolderfell]

[He does, and he doesn't say much of anything for a while after he closes the door. He stays near it, too.]

...Can he?

[didntgetdadslooks]

Can he what?

[bolderfell]

Make our secrets common knowledge.

[didntgetdadslooks]

I've never seen him make an idle threat before.

[bolderfell]

I see.

That's all I really came to ask. I'll let you get back to... whatever you do.

[didntgetdadslooks]

Right.

[ There's a small pause. ]

For what it's worth, I'm sorry. He didn't... he never said he was going to do this.

[bolderfell]

...To do what?

[didntgetdadslooks]

The whole... pushing you guys thing.

[bolderfell]

[He just looks at her for a while, maybe searching her face, before he breathes out and closes his eyes.]

And now you know. No one ever tells you they're going to pull the rug out from under your feet.

You thought this would go differently, huh?

[didntgetdadslooks]

I don't know how, exactly, but... yeah, kind of.

[bolderfell]

Did you trust him?

[didntgetdadslooks]

I didn't really have much choice. Really starting to think I had way less of a choice in all this than I thought I did.

[bolderfell]

[Finally, he quits hovering near the door. He doesn't move far, but it's something. Makes him look less cornered and ready to stalk off.]

Had to work with him long?

[didntgetdadslooks]

I've never worked with him directly before, not like this. I've been living in some other less intense facilities around him for a year or so now, though.

[bolderfell]

[Ah. Hmm.]

And he didn't seem like the type to do this at the time. To push.

[didntgetdadslooks]

He's a scientist. I assumed he'd set things up and leave them alone.

[bolderfell]

Like scholars ever know when to leave well enough alone. Those meddlesome...

[He lets the grumble trail off, tugging at his scarf.]

Don't suppose you could say more now. About what he wants from us, or what you do... You're still bound by his rules.

[didntgetdadslooks]

I'm still bound by his rules. He made sure to remind me, too, before he gave you all the envelopes.

[ She sighs. ]

But if I had to say something, I guess I'd say... you guys could be doing worse than exploring the place like you are. And talking to each other about what you find now and then is a pretty good move, strategically. Not that I'm saying anything for sure, of course. Obviously.

[bolderfell]

Of course.

[...]

I heard you're providing some of us with requested items. Nothing in return. Is that right?

[didntgetdadslooks]

Yup. I already put in this week's shipment, but I can take something down for next week, if you want.

[bolderfell]

[He shakes his head.]

There isn't anything you want?

[didntgetdadslooks]

I mean... sure there are some things, but my job here is getting stuff for you guys.

[bolderfell]

I'm a thief. I take or I trade. In my world, someone offers goods for free? It's a trap.

[didntgetdadslooks]

In fairness, the guy I work for has pretty seriously inconvenienced you guys.

[ She sighs, turning towards the shelves. ]

Besides, I have a bunch of stuff here already.

[bolderfell]

[He follows her gaze, looking from object to object.]

...I have a big picture of a waterfall. That's some place on "Earth," right?