Audience: Sheila Hammond

[probe]

Comments

[toesies]

Completely understandable.

[Nodding, nodding, taking a sip from her drink...]

Anyway! You've heard of what happened to me on Thursday, right?

[probe]

I've heard, yes. One of you told one of us and information spread from there.

[toesies]

Great, I don't have to go through all the details. Do you know anything at all about how or why that happened? Because I only enjoy being eaten in a sexual context so that was not fun.

[probe]

Again, your kinks are not my kinks, Mrs. Hammond. [why does this happen. but they pause to think.]

As for what it was and how it happened...that we are more uncertain of. We're looking into it.

[toesies]

[She shrugs and smiles like, just saying!]

Ugh. Well, I don't know if this means anything at all. But it was very heavy handed with the gluttony, and we had to step on a circle with your colors to leave. Maybe something went wrong with the recalibration?

[She has no idea what the recalibration actually is. It's fine.]

[probe]

Perhaps...[they seem to be contemplating this.]

What was it you were doing just prior to leaving?

[toesies]

[suddenly looking away fastly.]

... If you mean immediately before, that would be waking up in cages.

[probe]

[hm.]

So you were locked in cages, and then stepped in a circle as if to activate a portal back to the base. Is that it?

[toesies]

That would not be incorrect, no.

[probe]

Simply...sitting in cages? Waiting to be set free?

[they will wait.]

[toesies]

The cages were unlocked?

[probe]

[...hm x2]

And prior to that? What happened before you were in cages?

[toesies]

[... LOOKS AWAY BUT HARDER.]

We died. Of starvation.

[probe]

...a faulty recalibration would make the most sense with the evidence provided. And you were alive upon awakening in the cage.

[hm.] Might there be anything the four of you have in common?

[toesies]

... It can't be our alignment because Takeru and I are gluttons, and Vira and Harrow are with Despair. And I don't think "not wanting to die" counts as something to have in common. [SHE SQUINTS, SHAKING HER ONE BRAINCELL.] Not eating people we like should also be a given, so that's a no.

[probe]

[they lift a few noodles up with a pair of chopsticks. they disappear into the void of the hood.]

In any case, I don't imagine you'll be going back anytime soon.

[toesies]

[...

A beat.]

What if we wanted to?

[probe]

I can assure you that you do not.

[toesies]

But what if we wanted to anyway?

[probe]

Again, I assure you, you do not.

[toesies]

And I am telling you, we need to.

[probe]

For what possible reason would you need to go back? If it was an error in the recalibration, what makes you think it will be exactly as it was?

[toesies]

Well... [She hesitates, frowning.] There was this little girl. We feel shitty that we left her behind.

[probe]

...are you sure that's what you did?

[toesies]

What do you mean?