video

[mutab1e]

[Stop the presses, it's a video post today. Maybe Equius really doesn't want to bother, because it's a very short message, and he looks like he's pretty tired out from... something or another.]

If anyone sees a tyrian-blood troll named Nepeta Leijon, please tell me. Immediately.

[His expression is unusually severe.]

Comments

[restitchtime]

I know her name, but I also know someone with the same name who I'm marginally more attached to. She gets an epitaph for showing up late to the clusterfuck.

I'm in 1-11, but I don't think you'll find her here anymore. All her shit's gone and her name's off the sign on the door.

[mutab1e]

[No... shit... NO.]





-(Wha+)
-(Are you sure)

[restitchtime]

I live in the same goddamn room as her. I'm pretty fucking sure of what I'm saying.

[mutab1e]

-(A1righ+)
-(Im sorry)
-(+hank you for +e11ing me)

[Equius may or may not be sprinting to room 1-11 as we speak and slamming on the door. He really doesn't give a shit care shit about politeness right now, NEPETA IS GONE.]

[restitchtime]

[and Rose is definitely leaning back on the stool in the communications room on her floor at the sudden commotion. she's about the let the stool legs slam back down onto the floor and go about her business when it registers that this guy is banging on her door.

for shit's sake. is there no such thing as a peaceful moment around here? she raises her voice a little to get his attention.]

Oh, what the fuck?

[mutab1e]

[Equius pushes the door open, and Rose is greeted with the ugly visage of a very disheveled troll muttering things under his breath and looking around. Yes... this room would look very different if Nepeta was still here...]

[And then he sees Rose.]

--Argh! I-I'm sorry. Sorry. I, really. I just... needed to make sure. I'm sorry if I, uh, disturbed you...

[restitchtime]

[he obviously can't see it, but she rolls her eyes behind her sunglasses]

You crossed the disturbance event horizon with that godawful attempt to break down my door. Turn the fucking room upside down if you want, I don't really care; none of my important shit's out where you can wreck it.

[mutab1e]

--Er. Right. Sorry.

[He wanders over to the only empty bed in the room. The whole corner is barren, while the other three walls are littered with various belongings -- there was almost a visible divide between what has been lived in and what hasn't. Equius highly doubts that Nepeta would keep her room this tidy, and... yes, when he goes over and opens the chest, it is completely empty.]

[Well, there's no denying it now.]

[Equius' own obscuring shades seem to be failing him now, because the absolutely broken expression on his face is hard to mis-interpret.]

[restitchtime]

[she sees it, of course. Rose isn't staring at him but it's difficult to miss that kind of expression, especially when she figured it was coming. a guy who pummels the door of strangers just to check up on leads is obviously emotionally invested.

she turns fully back to her computer screen, ticky tack types away at some superficial things as she wrestles with her conscience. finally she speaks up, voice low and face stalwartly staring at the computer.]

It sucks. Not even being able to keep the people you care about where you can watch them, I mean.

[mutab1e]

...I...

...I promised to watch her. It was my duty. It was my job.

[He sighs heavily and sinks onto the bed, putting his head in his hands. Humans wouldn't understand the concept of moirails, of course, but that was basically what it meant.]

[restitchtime]

This place seems really keen on making you break your promises. [she scowls heavily at the screen. she'd been running the timeline just fine, not fucking up for once, and then she'd been pulled here. it was still a sore spot for her.]

I don't know about you, but I'm not going to give it the satisfaction of winning.

[mutab1e]

...You're personifying the tower? [He looks up and over at the girl. This is actually a really odd idea for him. He then realizes for for the first time that she has the same haircut as Rose Egbert. She might have the same face too, but who can say behind those pointy anime shades?]

[restitchtime]

Until it gives me a face to pin all this hatred on, yeah. And considering all the bullshit I've slogged through so far I don't think that a sentient tower would really be that ridiculous.

[excuse you Mr. 2D these shades are fucking fabulous. Rose doesn't recognize this troll at all, having never seen any before coming to the tower. without the text she can't really pinpoint anybody.]

[mutab1e]

[Wow, sorry, Dokidoki McHoshipaantsu-kun-desu-san, he didn't mean to insult you.]

...There has to be someone.

Like that floor... the one with the viewterminals? Isn't the inner part of that room filled with workers for the tower?

[restitchtime]

[her more socially acceptable shades were stolen, ok. she's a victim of sibling rivalry.]

Bosses don't need to linger around to make sure their workers are doing their job, especially in places like this. Would you really slack off when you know they can rip out any fucking organ they want?

[mutab1e]

[Siblings, huh. That sounds like a pretty strange way to live. The only houseguest he's ever had is Kanaya, and living with her year-round would be... well, a nightmare, put simply.]

But they would be able to lead you to the owner, if you could get them to.

[restitchtime]

[try living constantly with one and having another pop in whenever he wanted because of bullshit space powers. it's a miracle she's still sane.]

Sure, but that's if they knew who the fuck they were working for.

[mutab1e]

But at least you know for sure that they can't help you.

[This is odd. It seems Rose is loosening his lips a little. These could be ~forbidden rebellious thoughts~ at basically any other time.]

[restitchtime]

You'd have to be careful, though. Fuck it up and they'll tip off whoever's holding the strings.

[Striders seem to do that to people. don't worry about it, Equius, it's par for the conversation.]

[mutab1e]

Of course.

[He reaches into his pocket then, pulling out a tiny mechanical mouse -- a mouse with gills, if the fixtures on the side are anything to go by. It's a tendency of his to carry things like these around, little unimportant machines that don't break from jangling around and make it harder for pickpockets to run off with one's money. But now it seems that he's removing the bottom plate and tugging the thing's tail just to watch it work.]

[He probably should have brought something else today. It's reminding him a bit too much of a certain kittytroll -- he'd made it for her in the first place, after all.]

...The truth will have to come out eventually, right?

[The intonation of his voice suggests that this is a legitimate question, and also that he's maybe putting a bit too much faith in the divination of Rose Strider.]

[restitchtime]

[the little robot causes Rose to turn her head imperceptibly to get a better look at it. why the fuck would somebody be carrying something like that around with them? it seemed everyone she met was a few cards short of the full deck, here and at home.

that train of thought is derailed by the serious tone of his voice. maybe she shouldn't answer it, shouldn't make promises that may never come to pass. but there are a few things that Rose believes with all her heart, and this is one of them. it doesn't matter if it's right or not - she'll fight to make it true.

her reply is firm and confident, no trace of hesitation in it at all.]

Nothing's invincible. Keep pounding and eventually they won't have any other choice than to give up the truth.

[mutab1e]

[Well, Rose, you live in a giant tower with no exit where everyone is terrorized on a constant basis and have to sleep in four-person dormitories. Are you really that surprised? In any case, he looks back up at her, nodding at her words. She's a human, but she sounds much more like a troll than even he does. That's quite respectable.] Right... we have to do something eventually, or we'll be trapped here forever...

[restitchtime]

[she likes to pretend sometimes that she's hit her maximum allowance of weird shit and that nothing else is going to happen in a bizarre fashion, ok. it's dumb but a girl can dream.]

Forever, or until this place decides it's run out of fun activities for us. I don't know about you, but personally I'm not too crazy about being someone else's plaything.

[mutab1e]

[Nodnodnod. He doesn't like it either, even though Rose is the first person he's actually admitted it to.]

...What's your plan?

[restitchtime]

Find the bits of this place that they don't want us near and rip them out. [she makes a violent hand gesture to underline her point. bring the tower to its knees and it'd be all too happy to send them back]