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

[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]

[mutab1e]

...

[]

...Floor five, of course. Maybe some parts of the infirmary. There could be some extra floor attached to the elevator circuit. And they must have an interior office or another control room here somewhere...

[restitchtime]

[she grins, more vicious excitement than happiness. it's the sort of smile she wears before breaking somebody's nose, the anticipation of an oncoming fight.]

Now that's what I'm talking about. Anybody ever do something to them before? No point in wasting time on shit that doesn't yield results.

[mutab1e]

Not that I know of.

[Then again, he tries not to get involved with the affairs of the tower... so then what the hell is he doing now?]

[restitchtime]

[he is being drawn into Alternate Fuckup Theater: Rose Continues To Do Stupid Shit No Matter Her Canon Point the movie the game the prequel.]

All right then, they're worth a shot. What kind of damage can you do?

[mutab1e]

[Sounds pretty par for the course. Let's do it.]

...Well...

I'm... basically worthless, physically. [Look at him. Scrawny little bugger.] I can run and fire arrows, that's about it. [There's a long pause here, like he seriously has to consider what he doesn't suck at.] But I can build machines -- bigger ones, not like that squeakbeast, guns if I can find the right material -- and I could... probably mess up their computers.

[restitchtime]

Hey, every little bit counts. I can probably take care of the physical aspect just fine on my own, anyway. [Time clones + seam rippers that cut through time sort of help make up for her frail physique.]

Are you going to need some time to throw everything together? I can help grab whatever shit you need, but I'm no engineering wunderkind.