ic inbox - Pasture / Sheep Game

[finalbows]

choose

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[ Angel Devil. ]
[  chatcube, or action. ]
[ if you're visiting the rose barn,
look for the door with the creepy bat-and-angel-wing sigil on it. Knock first! Or get zapped. ]

CODE

Comments

[catposting]

[ the kitten winces. hands the apple to Sheep Fiend — who munches it happily — and taps the cuff-comlink again. a hologram appears, showing a small girl with pale skin, black hair and talon-like feet, dressed in all black save for a red bracelet around her wrist, sitting on the floor of the soundproof room. she stares ahead, motionless. ]

She hasn't spoken since the last mission. The food trays I give her come back empty, which is promising, but... she won't talk to me.

[ Sheep Fiend bleats again. ]

... He says her life signals are active, but it's like her mind isn't there.

[finalbows]

_{[ something in your chest falls into a painful, empathic stillness, to see her like that. ]}

I see.
...Nutrition intake and minimizing loss of muscle mass are the two most important things for buying time in these situations. _{It's why he grows us standing. If you can't even properly bask, the body's doomed.} --That's. Well. It's something. And we NEED whatever something we can get.

...
It'll be... very. Very difficult. Taking on the Chaos Floor, without her.

[catposting]

Hey, don't get ahead of yourself. We can't even fund the test with our existing funds, unless you found a way to exchange your gil for points. You know how conservative the directors are.

[ he hesitates, eyes flickering away for a moment. ]

I made a deal with Red. To get the funds.

...

It involves robbing the Workshop.

1/2

[finalbows]

I want to rob the Workshop...!

2/2

[finalbows]

... _{[ ahem. shepherd's staff. HOLDING, shepherd's staff... ]}

...It would be very dangerous. We'll need QUITE the solid plan.

1/2

[catposting]

[ speaking of which. glances at the staff. ]

Are you sure you don't want an arms inventory for that? I know it hasn't caused us problems so far, but this is the Workshop we're talking about, not some decrepit off-the-grid factory. It's not like they cost much. I'm sure you can get one of those with gil.

[ Sheep Fiend gives a small, very guilty bleat. ]

2/3

[catposting]

[ the kitten freezes. ]





You got what?!

3/3

[catposting]

[ aaaaaaand that's all the warning they get before a black-haired human boy appears out of thin air, falling face first onto the ground between you and the couch. his shirt is stained with dried blood. it isn't his. ]



Uhhh. Hey! Am I interrupting?

[ this is a manifestation of your impression of Splash, not Splash himself dreamwalking. whether or not you can tell, however, ]

Re: 3/3

[finalbows]

Yes. Very much so.

1/2

[catposting]

Ahahaha. Sorry, sorry! It's just, um. Well, I'm sure this was a misunderstanding! You see, Sir Sheep here stole a reaaaaally really important map I was guarding, so if you guys wanna kindly hand it over then I'll be on my way! Hahaha. You guys totally meant to steal a different map, right? Right?? Look, I really really really don't want to fi—

[catposting]

[ the intruder squeaks as a fur tail slams him against a hedge, knocking the wind out of him and pinning him there.

Sheep Fiend bleats apologetically. the kitten, now standing, folds his arms and turns toward you, for a moment seeming taller than he is. ]

Thoughts?

1/2

[finalbows]

It's a tumbleweed. Those can be a... dangerous, species, if allowed to roll around, unchecked.... They roll and roll and roll, and bumble into places they shouldn't be... and get, stuck, in irksome positions. Proactive managing of them is rather necessary, to prevent conflagrations.

2/2

[finalbows]

_{[ stalks up to the Weed, and tap-taps him on the forehead with the head of the shepherd's crook. ]}

Tell us, dear! What would YOU do with a pesky, noisy tumbleweed getting in the way? Perform a con~trolled, burrrrn? Or... something, else?

[catposting]

W-wait, sir! I don't want to get in anyone's way! I'm just here to retrieve a map!! You're the ones that stole it in the first place!!!

[finalbows]

What's the saying...? Ah, yes.

Finders, keepers. Losers,
weepers.

But, how odd, I don't SEE any tears just yet. Do you need a little help with that part, doll?

[catposting]

[ squirms!! damn this fur tail!! ]

I-I'm not as easy to threaten as you think...! B-besides, if you kill me, they'll come for you! You don't want to get on the wrong side of the Workshop!! Just give me the map and I'll go quietly, I promise!

[finalbows]

Oh no, oh my, friends. Do you hear that? We don't want to get on the wrong side of the Work~shop. All we need to do is hand over the map!

What do you think, my darlings? Should we give him what he wants?

_{[ this is the 'you two better have copied down that map already' voice. ]}

1/?

[catposting]

...

[ vines sprout from the hedge behind the intruder, caressing his neck and chin. the kitten floats up, cross-legged on his blue lighthouse, a strange glint in his eyes. ]

Are you saying... that they let you, a trusted employee, run around freely...? That as far as they're concerned, you're on — let me guess, your lunch break?

[ a vine strokes his cheek. ]

2/?

[catposting]

[ gulps, looks away ]

I... it's... you don't know what you're talking about!! Just... just give me the map and I... I'll talk to them...!

3/4

[catposting]

Ah, that's a good one.

[ a low chuckle escapes the kitten's throat, reverberating through his slight frame ]

You'll talk to them. What did they promise you, tumbleweed? Was it fortune? Glory? Power? Was it—

4/4

[catposting]

No! Nothing, nothing like that!! The Angel, I, I just wanted to...

Re: 4/4

[finalbows]

To, to, to...? Congratulations. The angel is listening.

[catposting]

...

I can't say.

[finalbows]

Worry not.

Myself and my fellows are more than capable of helping you realize that, in fact,

you. very. much. CAN.

_{[ pokes him again. this time with a bit of electric charge behind it. ]}

[catposting]

[ the tumbleweed yelps! again! ow!! ]

— Wait, Rosebell.

[ the kitten floats to your side, eyes shadowed. do you comply? or do you carry on? ]