just call me Gail, okay?

You should quit your job.

@calaverage

Trust me, I'd love to quit my job. But there are certain... factors keeping me here.

What factors?

Let's just say I promised some friends of mine that I'd stay for a while. Besides, I'm contractually obligated to stay. Unless I screw up big-time and get myself fired, that is.

I can make an accident happen if you need an excuse.

Oh, that's, eh, that's alright. I'd rather stay here than try and find another job.

....that's sketch.

If you say so. I like the people here, I really do. And slacking off is more fun than having a huge workload, in the end. Evil corporate bullshit aside, it's... actually kind of nice.

We'll circle back when you're girlfriend is being blackmailed into indentured servitude.

That is quite specific. If anything happened... well, I apologize.

Unless you were involved you got nothing to be sorry for.

I suppose so. Still, I know how you feel. A little comfort helps.

How do you know how I feel?

Sometimes, terrible things happen to the people you love. And you know you're powerless to stop it.

...That's all.

Is that how you ended making a promise to "friends" to stick around?

...No, actually. Those incidents are unrelated, as it happens.

Hm. Well, that sucks for you.

Heh, tell me about it.

Do you want out of it?

...Sometimes I do. But then I realize, I'm a lot better off than I was before. Maybe that sounds crazy.

Hell, why am I telling you any of this? I don't know you, and you don't know me.

I know more than you might think.

One of your bosses has the displeasure of being my grandfather.

I see. That is... strange and discomforting to think about. I'm certainly not used to people knowing who I am when I meet them.

Yeah I'm not super happy about it either.

I can imagine... that certainly is interesting.

Interesting is a...kind word for it.

Well, I was trying to be polite. It's weird.

Weird is more accurate.

So, I, ah, get the impression that you don't like your grandfather?

Oh I fucking hate him.

I see. I feel like I shouldn't have heard that, considering... well. Everything about me.

Are you not allowed to be a person?

Gail laughs. It sounds bitter.

You'd be surprised how often I ask myself that.

That's sad. And bullshit.

Bullshit or not, it's the truth.

...Weirdly, it feels nice to talk about it. I shouldn't say anymore, though. I've said enough as it is. Can't have people running around, knowing everything about me, can I?

No, no, go on. You deserve to be able to air shit out. Besides if you don't cling to your personhood they'll rip it away until you are functionally dead.

I'll pass. I've shared enough.

...Perhaps if you were loyal to your grandfather or his brothers, you'd understand.

Nah I prefer having morals and being a good person thanks

...I see. In that case, I imagine this is the extent to which we will get along.

Shame. You seem really chill besides the whole cult thing.

I suppose I'm one of the more chill servants of the Lords that you'll meet. It's not a trait commonly shared among us.

The lowest bar to set imaginable.

She chuckles.

Yeah, I guess it is.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

Oh, I very much do enjoy it. Even if I really shouldn't.

I meant enjoying being able to think for yourself.

Ah, right. Well, I've been at this for years, so I imagine my self-control will last. The Lords have been generous in allowing me to keep most of my sanity... others have not been so lucky.

Years is a drop in the bucket of eternity. They have all the time in the world to break you.

Perhaps.

Only time will tell, I suppose.

#[gonna end this here since it's dragging a bit lol]#gail spankoffski #pretending to fit in #hatchetfield rp #hatchetfield roleplay #finished rp

I guess.

It's just a pair of floating glasses. Shiny, brass, with little engravings in the sides that look like mazes.

[ @peteypiper ]

Gail stares at them. She doesn't know why, but these glasses fill her with a sense of dread. They look horribly familiar.

She reaches out to grab them from the air, despite the foreboding feeling.

A face unfurls from the darkness, a face for the glasses.

Gee whiz, dontcha know it's ruuuude to take someone's specs?

Then from the neck down, the rest of their invisibility uncloaks, like a ribbon unspooling. They throw out their arms, and the sound of a party favor plays from who-knows-where.

I can ignore a baa-aad first impression! :3 Hiya!

The face that stares at her is a face she knows. Cruelly altered, yes, but still familiar. God, she hasn't seen her little brother in... how long? She's forgotten how long it's been. Gail almost laughs.

Pete...? Pete, is that you?

She's almost afraid to hear the answer.

He snickers, then throws his head back in uproarious laughter,

BAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh you're funny, real funny!

No idea who this "Pete" fella is, though :))

There's a sliver of evidence of Him in the golden spirals of his eyes.

Gail's eyes widen. Her eyes drift to the feathers on his arms, those goatlike ears, and the strange antennae. She searches her thoughts, asks for answers. In a flash, she sees what happened to this thing that is not her brother.

What... is your name, then?

Some call me Piper, others call me Pan, but most call me Petey! Petey Pan Piper, at your call!

He takes a deep bow, one that reaches so low that he almost does a forward somersault.

Petey flips back upwards and makes intense eye-contact. His ears twitch, And yooooouuurs?

...Gail.

She sticks her hand out, mostly to be polite. She does not want to touch this thing.

Just Gail.

Petey grins, fanged teeth making a sharpened smile. They aggressively shake Gail's hand, or more like shaking her entire arm, like swinging around a jump rope.

He flings backwards with a momentum that might knock Gail backwards, Abso-wonder-lutely wonderful-fluous to meet you, Gail!

OOH, want a hot chocolate? He digs into his pant pockets, strangely elastic for being tight khakis, and pulls out a mug - one that reads "It's 5 'o clock all the time!"

My treat :3

Gail finally manages to extract herself from this nightmare of a handshake. She looks at the mug and takes it, gingerly. She brings it to her lips and pretends to drink it.

Thank you. It's, ah, very tasty.

Petey giggles, You're very very welcome!

You know, some folks say the powder chunks are their least favorite part, but I say its the best! Where else are ya going to get that CRRRUNCH?

He pulls out another mug, fishes out one of the aforementioned chunks, and bites down with a comically large SNAP.

Something seems to indicate that he can bite a lot harder than that.

You wanna play a gameeee? The Boss is busyy, sooooo I have SOOO much fun-time on my paws :))

Gail looks around for something, anything to use as an excuse.

Oh! I'm... actually quite busy at the moment? But maybe some other time??

Please, she thinks, for the love of everything in this godforsaken universe, take the hint...

Aw, phooey :P

HE'S busy, YOU'RE busy, EVERY-BODY'S BUSY! He throws up his hands in defeat, then crosses his arms.

For a moment, he looks like that younger brother again.