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[oohforeshadowing]

Let me get back to you, darling.

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if they talked about this already that's... on me i cant remember

[tetractys]

"SURE, YEAH, BUT I'D RATHER DO IT THROUGH MAGIC OR WEIRD NANOMITES!"

He's just kind of spitballing, this probably won't get a lot of effort put into it.

Bill claps enthusiastically at the appearance of the earrings.

"ACTUALLY, THAT REMINDS ME! YOU'RE FROM ENTRAPTA'S WORLD, RIGHT? WE MIGHT HAVE A JOB FOR YOU, DEPENDING ON WHETHER WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY."

if they have then I have also forgotten!!

[oohforeshadowing]

"...I am, yes."

They take another sip.

"Though I wouldn't call us friends. What's the job?"

[tetractys]

"NAH, I THINK ENTRAPTA'S ONLY FRIENDS WITH STUFF SHE MADE HERSELF. LEMME KNOW IF YOU NEED A REFILL ON THAT!"

Bill is comfortable with Entrapta's only priority being science. He floats down to sit on the counter, shifting out of work mode and into just living here mode.

"SHE AND I ARE WORKING TO SEE HOW POSSIBLE IT IS TO MOVE INFORMATION OUT OF THE SHIP AND INTO A STABLE WORLD. PROBLEM IS, TO SET UP ON HER END SHE'S GOT TO SURVIVE BEAST ISLAND."

Whatever that is. An island that is a beast? An island that has lots of beasts? An island that's just named that and is deadly for unrelated reasons? ... Not likely on the last one, things in DT's world seem like they're just named exactly what they are.

"YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON WE KNOW THAT COULD MAKE IT BACK THERE AND SEND HER A DRONE FULL OF WEAPONS OR SUPPLIES! IF YOU GRADUATE, ANYWAY. I GUESS I SHOULD ASK WHAT YOUR POST-BARGE PLANS ARE."

[oohforeshadowing]

"I have no idea, darling, but I can't say that Etheria is part of it. Also, Entrapta can just graduate herself and make her own arrangements to survive Beast Island, surely? She's nothing if not resourceful."

[tetractys]

"AH, NUTS."

Scratch that plan, then.

"YEAH, SHE DOESN'T WANT TO GRADUATE AT ALL. GO FIGURE, I PERSONALLY WANT TO LIVE."

[oohforeshadowing]

"Likewise. She really hasn't consisted the fragility of our situation here, has she? But that's children for you," Trouble says lightly, and drains their glass. "Do you have something less sweet?"

[tetractys]

"SWEET STUFF'S ALL WE GOT FROM OUTSIDE EARTH SO FAR, BUT CHECK BACK NEXT TIME WE GET A PORT. I CAN GET YOU SOME LESS-SWEET EARTH STUFF!"

Floating back, checking their bottle inventory as he talks.

[oohforeshadowing]

"More sweet stuff, then," Trouble murmurs. "And I'll be sure to find a contribution when we next make port, on Earth or elsewhere."

[tetractys]

I'LL TRY TO BALANCE IT OUT BETTER THIS TIME. THE LITTLE MICE GUYS HAVE GOT A REAL SPECIFIC KIND OF TASTE.

[He's gonna make something a little more complicated this time, gets out ingredients.]

I'D APPRECIATE THAT A TON, ALL WE HAVE HERE IS WHAT WE CAN BUY OURSELVES. WE TRIED STEALING FROM THE LOUNGE BUT IT JUST GOT TELEPORTED BACK THERE. TYPICAL.

[oohforeshadowing]

"Excessively. Someone wants to cut your legs off? More power to them. Want to have a drink in private to take your mind off it? Unthinkable. How dare you."

[tetractys]

I TOLD YOU MY THEORY THAT THIS IS ALL A BIG DUMB STAGE-SHOW FOR THEM, RIGHT?

[oohforeshadowing]

"You did, darling. I hate it."

Trouble sighs and slumps down a little at the bar.

"If it were a stage show, I'd like to know what's coming so I can rehearse my lines. This is more like gladiatoral combat for the psyche."

[tetractys]

"HEY, I'VE ACTUALLY DONE THAT."

It sucked. Bill hates children.

"IT'S ALL IMPROV, KID. DO YOU LIKE SOUR OR BITTER BETTER?"

[oohforeshadowing]

"Sour. Thank you."

They pick themselves up enough to look at him properly.

"Tell me about that?"

[tetractys]

"OH, I'M SUPPOSED TO BE LIVING IN A PLANE ABOVE THE MATERIAL ONE CALLED THE MINDSCAPE. ANYONE IN THERE CAN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN BY IMAGINING THEM. FIGHTING IS WEIRD, AND SKILL MEANS BUPKIS. I GOT BEAT UP BY SOME KIDS, AS PART OF A PLAN TO GET THEM TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME. BUT THEY STILL BEAT ME UP!"

Maybe if he says it super perky it'll hide how unhappy he still is about it!

[oohforeshadowing]

"...Did they also do what you wanted?"

Because being beat up along the way isn't so bad, if they did.

[tetractys]

"YEAH, THE ONE THAT NEEDED TO MOVE DID HIS PART, SO IT ALL ENDED OKAY FOR ME! ...BUT JUST BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA LET MY PRIDE GET IN THE WAY OF THE PLAN DIDN'T MEAN IT WASN'T KINDA HUMILIATING..."

Bill slides a drink down the bar - this one more sour, and more fizzy, than the last, a paler color.

"THERE! SEE HOW THAT ONE IS."

[oohforeshadowing]

"Thank you, darling."

They take a slow, considered sip.

"Oh, lovely. Much more my taste. I'm sorry about your misadventure."

[tetractys]

"EH, IT'S WHATEVER. AT LEAST I NEVER HAVE TO SEE THOSE KIDS WHILE I'M HERE. GOOD OF THE ADMIRAL TO JUST BAN 'EM. MAYBE HE'LL DO PETS NEXT. BODHI'S CAT IS REALLY HOSTILE."

And bigger than Bill is.

[oohforeshadowing]

"Hm. Ironic, though," Trouble murmurs, and takes another sip. "One wonders how many of our fellow passengers wouldn't be here if they'd had some intervention a little earlier."

[tetractys]

"WHAT, KEEPING THEM FROM ADOPTING PETS?"

Ohhh, wait.

"OH, YOU MEAN GETTING THEM HELP AS KIDS! HAH! I THINK THIS PLACE WOULD MAKE EM WORSE! HOW MANY ACTUAL ADULTS EVEN HACK IT HERE? ONE OUT OF EIGHT, WASN'T THAT THE LAST NUMBER?"

[oohforeshadowing]

"Sounds about right. Anyway, you're quite right, I wouldn't imagine bringing an actual child here. Maybe there's another Barge which caters to that sort of thing. Competently."

[tetractys]

"YEAH, KIDS DIE ALL THE TIME!

HEY, YOU EVER THINK IT'S SCREWED UP THAT WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DIE THEY'RE JUST GONE FOREVER? HAH!"

The choice to die as a good person sure is a fucking terrible one.

[oohforeshadowing]

"Isn't that a matter of opinion?" Trouble says, mildly. They've...never really thought very much about it, at least not enough to come to a conclusion they're attached to.

[tetractys]

"WHAT, GOOD AND EVIL, OR THE CONCEPT THAT AFTER DEATH IS A VOID OF NOTHINGNESS?"

Bill thinks for a moment, then scribbles on a notepad behind the bar labeled COOL DRINK NAMES

"a void... of... nothing... ness..."