audience: emma perkins

[cyclists]

Comments

[foodbin]

[She raises a hand as she enters, gaze lingering on the book they're reading.]

Hey there. I promised I'd come back, right?

[cyclists]

Yeah, but...sometimes people don't keep their promises. [This is fine. Also the book is the equivalent of Matilda. Maybe actual Matilda. I hate this. Anyway.]

That, and we kinda surprised you earlier. [With the whole "by the way you can snoop on people now" thing.]

[foodbin]

Yeah. You know, before we get into this, I'm actually kind of curious. Why the hell did you pick him for that job?

[@ sol but also @ god]

[cyclists]

I didn't. [So there's that.] Lune picked him, and I picked you. Lune usually has a good reason for everything though.

[Someone is also kind of fond of their fellow overseer.]

[foodbin]

Would you happen to know what that reason was?

[Also, now that she's curious:]

Why me?

[cyclists]

You would have to ask Lune. [It's also just easier to hear it from Lune themselves, they think. But oh. Hm.]

When we found the scrolls, we didn't have a lot of time to pick who might be good for the job. But we met all of you yesterday and talked and read about you...you seemed like you'd be a good fit as someone who knows how to ask questions and also when to be flexible.

[foodbin]

Oh. Well... Thanks. I think.

[She tilts her head.]

I think I heard you say you didn't write down all that stuff about us, but... How much do you know about all of us?

[cyclists]

[...] We sort of did some extra research after those scrolls went up. [i.e. they maybe have ways of watching? Oops?] But we don't know everything the way the universe does.

[foodbin]

...It's going to save me a lot of unnecessary explanation if you tell me what you know about me.

[cyclists]

Your name is Emma Perkins, you're 31 years old, you have powers from the water alignment, and you're living with a girl named Naminé.

[foodbin]

That seems pretty basic for someone who just said they were doing extra research.

[cyclists]

That's because there's no way of saying "we can watch what's happening in the village" without it sounding weird.

[foodbin]

It sounds weirder if you dance around it like that.

[Anyways.]

...You said if we help you out, we could get something for it, right?

[cyclists]

[Point, but also leave them alone.] If we said that, then people would ask where we are and how it's possible and that's a little harder to explain.

[But there's a nod.] That's right though. Got something in mind?

[foodbin]

I'm still determined to find that out someday. Just watch me.

[But, hm.]

...How much would I have to do to, you know, save the world?

[cyclists]

I'd like to see you try. [Are they...teasing? It sounds like it.]

...just your world? Or the World.

[foodbin]

Can't I work towards both at once?

[But, hm.]

Most everyone here is probably going to try to save the universe that's apparently cracking apart or whatever. But nobody knows mine needs saving except me. You know?

[cyclists]

You can, but sometimes people don't want to. [Hm, indeed.]

...what happened to yours?

[foodbin]

Most people are assholes. I'm trying not to be.

[Apparently it's just that simple.]

Aliens. Well, I guess the planet's fine, just... [...] The people.

[cyclists]

[...Sol's mental image of aliens is probably not remotely close to what Emma means, but there's a slow nod anyway. Sure. Okay.]

Aliens are hurting the people there, and you want to save them. [Right?]

[foodbin]

...Yeah. That's a decent summary, I guess.

[cyclists]

If you get rid of all of the aliens, will the people go back to the way they were? Will they remember what happened?

[foodbin]

[...After a moment, questioning:]

I didn't say anything about them not being the way they were. Just that they were being hurt.

[cyclists]

W-well, I mean. [AH?] Going back to the way things were then. But...how are they being hurt?

[foodbin]

...If you're a bad liar and you know more about than you're letting on, I'm going to figure it out, so you might as well tell me now.

[But, she moves on with a sigh.]

That's not important. The important thing is stopping it. What would that take?