[ she gets close enough to move into a loose hug, but kind of... drops her head against their shoulder like she's exhausted. and like that's what she was after more than an actual embrace. ]
There's a recording. Where the guy in charge says something about... There not being a way for us to fulfill the terms of our contracts.
[this isn't the first time she's done this, so they allow it. it doesn't stop them from reaching up to kind of touch the back of her head though. really briefly.]
...oh. [OH. OKAY.] Even if you actually killed someone? That must count for something.
[ if you can't fulfill your contract, does the other end have to uphold it? she's not good with things like this. and what little she knows is too vague to be sure what parts she can still trust. ]
But it sounds like there's no way back for the rest of us.
[well. she pulled away, but it doesn't stop them from moving just slightly to kind of. bop their veil into the side of her head. they can't remove it, give them some credit.]
I understand this can be quite upsetting, but...I suppose all we can do is keep working.
[ dreams like that are where she gets to be her most vulnerable. where she gets to admit to feeling like a helpless kid who doesn't know what she's doing, and pretend that someone else is there promising things will be alright.
she doesn't really want to play either of those roles right now.
she doesn't want to be vulnerable, because she doesn't think there's much comfort to be given. and she doesn't want to be reassuring, because... she's not talking to herself. she's talking to them. so: ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ as always, that is the most important thing. ]
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Everything else is up for debate at the moment, I'm afraid. And there are still several weeks left in the terms of the contract.
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They're just going to sabotage it anyway, aren't they?
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What do you mean?
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There's a recording. Where the guy in charge says something about... There not being a way for us to fulfill the terms of our contracts.
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...oh. [OH. OKAY.] Even if you actually killed someone? That must count for something.
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[ if you can't fulfill your contract, does the other end have to uphold it? she's not good with things like this. and what little she knows is too vague to be sure what parts she can still trust. ]
But it sounds like there's no way back for the rest of us.
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...see if you find anything else on this side. I have to keep working on the living side of things for a little while longer.
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... Why? Why are you working here? Is it... Safer than if you were like the rest of us?
[ what's at stake for staff members? she had wondered about it, but admittedly cared a whole lot less, before. ]
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...so long as we do our job, you needn't worry about us, Miss Clementine. Though I appreciate your concern.
[that is to say, as long as no one knows who they are and they keep carrying on as they have...it will be fine for the time being.]
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[ she knows that's as much as she'll get but it doesn't feel like enough. ]
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I understand this can be quite upsetting, but...I suppose all we can do is keep working.
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Yeah. No reason not to do whatever we can.
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...you said talking in a dream was about the same as talking to yourself. [sort of.] Anything else you need to tell yourself right now?
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she doesn't really want to play either of those roles right now.
she doesn't want to be vulnerable, because she doesn't think there's much comfort to be given. and she doesn't want to be reassuring, because... she's not talking to herself. she's talking to them. so: ]
No. I don't like making promises I can't keep.
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right. of course. that makes perfect sense, and they finally draw away.]
...very well. If there is anything else, later, you know how to reach us.
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[ clementine truly went on a cyoa and then immediately went running around to talk to several people ]
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[clem your cyoa...]