AUDIENCE FOR: Lup

[guestservices]

mostly void, partially stars.

❤

Comments

[guestservices]

Sure! Where to?

[evocationary]

The Solarium, maybe? I really can't get enough of the sun.

[guestservices]

You and me both! I was starting to feel a little stir-crazy, stuck in the hotel for so long. [they offer her their arm] Shall we?

[evocationary]

Stir-crazy for sure.

Have you guys been cut off from the rest of the hotel, too? [she'll take their arm, though! off they go.]

[guestservices]

Hmm, not exactly... It's more...

[they hum, falling into step beside her as they walk.]

We're only supposed to interact with you all if you call us, or if it's during one of the weekly activities or a trial. So, if you're all out in certain parts of the hotel and haven't called for us, we keep our distance. We're not exactly cut off, we just - you know. Have to stay out of the way.

[evocationary]

Hm.

That seems lonely.

[guestservices]

I won't lie and say that it isn't, but... it was something we knew would happen when we took these jobs, so it's not really something we can complain about, either. It's just something that is.

[evocationary]

[she doesn't like this answer, as usual, but.]

It doesn't have to be. [anyway.] You like Lepus, right?

[guestservices]

They make me want to hit them sometimes... okay, no, a lot of the time... but I like them well enough, sure.

[evocationary]

Me too, honestly. So - I guess my question is how do you handle them? Like... I guess just, uh, how did you guys be friends?

[guestservices]

[they tilt their head to one side, thinking.]

You know, I'm not actually sure they think of me as their friend? So I'm not sure I can really advise you on that. But I'll let you in on something they'd probably yell at me if they knew I was telling you - they're not actually as much of an asshole as they pretend they are. They're always like, "I don't care! You idiot!" but the truth is, they only act the way they do because they care way too much.

[evocationary]

[her ear flicks.]

I kind of figured that. [...] I experienced a memory of theirs, so it gave me some sort of insight, and like, my brother is like this too. Not nearly as much of an asshole, more like uh, a fussy passive aggressive brat, but like, it's similar.

[guestservices]

They're like a cat that hisses or scratches at you a lot, but will still let you get close enough to pet it sometimes.

[nodding sagely as if this makes perfect sense. idiot.]

[evocationary]

Sounds about right.

... I know we're not supposed to uh, be friends with any of you or whatever and that's fine. [it's like, untrue, she's pretty sure she's friends with some of them even if they insist] But I don't like the idea of them being alone, so.

[guestservices]

Something something professionalism, something something lines we aren't supposed to cross...

[they gesture with one hand.]

I don't like the idea of that, either. In my experience, the ones who push people away the hardest are the ones who actually need them the most.

[evocationary]

Yeah. That's my experience too.

[a little sigh.]

I compared them to my brother and I could practically hear the stank face they made under that veil.

[guestservices]

Mm, well... some people don't like to be compared to other people. It can make them feel like the person doing the comparing is seeing shades of someone else, instead of seeing who they really are.

[evocationary]

[dryly:] Okay, well, that'd be fair normally, but I literally am not allowed to know who you all really are, so I don't know how well that holds in this place.

[guestservices]

My point was, to them, it might feel like you're acting a certain way around them because you're seeing someone else in them who isn't there, rather than reacting to the person in front of you. Even if you don't know who they are, Lepus is still Lepus, right?

[evocationary]

[she looks vaguely annoyed by this.]

Yeah. Sure. That's not - what I was doing, but whatever, I'm pretty used to Lepus taking everything I do as an attack against them, so. Fine.

[guestservices]

[gently:]

Even if that's not your intent, some people can interpret it that way. Whether that's the case with Lepus or not I couldn't say for sure, as I wasn't there, but... since you said they made a... "stank face" at the comparison, something about it probably didn't sit right with them.

[a beat.]

What would that sort of face sound like, anyway? ...or was practically being able to hear it just an expression...

[evocationary]

[the annoyance just gets worse, and lup opens her mouth to say something, and then she just. shuts her mouth, and shuts off.]

Don't know. It was just like that. [she's short, ears pressed back against her skull.]

[guestservices]

...

[vulpecula, watching lup shut down, is giving off concerned vibes.]

...something clearly happened to make you want to ask about how Lepus and I became friends all of a sudden. What happened, Lup?

[evocationary]

[she shoves her hands in her pockets. in that same short tone, because she's still annoyed:]

I tried reaching out to them again after they threw me into a wall and put a knife to my neck and they just told me I can't just win their friendship like some sort of prize. [this - very clearly hurt her feelings, but she refuses to admit it.] It doesn't matter. None of you are here to be friends with us. And I don't want to hear another lecture, so save it.

[guestservices]

—wait, they did what?!