faderift | (no subject)

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WHO: Science club, feat. Skull and Jenny Lou
WHAT: taking measurements and running tests
WHEN: Now (Solace)
WHERE: Research Division workshops
NOTES: nah

This wasn't his idea. This was the kid and Miss Poppell. At most 20% Poppell, and 80% Jenny Lou.

But who is Skull to protest? All he can do is whine or sulk or play along while he gets carried hither and yon to be subjected to measurements and have notes taken about him.

His conversation with Jenny Lou is the announcement of their arrival, the volume increasing the closer they get to the lower Research division workshops.

"WELL HOW ABOUT IMMEASURABLE THEN?"

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"This is hardly science, Mr. Ellis. We are merely indulging our curiosity, which I know for a fact you possess." If this were science, she'd be writing things down. "Come now, there is a stool just there. We would be delighted to have you, wouldn't we?"

A deeply hypothetical question, given how smoothly she changes the subject back to the Skull. Following Jenny Lou's point: "Yes, you must show us your full repertoire. I suspect"—she knows—"the jar is shielding any magical signature, but one never knows what might eke through for a reading."

There is a stool, yes. Ellis comes all the way up to stand beside it but does not sit. Is it so wrong to harbor some hope for escape?

Several questions do come to mind: did they ask Skull's permission for this, is this the best use of anyone's time, so on and so forth. But perhaps sensing the uselessness of trying to pick about the way, Ellis gives up on them and decides to reserve comment for the moment.

He does look directly at Wysteria with some expression between apprehension and caution. Even if nothing seems to have the potential to directly catch on fire, he's learned never to count out spontaneous explosions.

"Voices are far simpler beasts,"

This time the mask shifts, like a light moving to high- and underlight different facial topography until it morphs into something unrecognizable. Except it is recognizable, because it's Flint's scowling face. His voice, too.

"Faces require study."

"Dude. That's so cool." And kind of unsettling, but mostly cool. Jenny Lou flops over the table a little more so she can get a better look at Skull's face. "Hey, can you throw your voice too?"

Across the back and forth between Jenny Lou and the Skull, Wysteria gives Ellis a pointed look that's all wide eyes and raised eyebrows. It's fine, Mr. Ellis. Look at all of us having such a pleasant afternoon together.

"Jenny Lou begs a most excellent question," she says, rolling her eyes from her dour Warden companion to the contents of the warded container. "Are you able to effect the world beyond your jar in any capacity? Other than with your very endearing personality, I mean."

Is it an excellent question? Ellis looks so skeptical of seeing a facsimile of a Division head floating in a jar.

"Are we sure the Skull doesn't have something important to be doing?"

A futile question at best. But he's still having a hard time distinguishing whether Skull is interested in being the center of attention or not.

Well, he's getting attention, which isn't the worst. But he's also being pestered, which isn't the best. It's a mixed bag.

Flint's ghostly image dissolves and the group is once more left with bony features and green goo, two tiny pinpricks of veilfire-like light looking out from deep within dark, empty sockets.

"LIKE RUNNING THE DIPLOMACY DIVISION, YES!" He'll drop that joke when it's as dead as his body. "I CAN'T THROW MY VOICE BUT I CAN SOUND LIKE I'M IN A DEEP DARK WELL."

The jaw hinges open, as if that's necessary, and Skull's voice suddenly sounds more distant: "HEEEELP, I'M IN A DEEP DARK WELL! AND I'VE FOUND THE BAKER'S BOY!"

"I thought Byerly was Diplomacy Boss," Jenny Lou says, frowning, "And hey, maybe you can like work up to throwing your voice, yeah? Like being stuck in a deep dark well is kinda like that."

"See, yes, this is precisely what I mean," she says, in perfect agreement with Jenny Lou and Ellis both. Which is to say— "Clearly the jar is ppwerfully warded. Any experimentation we might do with respect to what lies inside it would necessitate breaking the seal and taking you out of it."

They're all definitely on the same page.

"He's not meant to be out of the jar, is he?"

Directed initially to Wysteria, before looking down at Skull.

"Do you know if you can exist outside of your jar?"

A more delicate way of asking if he'll kick it if these two crazy kids manage to break the seal.

"HAVEN'T THE FOGGIEST, ACTUALLY." In all his years of being a pickled skull in a jar, it's never come to pass and thus never warranted thinking about.

"MAYBE I'D BECOME SOMETHING LIKE BARTIMAEUS, OR THIS ONE HERE," a nod towards Jenny Lou. Some kind of Djinn or shapeshifter, of course, not a Rifter. "WHO CAN SAY. BUT GOOD LUCK!"

It'd be positively novel to see them break the jar, or somehow wriggle him out of a bottleneck that's narrower than his eye socket.

"Being a shapeshifter is cool," she says with a great deal of authority, "Buuuuuuut we maybe shouldn't do a thing that'll kill you. Or re-kill you."

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