Time (Clock of the Heart)

Chula - Suzune

Oh! So, the best way to pay back favors was to be honest, probably. That made the most sense, and wasn't something she minded doing, either. Well.. Maybe it wasn't the BEST way to pay them back, but it would make their jobs smoother, wouldn't it? "That's good to know, thanks!! You can let me know if there's anything you need from me at any point, ok? I love chatting, and, like… I can't really be judged without being open, so… Yeah!" Maybe that would help everyone out in their own way.

Mmmm…. that much was true, too. That wardens were supposed to be like… bosses? "You're right, but… make sure to not overextend yourselves, either. So far, the prisoners that I've had the chance to talk to have been really nice! I just hope we're not too much trouble, heheh."

Put a request into MILGRAM? "That would be really nice, if you were willing! But it's not required, if you think it's too much. But like… is the MILGRAM a person?? A board of people? It's just that the phrasing's interesting! I sort of assumed that was the prison's name." Prisons aren't sentient, so. Maybe it was more like a company? Hmmm…. A company based in judging murderers through an alternative lens. Fascinating.

Oh! That was a good idea, actually. "Yeah! There might be some people who don't care, but you never know. I'm ok with giving up my early morning slot if someone else REALLY wants it, though! It's not like I'm married to the idea, so… If someone requests it, you have my permission to give it to them." A little discomfort for her was fine if it made someone else happy. She could deal with a 9 AM shower time, it just wasn't her preferred timing. "I can stick to the posted schedule until you're done, too."

Oh…. A deeper question. And thankfully one she'd already somewhat answered for someone else! To Vincent. "Atonement to me… Well, like… There's no reviving the dead. I don't think there's much left I can do for her right now beyond the usual um… funeral rites, speeches… and stuff like that. But that's not…. That's not atonement, that's just what you're expected to do. Atoning to me is more… like… making up for where you failed. I think if I could… help others, try to cheer people up, or make them comfortable or… maybe if I could save someone's life someday. That would be atonement. In the meantime, I just… need to hear others tell me what they need to say: That I messed up." She let out a sigh and stared at the ceiling. It wouldn't feel like atoning if she received no punishment at all.

MILGRAM

Ei nodded.

"Between the three of us, I'm sure we'll be able to split up our duties as needed." Assuming all three of them acted like mature adults, but. Eh. Close enough.

"It's the prison's name, yes. I'm not sure precisely who processes the requests on the other side of the hatch, but perhaps we'll find out in time." Along with, like, everything else. Ugh. "I sincerely doubt this whole… situation is limited to a building and Jackalope."

More nodding along, though there wasn't much to be said until he actually went out and checked for other conflicts. Suzune's request came off as less of a potential power play now, at least. …Which meant he'd just secured more work for himself for no reason, but he supposed it was worth asking, anyway. What schedule conflicts could they possibly have in prison unless he provided them himself?

And onto potential judging criteria… He prepared his notebook but mostly just ended up listening.

"Well, I can at least tell you you've messed up considerably if you've ended up here." Smug little beast. "I hope this won't be the place where you'll have to save a life, but I'll let you know of opportunities to provide the other types of assistance." Like cleaning out the broken chairs from the hall, or just… somehow getting rid of all the carpet in the shower room. That would certainly be more comfortable for everyone, right?

Chula - Suzune

Oh that's true!! Thinking on it… "Technically, with three of you, you're better-staffed than your average school classroom! Ratio-wise, I mean. Ummmm… I haven't, like, talked to EVERYONE yet and stuff, but I'm pretty sure I only saw like 15-ish people in the main hall, right?" For a socialite, she hadn't quite gotten around to everyone yet, due to ooc limitations. But eventually, she'd have a proper headcount. She was number 3, right?

So… it was a little like it was both the prison's name AND a company-like entity. "The genetic experiment bunny is the one doing the cooking, right? Do you think there's more little bunnies doing the grocery shopping, too?" Suzune giggled at the idea. Little bunnies ordering grocery and item delivery through Amazon. Tip-tapping away on their keyboards. "I wouldn't have expected a bunny to have enough dexterity to cook, so I'm, like, pretty impressed!! How does he hold the spoon, I wonder?" Maybe they'd been genetically altered to have hidden thumbs or something. Wouldn't that be near?

It was nice to hear, though. That both her request was being considered and that it would be offered to the others. "You seem to care about fairness, huh? That's a relieving trait for a warden to have." People wouldn't be getting beaten through police brutality this way, she presumed. That was another thing that had been possible.

Messed up considerably. That was already something she agreed with, so rather than argue, she gave an affirming nod. "Unless like… the other prisoners start fighting when no warden is around, it should be fine. Life-saving would probably have to happen outside. Here, though… I guess all I can do is ease a little pain for them." She blinked. Oh!! Tasks!! She perked up. Not only would that be something to keep her busy, but she was pretty gung-ho about doing anything to be of service. (She just tended to be a little messy in her own spaces, it was fiiiine.) "Oh, absolutely!! Just say the word and I'll be there!"

MILGRAM

Ei—huffed?—snorted?—some kind of exhalation—at that, but, well. Only time would tell if warden or teacher was truly the tougher job.

"There are fourteen prisoners present, including yourself. Three wardens, and one… 'guide'." Or so it had claimed.

She got a brief half-smile at the bunny troop imagery, but apparently it wasn't quite funny enough to earn a real reaction. "Careful now, he doesn't seem to care much for being called a bunny. But I suppose I can't guarantee he's the only one of his kind." Or even that there weren't several jackalopes switching off on the main role like child actors or something.

"I've yet to witness him cooking, but it does seem to get done nonetheless, hmm?" Really not the most important question to answer in this place, but it sure would be nice to know something that wasn't just spoon-fed (ha) to them by Jackalope himself. "Maybe he'll warm up to us enough to let us see eventually." Not the most promising course of action, but Ei wasn't about to suggest anything devious against the one in charge. Or at least the courier of such.

And Suzune was buttering him up again. She was just sort of like that, it seemed.

"Sie's certainly on the same wavelength, so far as I can tell." Bea… seemed more concerned with the "fairest maiden in the land" sort of fairness, but it was… still early to judge. Literally. Once they got to the actual judgments, he'd get a better view of her character. Please let that be a better view of her character.

He grimaced a bit—no doubt some of these prisoners would love to start fighting if left unattended long enough—but he was prepared to break them up as soon as possible. Meaning he probably didn't need to be chatting it up with just one prisoner for so long… But the other wardens were out and about, last he checked. A little longer should have been fine.

"I'm sure some of your fellow prisoners will gladly tear up more than the few chairs in the main hall, so there's bound to be cleanup to do. Hopefully I'll tend to spot things first, but do keep out an eye for any damage that looks hazardous." Or purely cosmetic if she just wanted something to do, but that would be her prerogative, not his.

Chula - Suzune

OH! Fourteen. So she indeed had quite a few more people to introduce herself too! Good to know… But…. "Oh, wait, Jackalope is considered a GUIDE?" Hmmm.. She wondered. Maybe there was a conversation to be had there, too? But bunnies can't talk, so that might prove to be a little complicated. "I don't know! To me, it just sorta like… makes sense for there to be more than one of him. If he's a genetic experiment or something, surely there'd be backups? What an interesting person, his creator must be to have picked, like, a cryptid to make AND have had the talent to pull it off!"

Then again, geniuses tended to be a little eccentric, didn't they? That might be a little on-brand for the type, actually.

"Oh, that's good to know!!" So Ei and Sie were the reliable types, and Bea was more the kind of person to be friends with over anything else. Bea DID seem fun, at least, and a wildcard could make for entertaining company. 2/3 aiming for fair judgements meant that the majority would still take a reasonable stance, and that was what mattered from the perspective of a fair judgement. This wasn't a proper jury or trial, though. Who knew what the punishments would be for any given vote.

"Oh, yeah! I did like… noticed the wrecked chair. I can clean that up if you need! But um… Where should I put trash I clean up? There's not really an exit or a dumpster for larger trash like that, is there a specific spot you'd like it brought to?" That much would be important to know. It'd be a shame if she cleaned something up and just made it harder for everyone else but putting the garbage somewhere inconvenient.

MILGRAM

"So he's introduced himself. Precisely what that's supposed to mean, aside from him seeming to have the most information, is anyone's guess. Anything that applies to wardens seems to apply to him as well… aside from the judgments." No attacka the animal(?).

"…I suppose so. I… don't believe genetic engineering is my forte, exactly." Not that he remembered as much, but he did have to exert a little effort to keep his eyes from glazing over during those considerations.

He rubbed his chin. "Good point. It wouldn't do any good to simply move a hazard from one public place to another. There are at least spaces with a bit less traffic… I'll ask Jackalope if there's any sort of disposal plan here." It must have had plans for the food garbage, at least.

"If nothing else, scouting out a decent-sized box from the warehouse could at least keep any splinters at bay." Unless prisoners were out here, like, falling headfirst into boxes or something.

Chula - Suzune

So he's…. introduced himself? "Oooh, so can the little guy WRITE, too? Wooow! Cooking AND writing! Jackalope-san is quite talented, then, huh?" A surprisingly dexterous rabbit, indeed! The possibility of a working voicebox wasn't something that even slightly crossed her mind. "But that's no problem! I'm, like…. not interested in hurting anybody, let alone a small animal. And the wardens seem pretty nice!" Having no memory at all practically made you a new person, didn't it? Any harm the wardens may have committed in the past didn't apply anymore. There's no reason they should be serving for it.

Don't believe. As if just to prove her point. He wouldn't know anything. Though, it did make her wonder. "Ei-san, have you ever read Anne of Green Gables?" … Classic English literature. It was hard to NOT know what that is, even in Japan. Anne was the kind of character to admire, in all her flaws and positive traits. How much general knowledge did Ei have? Did his memory loss extend past just memories of himself?

"Oooh… Yeah! Moving things into a box would make it easier to get rid of. Sure!! I can TOTES do that, I'll start eyeballing some stuff and get that done by today!" Suzune, Suzune, Suzune… She was gung-ho to help, but lacked much housekeeping knowledge or experience. By the time she cleaned that chair up, there would still be a handful of splinters around on the floor she missed. Her heart was in it, though!

MILGRAM

"I haven't seen him write, though I suppose he can at least… type? Or create some kind of onscreen presentation. Anything goes with the technology in this place, it seems." Ei cleared his throat.

"He's able to speak to us, though it doesn't seem like the prisoners are able to hear him." Still a little early to be sure what was going on there.

"Anne of Green Gables… The title sounds familiar, but I can't say I recall any of the content." Which may or may not have any bearing on whether he'd actually read it.

"…It's appreciated." He jotted something down in his notepad—a reminder to check on the general trash removal situation, perhaps—before replacing it.

Some of these prisoners probably deserved a couple of splinters, anyway? It's fiiine.

Chula - Suzune

"A presentation? Ahahahah!! Oh my goodness, that sounds TOTES adorable!! I'd LOVE to sit in on a formal business meeting run by someone so fluffy and small! Gosh, that'd be more interesting that what they're normally like and stuff. Makes me want to sit down with him for a chat when I have the chance!" Well, to be honest, there was a nonzero chance that Jackalope looked like that for the purpose of making everyone let their guards down, and she was smart enough to not deny that possibility, but. It was still cute! She couldn't help it!!

Though the follow-up caught her by surprise. She opened her mouth, and closed it. "Like… Telepathy?" But… Gosh, there was a way she could maybe brush away translation tech the public didn't know about yet, but TELEPATHY was certainly something else. She wasn't sure that was something that simple tech could explain. At least… "Have you wardens checked to see if you have, like, chips implanted in your heads yet? I already checked myself and couldn't find anything, but you three have a different situation than us, so…" Who knew the sheer EXTENT of what might be different. A chip might be able to futz with memories, too.

Oh! Familiar title! That was… sort of a start? "Mmm… so it kind of seems like you all know concepts fine, be details are fuzzy, right? I wonder if like… If you found something you used to be SUUUPER passionate about, it might make something click. A hobby, or some kind of knowledge thing. Oh! Forgive me if I'm overstepping, I'm just as curious as I am want to help, so. You can tell me to shut up at any point. Let's see… Do you know the rules of soccer?" How far did those concepts extend? This was it's own sort of mystery to unravel.

MILGRAM

Ei huffed, though it was difficult to tell exactly where he was on the annoyed-amused scale.

"It's a fair bit less fun when that's how you find out the most basic things about yourself and your situation." When that's your only way to find out darn well near anything.

"It did appear to be speaking verbally… but I suppose it would be ridiculous for an animal to produce perfectly intelligible human sounds." More ridiculous than telepathy?? How could you even rank things at this point. "I haven't searched for that sort of thing, no. I don't feel as though I've recently been through major surgery… though I suppose there's no telling how much time could have passed since then." No telling much of anything! He was not fond of all this.

"Not an awful lot of hobbies to indulge in a place like this. We'll just have to see, I suppose."

The caveat got a more clearly amused huff—of course he could tell her anytime. Still nice to be acknowledged, though, rather than fought every annoying step of the way.

"A whole sport rulebook would be a stretch for anyone but a referee to remember, I'd think. I'm not sure where I'd try to start with something like that."

"There's no hand contact with the ball allowed for anyone but the goalie, at least." Good job.

Chula - Suzune

Oh, well… That much was true. She clapped her hands together in apology. "Augh, sorry! You're right! I'm sure this has been just as confusing for you as it has us, if not, like… moreso." Suzune still had her memories! She knew what happened before getting here. Sure, it was disorienting, being here, but it wasn't as severe of a situation as also trying to figure out your own identity in the process, right?

OH! Oh thank god. See, to Suzune, that was DEFINITELY less ridiculous. She breathed out. "If Jackalope is already, like, a genetic experiment to give a rabbit horns, it wouldn't be too out of place to give him human-like vocal cords, too, right? I think that makes a little more sense. Did he TELL you that only you could hear him? Because I've like, never seen him try to talk, either." Yeah…. yeah. She was going to seek out Jackalope for a conversation later. It'd piqued her curiosity, after all! "But yeah, I guess, like, let me know if you find anything out?" Not that he had to, of course, she wouldn't be offended. That wasn't their job.

Yeah, that was true. Ahhh, how she wanted a TV. "I guess so! There's… reading, I guess. And art if you want to make sculptures out of toiletries, or like… want to draw on something. Board games? …"' There really was despairingly little. She could just only hope there'd be more eventually, even if she didn't exactly expect there to be.

Oh!! Ok ok. "Alright, yeah! So with that answer, it seems like you do have enough basic concept information. I wonder if… maybe you just never read 'Anne of Green Gables.' Maybe somebody more familiar with English books could ask some things and find something you have. It might say a lot about you if you remember significant details about a book you don't remember reading, right? That's just not something I'd personally be able to help with."

"Regardless… Um! Thank you again, both for the updated shower time and, like, the conversation. It was nice talking with you! I should probably get out of your hair, huh?"