GUEST SERVICES - TOI

[cluedin]

Comments

[soba]

I guess so, yeah.

I wasn't very close to him, so...

[cluedin]

Doesn't surprise me. [It's a gentle kind of response because she's used to Toi not being close to people by now.] I'll miss him, but...at least we didn't lose Lio and Galo, too.

[She glances around the garden.] It's nicer out here than it is in there, huh?

[soba]

[ he should probably respond to those other things. the not surprising, the lio and galo comment.

but he focuses on the easier topic. ]

Yeah. I spend most of my time out here.

[cluedin]

[It's fine, she can play along.]

Pumpkin doesn't always show it, but she does really good work. I like spending time out here, too, if I'm not in the kitchen or the library or the drawing room. Someone has to take care of the horses when other people aren't around.

[Likewise, she can also just chitchat until Toi eases into what he wants to discuss today. She doesn't mind hanging out.]

[soba]

You're the one who takes cares of them?

[ toi completely forgot that like

you need to feed horses and stuff. he obviously does not spend a lot of time chilling with them. ]

[cluedin]

A lot of the time I help out. Pumpkin is really good with animals, actually. But...[A shrug.] I try to help both of them when I can to make their jobs a little easier.

[soba]

Especially Plum...

[ she has to clean so much

he actually feels bad about it ]

[cluedin]

There's a reason we're never available after the trials. It'd take way too long if it was just her and it doesn't seem fair. [Yes, please feel bad for her sister. Plum deserves so much better.]

[soba]

I guess that makes sense...

How'd you end up with those specific jobs?

[cluedin]

It's just what we're always been best at. You start off being good at one thing, and then you practice and get better and better. I don't think we've ever thought about doing anything else.

[soba]

Maybe you all can switch for a week and see how it goes.

[cluedin]

Do you really trust Pumpkin with the cooking or the cleaning, Kuji...?

[soba]

[ ... ]

Point taken.

[cluedin]

[There's a grin.]

...I don't mind. It's my job to make sure they're taken care of and they stay on task. One of them is easier than the other.

[soba]

Wow.

I wonder which one that is.

[cluedin]

[She rolls her eyes but it's kind of jokingly.]

It's definitely keeping them on task. You've seen how motivated they both are, haven't you? [...she loves her sisters but also she'll drag the people she loves.]

[soba]

Well, what do you usually do to make them do work?

[cluedin]

Plum is pretty self-motivated by spite, I think. But Pumpkin usually requires a bribe.

[soba]

What works? Video games?

[cluedin]

New games or I'll bake her her favorite dishes and take her side in the fight against flossing. [Plum always wins though.] After thousands of years you know what makes a person tick.

...but that's not why you called me out here, is it?

[soba]

[ ah ]

... no, not really.

Are there any more items like that around? That'll let us keep someone from dying?

[cluedin]

[Hm...]

Just one. It'll be up to you guys if you use it though. Master Blue may not be able to make antidotes fast enough, but this is as best as they can do right now.

[soba]

Right...

The thing about dropping below half... is it that we can't get out once we hit that number, or is it just that it becomes a lot more difficult?

[cluedin]

They sort of tie into the same idea, but it's mostly that everything becomes a lot harder. And when things are harder, people panic, and when people panic...well, you get it, right? It's happened to all of the other groups, but...I hope all of you being here so long has maybe fortified you to be strong when the time comes.

[soba]

Yeah...

Well, people are still stupid, but everyone at least seems to have the same goal. Probably.