[video]

[notvitiligo]

[Jessica sits in the orchard, a sugar skull in hand. She glares at the mirror.]

OK, this? Isn't funny. For a lot of reasons.

This is a new low for whoever is in charge. Consider this an official complaint.

Comments

[doc_holi]

... We have spare room, too...

[Because she doesn't know what else to do either. Is that too much?]

[notvitiligo]

[She lets the skull sink down to her lap.] ...nah. I don't... want to leave the house. On its own, I mean. I think Grell wouldn't like that.

[doc_holi]

[She's not sure who Grell is, but she nods.]

I'm still here if you ever need me or even just to hang out.

[notvitiligo]

You'll probably get more volunteer time from me, that's for sure.

[Jessica does not like leisure time. Especially when she's upset.]

[doc_holi]

Good. I could use more helping hands.

[notvitiligo]

Been getting lots of business?

[cobbledtogether]

Gal has vanished and returned before.

[It might be meant as comforting, but she says it pretty bluntly, so it's hard to be sure. It's just a fact, though she can't say how likely a repeat performance is.]

[notvitiligo]

[Jessica has no room to complain about bluntness.]

Yeah... But you never know.

It's the thing I hate the most about this place, you know? No way to know anything.

[spacejumping]

I doubt they'll really listen.

[cobbledtogether]

Yes. The high degree of unpredictability causes difficulty in making accurate predictions.

[doc_holi]

Not really, but a clinic has to always be sanitary and well stocked, just in case.

[histrionic]

Oh, by all means, an official complaint is sure to do a world of good. Complaints have helped so much in the past.

[Kuja's not in a particularly good mood today.]

Is there some reason you take particular issue with this new development? Other than a lack of originality.

[notvitiligo]

Yeah...

[She turns the skull over and over, staring through it.]

uh... how's the, um, chronic patients?

[notvitiligo]

That's one way of putting it. And the fact that you can't really get anything out of the people in charge. And nothing's testable.

Almost nothing, anyway.

[notvitiligo]

I don't care! This is messed up. I... maybe I'll find a way to make them listen!

[notvitiligo]

Thank you for the encouragement. It's absolutely helpful and not a huge pain in the butt.

[Yaaaay they can be ticked off together!]

They've got names on them. This one has one from my... my friend. Who just disappeared less than a week ago.

[histrionic]

I strive to be ever helpful in all things.

[An obvious, melodramatically stated lie.]

Names? They have names? [. . .] Who's your friend? What other names have you found?

[notvitiligo]

[That earns her an eyeroll.]

Gal. [She holds the name up to the mirror.] I haven't looked at any others yet. [And it's going to be further upset when she does.]

[histrionic]

Ah. She's departed?

[Kuja looks neither pleased nor displeased, but inwardly, she isn't pleased at all.]

I knew her.

[A pause.]

This is an unimpressive development.

Look at some more. Tell me what you see. They may have some other quality we're not aware of yet.

[Kuja doesn't want to do her own dirty work. Yet.]

[notvitiligo]

She... came back last time. [Jessica does not have a lot of faith in the possibility of another return.]

OK, give me a little... [She gets up, carefully setting the skull down in a safe place, and exits the mirror's field of vision.

[A moment later:] Oh, dammit!

...DAMMIT!

[doc_holi]

They're doing just fine. In fact, they seem to be doing a bit better.

[histrionic]

Do people ever return twice?

[Kuja always accentuates the positive.

When Jessica swears, she raises her voice to be heard.]

What? What have you seen?

[loveswaffles]

You're saying that's your friend's skull?

[spacejumping]

What are you going to do?

[notvitiligo]

Glad to hear it. I'm pretty relieved we have an actual doctor around again. I don't like having to rely on the snakes and all.