OPEN / bad and naughty scientists get put in the scrub wiggler to atone for their crimes

[tinyfood]

Who: Entrapta and anybody who trips over her I guess
When: May 12th-14th
Where: The Coven
What: criminal justice
Warnings: nothing except Entrapta's vexing lack of experience with housework

If you met Entrapta a couple of weeks ago, when everyone had just gotten here, her appearance now, at the Coven, might come as a surprise. This is partially because since then she seems to have hacked off her enormous pigtails, leaving an uneven mess of short purple hair sticking out from the back of the flipped-up welding mask she's wearing – but also because you definitely have not seen her at any other point in the last two weeks. You could be forgiven for having forgotten she was here.

She's been very busy, for most of that time: stealing electronics and machinery from private citizens, factories and warehouses alike, and basically living in vents and walls while she takes it apart to try to find out as much as she can about how it all works here. And now that she's been caught doing that and had all her purloined experiments confiscated, she's being punished with cleaning duty at the Coven.

You may run into her:

i] Outside the building, crouching behind a shrub and looking extremely furtive. Her mask is lowered over her face, but if she spots you spotting her, she'll make some urgent indecipherable gestures at you. Maybe she wants you to pretend you didn't see her? Or maybe she wants you to help with something. The fact that you can't see her facial expressions makes it pretty hard to say.

ii] Having given up on trying to escape her grim fate altogether after a day or so of leading the Witch and Puca tasked with keeping an eye on her on a merry dance around the Coven's main building, Entrapta is now attempting to do the impossible. She's currently in a hallway on the second floor, trailing tape measure behind her as she scribbles perplexed attempts at a floor plan in a notebook she's holding and muttering about how this makes no sense...

iii] Complete resignation. Scrubbing the floors. The inhumanity of it. The inefficiency. Surely they have magic for this!! But no. Here she is, in the main lobby, putting some elbow grease into it and looking extremely annoyed. It looks like she's been at it for a while.

NOTE: feel free to reply with brackets if u prefer, prose isn't mandatory, i am merely a creature of habit

Comments

i

[veilfires]

[Coming in and out of the Coven has become a matter of daily routine – a day to day life which has not involved Entrapta since their first meeting. He’d wondered idly at her absence, and if she was making progress with her research. But his own research and self-education has taken firm precedence over chasing up potential allies, however promising they had seemed.

When he glimpses her, however, he’s gladdened. Then: confused. Crouching behind a topiary in broad daylight in a public space makes for – dubious cover. If that is what she is trying to accomplish. She’s hacked off the length of her hair – sensible, for it was most impractical – but the mask instantly recalls her to him. When their eyes (or his eyes, and her circles of red glass) meet, he takes her gestures as a beckoning, but looks around first with an air of uncertainty.

If she is trying to hide, he doesn’t want to reveal her. He approaches her by first backtracking and taking a different direction in a furtive, discreet sort of way. (Again, as much as can be achieved in daylight next to a busy thoroughfare.) He keeps his voice to an undertone as he greets her.]

Princess? Is something the matter?

[tinyfood]

[ Ah! What a relief. She leans towards Solas a little, although still keeping herself lower than the top of the shrub, and hisses urgently: ] Hey!! Did you see a rabbit guy? I think he went that way but I know he's still looking for me!

[veilfires]

[As he joins her in crouching behind the shrub, he makes a guess at what she means.]

The preferred term, I believe, is Puca. [He peers searchingly in the direction she indicates.] What does he want from you?

[tinyfood]

Right, right. Ah... he's supposed to be making sure I do the cleaning they've assigned me... But I really don't want to.

[veilfires]

[Hm. If it’s her responsibility, then he doesn't want to aid her in shirking it... but this seems like poorly suited work.]

Why have they assigned you to clean?

[tinyfood]

I don't know! It's totally impractical, it would make way more sense to do it with magic! [ She's starting to forget about keeping her voice down, at this point. ] I could have done something so much more useful for them.

[veilfires]

Yes, you could have. [He frowns. She ought to be given time and space to pursue her research, not put to cleaning! Is the Coven so small-minded?]

There must be a reason they haven’t given you that opportunity. Mhairi and Nerissa have intimated that Coven policy was to grant us all choice.

[tinyfood]

I guess if they let me choose it wouldn't really be a punishment, but it just doesn't seem like they thought it through.

[veilfires]

Ah, yes, well. Generally, a punishment is an undesirable imposition. That is what makes it punishing.

[tinyfood]

Well, sure, but it could be undesirable for me and still useful for them...

[veilfires]

Quite. It demonstrates a lack of consideration. [He earnestly does think it's a bit of a waste - he is not eager to think of her time being wasted when there are few newcomers as suited for research.]

I should ask as well what you were being punished for.

[tinyfood]

Aah... taking stuff... for my research...

[ She pulls a face. ]

No one was using it, when I took it.

[veilfires]

So you were stealing.

[tinyfood]

[ She shrugs one shoulder, unrepentant. ] Sure. I needed it to figure out how stuff works here.

[veilfires]

While they saw only a thief, not thinking to inquire why.

[Has he not already perceived her spirit is defined by its unfaltering Curiosity? Perhaps he can help.]

That is to be expected from humans. [Or Puca, in this case. As he’s never seen into the dreams of Monsters, he as yet can discern little distinction.] Those with a pure purpose in their hearts rarely receive understanding from their society. Compromise and negotiation is required.

[tinyfood]

[ For all her offhanded lack of contrition about the stealing itself, she does relax a little at that response. ]

Huh. I was kind of expecting you to be mad? [ She sighs, but she's smiling faintly. ] Ehhh, I think you're right, though. I'm not great at negotiating. Or compromise! People are... tough to figure out.

[veilfires]

The intention of a thing is important. You were doing it to learn, not to profit.

Not that your method was ideal.

[As they were quite poorly hidden, and have forgotten about concealing themselves thereafter, it’s not that surprising to Solas that the Puca gentleman appears around a corner, spots them at once, and makes a beeline for Entrapta. He himself seems unruffled.]

But we can work out a better way.

[“Stop there, you!” says the Puca.]

[tinyfood]

[ Entrapta straightens up in alarm. ]

Oh! Ha ha, uh, hey there! I was juuust... talking, to my, f...riend! About! [ A little pause. It can't be seen under the mask, but it sounds kind of like she's pulling a face when she continues: ] ...Uh, about... Ethics??

[ The Puca folds his arms, smirking slightly, as he makes his way over. "Don't you have a job to do? Come on, this is the fourth time."

Entrapta glances between him and Solas.

Then she leans towards Solas, and whispers loudly: ] Do you think you could distract him...

[veilfires]

[Solas gives Entrapta a disapproving Look which approximately says ‘you can’t just run off’. Then he attends to the Puca gentleman, standing up in a smooth, dignified motion to greet him with a polite incline of his head.]

Good afternoon. My name is Solas.

You must ensure Entrapta fulfills the terms of her punishment, no? I would first like to discuss them.

[tinyfood]

[ He raises both eyebrows. Behind Solas, Entrapta groans – this would CLEARLY be the PERFECT time to just run off?

The Puca shrugs: "I mean, if you want, but there's not much to discuss..." A pause; he frowns. "Why, what did she tell you?" ]

[veilfires]

[Solas laces his fingers before him with a relaxed posture, affecting automatically his mild-mannered and unassuming persona.]

That she has been caught stealing the Coven property. [He bobs his head, with a pleasant smile.] Hardly acceptable conduct for a guest of the Coven, as we newcomers are.

Nevertheless, Entrapta's intention was but to investigate the strange new world she has found herself in. I perceive an opportunity for the Coven, in that. She is possessed of a rare spirit paired with a keen intellect: that would make her a valuable resource.

[tinyfood]

Oh! [ Entrapta straightens up, lifting one finger to correct him. ] No, actually I didn't take anything from the Coven! It was from a bunch of other people.

[The Puca raises his eyebrows. "Right... You get that she's getting off easy, right? She stole a lot. If she wasn't one of you lot she'd probably be going to jail." ]

[veilfires]

[Though privately amused by her honesty and lack of guile, outwardly Solas only nods politely at her correction. In answer to the Puca,]

I do. All the more reason to set her to more difficult work. A punishment that disciplines and is productive. The Coven, I imagine, wishes to see returns on its investment.

Entrapta is an outsider, and is unacquainted with the ordinary laws and customs of human society. That will pose an ongoing problem until a proper place is found for her within the city.

[tinyfood]

[ The Puca shrugs expansively. "They're working on getting a place for you guys set up," he says. "But, look, I'm not in charge of meting out punishments, I'm just here to watch her."

He nods to Entrapta. "Come on, the sooner you get back to work the sooner you'll be done with it."

Entrapta throws her hands up in frustration. ] No I won't, because the Coven's non-Euclidian interior has no clearly definable end!

["Eh," says the Puca with another shrug. He looks faintly amused. "It's not literally endless, if you keep cleaning you'll be done eventually." ]

[veilfires]

[An exasperating but not unexpected response. The man wants to do his job, not quibble over particulars that seem to have nothing to do with him. He sighs aloud, and gives Entrapta an ‘I tried’ look.]

Good luck, Princess. You’ll have more useful work to engage you yet, I hope.

[He puts a finger on his chin, considering it as he makes to walk off.

He should put in a word to a higher up in the Coven... He’s aware that she’s capricious enough it’s possible she’ll disappear for another fortnight, but it’s worth the effort. So long as he’s not exhausted the means he has, he’ll try to help her find a place within the city.]