02 | @hearse

[wheft]

[ well, that's quite the mental update. while ishmael isn't reeling from the download's sappy effects, she is in the mood to yap and gossip -- which is typically unlike her at all. and so, while they're all still waiting for the download to finish, she's got this to ask on their shared network. ]

Looks like this is going to take a while. And I know that most of us here were haunted by certain dreams a while back, me included. It's something I've already gone through back home so I'm not too bothered with it now, but I'm going to go ahead and ask anyway.

What are some of your happier memories?

That's probably easier said than done, though. You don't even have to think too far back and just share whatever made you happy since coming here. It's corny, sure, but we could definitely need some cheering up after all that on top of this horribly hot weather.

Of course, if you're too shy to share them to everyone in the class, I get it. I know I am. You can just tell me privately if you trust me that much, or you don't have to say anything at all and just read or react to everyone's contributions instead. Also if anyone's gonna come here to say shit like "Oh I'm not gonna share anything :/" then do us all a favor and not waste our time. Thanks. 👍

[ ish is too embarrassed to share hers right now, if anyone's wondering 🧍‍♂️ of course, feel free to threadjack if needed. happy yapping!! ]

Comments

@poker

[stonehearts]

( aventurine has a limited pool of happy memories to pull from, and even less that he wants to share. sorry ish. )

Oh, I think one of them has to be when I got my last big promotion!

@nadel

[yormama]

That's wonderful! It's nice to see hard work pay off.

[stonehearts]

( yor you are so genuine and this man does not deserve it. )

It is, isn't it? Things can be quite cutthroat at the IPC, but I don't set my sights on anything I can't accomplish

[yormama]

[ excuse u Aventurine deserves the world ]

What is the IPC? I'm not familiar.

If you don't mind explaining, I mean!

[stonehearts]

( DOES HE THOUGH )

The IPC is the Interastral Peace Corporation. I find it difficult to explain at the best of times, considering that everyone back home has some measure of understanding. But we are in charge of the galactic economy, more or less

[yormama]

[ YES 😤 ]

It sounds like a very big, important business if it's for the whole galaxy! I'm glad to meet someone that important.

[ Nevermind that she still can't quite process the galactic part of it... ]

[stonehearts]

You flatter me, Ms. Yor!

[wheft]

[ it's ok king. she's kinda figured it out that the simpler memories someone has, the more dire their backstories are.

more importantly, though. this is him, isn't it? the poker guy the doctor's been stressing himself over. ]

A promotion? Wow, something work-related for once. What was your job back home then?

[stonehearts]

A Non-Performing Asset Liquidation Specialist in the Strategic Investment Department of the Interastral Peace Corporation.

( jesus christ, aventurine. )

But that's a mouthful, isn't it? Let's just say I tackle difficult problems that need a talented hand and a decent amount of luck to solve.

[wheft]

[ no, it's okay. most Fixers back home come with a whole bunch of longass titles to cut out the small talk. no need for chitchat when they can just tell you how powerful you are with those ranks.

but that job title of his is completely lost on her, so. ]

You could just say that you work at a corporation and leave it at that. I used to work in one, back then.

But... what kind of corporate job needs that much luck? Were you working at some kind of casino?

[stonehearts]

Oh? And what did yours do?

Everything requires luck, but especially those projects that come with a certain amount of risk. Not a casino, no -- a galactic organization tasked with creating and upholding the galactic economy. The Strategic Investment Department is in charge of managing and acquiring various resources and planets throughout the galaxy, in particular the debts caused by something we call the Cancer of All Worlds.

[wheft]

That... doesn't matter anymore. I already quit ages ago.

[ the corpo life ain't for her :/

but SHEESH. right, she does remember him mention bits and pieces before. he really does sound like some executive from a wing back home... ]

The Cancer of all Worlds? Are we talking about a concept or is it actually... physically cancerous?

[stonehearts]

Oh? Dare I ask why?

( he's nosy! )

Neither, it's a physical thing that creates disaster and chaos wherever they land. But they spread like cancer does, and the cost of their existence on the planets where they land is astronomical. We deal with those debts incurred

[wheft]

I just grew exhausted of the rat race, is all. Why stay at a job that pays decently if you get no growth from it, right?

[ or so she says. but really, she quit her job purely on a whim - and for a deeper reason than that. ]

And your Wing - er, corporation, can help these planets thrive again at a cost. I imagine that they don't come cheap, so what happens if they can't pay?

@duelwield

[coordination]

Promotion? From what to what?

[stonehearts]

( oh HELLO meme-share buddy. which means the answer that aventurine gives is slightly more honest than it might have been, if only because he doesn't feel like risking someone calling him a liar or otherwise purposefully obtuse on a public network channel.

and certainly not because there's any sort of bond that comes with someone seeing you on trial for murder and fraud. )

From some unimportant IPC drone to Aventurine, of course ( ah, perhaps he should be clearer: ) It's not just a name, though the Ten Stonehearts all use it as one once we're promoted to our new office

[coordination]

[ He asks because he's curious (nosy) about details, really. And even though Aventurine doesn't know just yet, it's not like Yzak hasn't been on trial for some awful shit himself. He's not about to air someone else's business out, and he understands all too well the weight of something like that. ]

Not just a name. So, are there more guys named after gems aside from you? [ What is this, Steven Universe? ]

[stonehearts]

You catch on quick!

( it IS steven universe but none of them turn into a giant woman which: big loss for the ipc )

All ten of us, including the superior of the Stonehearts -- Diamond. My direct superior is Jade of Credit, for example

[coordination]

[ A SHAME, TBH!! ]

Of course I do.

Of Credit. Are you "of" something, as well?

[stonehearts]

I am. Aventurine of Stratagems, at your service

( assigned 'crafty bastard' at promotion )

[coordination]

Stratagems, huh. That makes sense.

[ Fitting, Yzak figures, considering that memory he saw. ]

Well, congratulations on your promotion, in that case. I can agree from experience that it's a very satisfying thing.

@shiro

[cranekin]

Congratulations! 🎉
Did you celebrate after?

[stonehearts]

Of course! What's a promotion without an extravagant party?

[cranekin]

Good, good.
Eh, it's been a while since we last had a party for everyone... Now I want to have another one.

Hey, give me some ideas. What did you do at yours?

[stonehearts]

Oh? What's stopping anyone?

A lot of drinking, dining, chatting up my new coworkers and the bosses. I think someone brought a chocolate fondue fountain