Undone

Chapter 3

TestTube wasn't very sure where to go from here.

She was sent on a rather elementary mission– study the contestants and their host, report back any interesting or useful information and retrieve the egg that one of the contestants had. Additionally, if she could, she was encouraged to return that defective Mephone 4(s), or at least its creation chip.

But about an hour or so into her mission, she'd basically been denied access to their host, making the first step of this entire operation near impossible.

She could ask around, but this was a hotel of people who all had opinions on said host. They all will say something different, depending on their experiences. Early elimination might make them say something negative, for example.

They just weren't reliable.

TestTube sighs. She didn't have much of a choice, did she?

On the bright side, she did note a bit about the host from her earlier interaction.

Remembering that, TestTube looks back to her notepad.

She'd scribbled on a few notes about the five people she'd met after her interaction with Paintbrush. Later when the hotel was less active, she planned to polish up these notes and report back to Cobs.

TestTube would've done it earlier, but she'd quickly gleaned from her short interaction with Mephone 4 that he was rather... controversial among the contestants.

TestTube goes back to add a few more details to her most recent interaction– before she can commit pen to paper she hears footsteps and quickly pockets her notepad.

She'd come to the roof in an attempt to get more privacy... she should've known someone would follow her here!

TestTube looks back to the double doors that allowed access to the roof. Out of it came three people– the (literally) red-haired one from earlier (Fan, probably), Oj, and some white man that followed (Definitely Paper. He was the only white person in the hotel, according to her informant.)

"There you are!" Fan exclaims, running up to TestTube. She doesn't say anything, simply shifting aside to give her room on the bench. This was a good time to get to really know this "Fan" guy.

"We've been looking for you for a bit now." Fan sits next to TestTube, looking towards her though never making eye contact.

"Have you?" TestTube replies. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble to find me then." She smiles back.

"Not at all." Fan says quickly. TestTube notes that Oj looked a bit irritated– he definitely had something he wanted to say to her, though she wasn't sure what.

She doesn't take too long to study his expression, turning to back to Fan to keep this conversation going.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to m-maybe- hang out later..?" She offers nervously. That scene TestTube heard she had with Cobs wasn't a one-off moment, she gleans quickly. Fan seemed to always be a bit on edge. She'd have to note that. It'd be easy to pressure her, if they were alone.

"Sure– what time?" TestTube agrees, smiling at the woman. She couldn't have her afraid to speak with her– she'd be dishonest, and might even avoid sharing that egg with her.

"Tonight– maybe around... nine or ten? We could meet here again, maybe try stargazing together..."

TestTube thinks. The darker, the better, for stargazing.

She actually knew a few of the constellations that showed up around the place... besides now getting to know about Fan's interests, it was nice to have someone that shared hers...