solving counting sheep prompt thing: three and joe trying to work on some project together
Three squints critically at a post in the ground.
“Your measurement is off,” it says.
“Why, thank you. Your eyesight is far greater than mine, so I very much appreciate you correcting the marks I’m using to decide how big and close the moon is getting!” Joe smiles at Three. Back when Three had first met her, Joe had smiled big quite often. These days, even that goofy, meant-to-be-a-gesture smile is drawn and exhausted. Joe is not designed to run on minimal sleep the way Three is; Joe is hardly the only Hermit staying up until the middle of the night these days.
Blocks rise around them.
Three has better vision than Joe. Blocks rise everywhere.
“I still think we should try Mumbo’s missile again. Or we should try a bigger missile.”
“I am afraid that didn’t work the first time!” Joe says, finishing their sign adjustments.
“That’s stupid,” Three says.
“That’s just how it is. Besides, big problems like that are for big problem havers! We’re out here, collecting data for the people who might actually be able to do something about it.” Joe pauses, shrugs. “I mean, if they exist. They probably don’t.”
“I could torture a Watcher into fixing it,” Three says glibly.
“No, you said that wouldn’t work,” Joe says. “Also, that’s morally questionable.”
Three does not fidget. It trains its eyes on the threat it can do nothing about. It lets out a trill that, for most mortals, is terrifying.
Nothing happens.
“I can make everyone leave,” Three says, quieter this time. “With better plans than—”
“The season’s hardly over. Iskall hasn’t given me my badge yet. I’m not leaving until I get that,” Joe says.
“That is a stupid plan. Don’t be stupid,” Three says.
“Are you leaving?”
“Not until Mumbo does. Especially not until—Pearl should know better. She did not leave last time. She was—was sad. She should know that—I won’t leave until she does,” Three says, halting as it trips over emotions it doesn’t understand.
“Then let’s not have this argument again.”
“Will comply,” Three grumbles.
“Besides, this new moon data is fascinating. Why, at this rate—oh no! I might not even finish my castle! I think I’m going to go work on the walls again, just in case,” Joe says.
“Affirmative,” Three says.
“See you around! If you happen to See any solutions with those big eyes of yours”—and here Joe winks, incredibly unsubtly—“please, by all means, let us all know!”
He leaves.
Three looks at a line of signs across the ground, scattered markers of how small the problem was a month ago. It’s grown so big so fast, and Three has still yet to figure out how to neutralize it.
No one has any orders to stay. No one has any reason to. Three doesn’t understand why they’re still staying.
Three won’t leave alone.
Three, Three doesn’t want—
It would be sad if Zedaph’s sheep experiment had to end early. It should not be buried under moon rocks and rubble. It should be remembered.
That’s all.
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