[Audio]

[steelweb]

The list of releases from last month has arrived.

[From the sound of it, Lin turns away from the microphone to bark into another room:]

O'Toole! You and your betting pool can report to my office in precisely ten minutes, is that understood?

[And she's back at the device, irritation buzzing under her tone, but none of it directed at the listeners.]

The names are as follows:
Clara Oswald
Akemi Homura
Kaname Madoka
Remy LeBeau
Alois Trancy
Mikura Kazuma

Any questions may be asked here. I'll give you what answers I can.


...The island's been quiet for two weeks now. Be careful and report anything unusual.

Comments

[callbacks]

at least they got to see each other again first

1/2

[librariansheart]

Dave... Are you--

[librariansheart]

If you want to, I'm in the middle of making cookies.

[callbacks]

aw hey
im ok miss sheska
but you know im never gonna say no to your cookies
does that mean theres still dough stuck to the bowl

[librariansheart]

Ah... You really don't have to call me "miss". You know that. And I haven't finished putting the latest batch on cookie sheets yet, so there is, in fact, some still stuck to the bowl. Does that mean I'll be seeing you soon?

[callbacks]

[knock knock knock]

[librariansheart]

[There's a yelp from inside. Sheska opens the door after a minute, sweater sleeves pushed up, and her apron and cheek smudged with flour, offering him a chagrined smile and a spoonful of cookie dough.]

Dave! Sorry, I'm still not used to that. Come in, dear.

[callbacks]

[He brightens as he accepts the spoon and closes the door behind him.]

Thanks, Sheska. And I know I don't have to use the 'Miss,' but I'm Southern, it's in my blood. I can stop if you want me to.

[librariansheart]

Oh! Well... I mean... If it makes you feel better. It just isn't really necessary between friends!

[Baaack into the kitchen, where she does, in fact, have two plates of cookies already made up and was clearly in the middle of putting more on the cookie sheets.]

I confess, it also makes me feel a little old... B-but as long as you know you don't have to use it, then it's fine, really!

[callbacks]

You're older than me.

[But he's just teasing, and his smile's soft as he scrapes cookie dough off the spoon with his teeth.]

But okay. Just straight-up Sheska from now on, no holds barred. Hey, what do you call Bro?

[librariansheart]

[Her ears pink and she waves a hand like she's going to make a few justifications, but the question catches her off guard and she pauses to consider.]

Ah...? Mr. Strider, usually...

[She gives him a wry smile and busies herself with the dough again, setting aside another spoonful if he wants some.]

Of course, if it hadn't been for that time in high school, I'd probably still be calling you Master Strider unless you told me differently.

[tookthename]

Betting pool for what?

[steelweb]

How long it would take to show up, I suspect, but it doesn't matter. It's not taking place in my station.

[tookthename]

How long the list would take to show up or am I missing some island thing?

[steelweb]

A first draft usually appears the first week, and a confirmation some days later. Sometimes it's within the first week, sometimes it's later. They're being idiots. It's not anything worth betting on even if it wasn't inappropriate.

[veryproud]

Oh. Were we not allowed to bet?

[veryproud]

Kidding.

It seems shorter than the last two this time. That's good.

[steelweb]

It's one of the shortest on record, but I wouldn't count on it staying that way.

[veryproud]

It might be playing nice for the holidays.

[steelweb]

....Were you here this time last year?

[veryproud]

I was. I meant it's removal of people not the potential chance of getting caught under enchanted mistletoe.

[steelweb]

It's about the same number released last November, which doubled during December. But trying to find a pattern in this place is virtually impossible. We'll have to wait and see.

[veryproud]

When was the shortest release list?

[brief pause]

[steelweb]

Jun of 2012 had four on the list. That's the shortest one I'm finding. We didn't always report it for everyone.

[veryproud]

When did you start reporting?