--Galatea--

[takesitall]

[Aventurine watches as the movers bring his new statue into his garden. He recently bought a new house with a garden and it seemed a shame to keep it empty like it was. He'll figure out if he wants a statue or not later, but this one was decently priced for the quality and he is never going to say no to art of a pretty man where he can see it.

As the statue is placed down, Aventurine notices an odd device stuck on the back.]

Take that off, what the hell.

Comments

[takesitall]

[Aventurine nearly drops the device.]

What the hell--

[ignoranceisblight]

[The statue waves a hand, almost dismissively.]

My apologies for startling you-- [He is not sorry at all.] --But you mentioned figuring out why that device was on me and as the only one here who actually knows...

Well, now that I can move and speak more or less freely without the device-- [A glance towards Aventurine.] --your insistence on its removal is appreciated, by the way--I figured I may as well tell you.

[takesitall]

You're sentient. You're alive. [To the movers:] You're witnesses, I'm reporting that fucker.

[Okay, to the statue:]

Why did he put the device on you?

[ignoranceisblight]

Yeah, uh. Holy shit.

Ostensibly, it was to keep someone as troublesome as me in one place. He claimed it was for my own good, so that I wouldn't say the wrong thing to the wrong person and get myself damaged for it, but I suspect it was really because he couldn't stand that the statue he'd fallen in love with an idea of and found that it had been brought to life by way of a wish would tire of his behavior and simply leave.

... Man, and I'd just thought that guy was a jackass. This is...

[takesitall]

Well.

[Hm.]

We're going to have a fun few months. Do you have a name?

[ignoranceisblight]

Technically, no. I was never given one by the sculptor. But... I call myself Veritas. I'd been planning on giving myself a full name, but that was interrupted.

[takesitall]

Veritas. You can call me Aventurine, for now. Can you move off the pedestal?

[ignoranceisblight]

[He nods, carefully stepping down from it.]

[takesitall]

[Aventurine moves to help.]

Do you eat or drink? Dammit, did he deny you food and water?

[ignoranceisblight]

[Veritas tries to avoid relying too much on the help-- mainly out of concern for potentially hurting him.]

I do not require either. Even if I could ingest them, I wouldn't be able to taste them, so there's no real point.

[takesitall]

Huh. Lame.

[What's the point of life if you can't eat.]

Do you sleep? I can get a spare bed brought over if you do.

[ignoranceisblight]

[Listen, if he could he would, it's not his fault whatever made him animate didn't think to include the rest of the sensory package!]

I don't sleep, no.

[As much as he wishes he could sometimes.]

[takesitall]

Meditate? Anything? I didn't intend to get a housemate but I've got one, and I'll be damned if I don't see to it that you're comfortable.

[ignoranceisblight]

I... have never attempted meditation or the like. I mostly occupied myself overnight before getting that device attached to me by finding things to do quietly.

[takesitall]

Well, what did you do?

[ignoranceisblight]

Housework that I could do quietly, mostly. Read, otherwise.

[takesitall]

Well, that's. Something. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do while you're here, for however long that is.

[ignoranceisblight]

... Alright, thank you.

[takesitall]

Here, I'll show you the house. You two movers, I'll pay extra if you gather up everything you guys have on the bastard who had Veritas.

[ignoranceisblight]

Oh, consider it done.

Yeah, that bastard needs to go down! You worry about getting Mr. Veritas settled in, Mr. Aventurine, leave the rest to us!

[Veritas is a little surprised at the movers' eagerness, but he turns his attention back to Aventurine.]

Lead on, then.

[takesitall]

[Aventurine nods at the movers and leads Veritas into the house. It's a nice thing, a bit fancy for a single guy but with plenty of space for two or more people.]

The bedrooms are upstairs, and I know you don't sleep but I'll make one into a room for you to do...whatever you want in it, I guess.

[ignoranceisblight]

[He nods.]

Thank you. I'll... figure out something to do, I suppose.

[takesitall]

There's always television or the internet, if all else fails. Or if you want to try something new, just tell me and I'll get what I can together for it.

[ignoranceisblight]

[Veritas tilts his head a little, surprised, but nods.]

Alright. I will... let you know. Perhaps I will find something I'd like to try.

[takesitall]

[Over the next month or so, Aventurine does what he can to help Veritas learn to be a person in whatever way that is for him. In return, the living statue starts to open up and pick up a few new hobbies. It's slow, but Aventurine finds he enjoys his odd new housemate.

One day, about a month after everything started, Aventurine walks in with a very fancy letter.]

So. Do you want to watch the bastard who sculpted you eat shit live and in person, or later on video?