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This has to be a test. You can feel it in your bones. Maybe she's trying to gauge your reaction to the question? Would it be suspicious if you said you knew about them? Maybe? The <span class="mu-b">Man</span> was the one who told you about them. It could be that you're not supposed to know.
You could also be overthinking it.
You decide to lighten things up with a joke first. "What, like a combine harvester? From one of those farm songs? How did that song go again?" You tap your foot on the ground to an imaginary rhythm.
"what-"
"I drove my tractor through your haystack last night!" Your singing is, in the nicest way you can put it, horrifically off-key. A rabid cat being mulched by a combine harvester would make a more pleasant sound. "I threw me pitchfork at your dog to keep quiet!"
"Something like that..." You immediately stop singing before you embarrass yourself any further. You try to ignore how hot your face feels.
Ashton tries to say something, but all that comes out is a noise between a squawk and a cat howling. She covers her mouth before she turns her back to you.
Her body shakes as she tries her best to stay composed. She is failing. Horribly, just like your attempt at singing.
You can't see what expression she's making now but you think the joke landed. She turns back to face you after she regains some of her composure.
"f-fucking hell, vince, you need to get your pipes next!" Her grin stretches from ear to ear, letting you see her unnaturally sharp teeth again. They're almost too white, too perfect, now that you got another good look at them. Did she bleach them or is that just how harvester teeth look?
Hm. Didn't you see someone else with sharp teeth today? You think you did? Whatever, that's not relevant.
You do wish your teeth were anywhere near as white as hers are. Your last job didn't have free dental, sooo. Yeah.
"seriously, though, i want to know. do you know what a <span class="mu-r">harvester</span> is? not the machine, dork." She's not going to let this go, huh?
You might as well get to the point. "Are you a <span class="mu-r">harvester</span>?" You keep your voice low and neutral. You're trying to be 'polite' about this, you suppose.
The <span class="mu-b">Man</span> turns away from the wall he's scrubbing. He keenly listens in on your conversation with her.
That wipes the smile off of her face. She doesn't respond for a good while. She reads your expression as she mulls over how to answer your question.
"the reason i'm asking this, vincent, is i want to make sure you stay informed about the dangers of this facility." She's not denying it but she's also not answering the question. "again, do you know anything or do i have to tell you?"
"Can't say I know much. I overheard someone talking about them today but nothing too in depth." You offer her a half-truth. "I know some signs and vague details about them."
"that so?" She flatly responds. Her dull yellow eyes bore right through you. "hypothetically, would you trust a harvester? if you, say, met one."
