The Ninth Trial

[advisories]

Who: everyone
When: Day 18, starting just after dawn
Where: The Hermit's Tent, and all around

[This morning as the sun begins to pour through the train's windows, there's the tremor that signals a Trial.]

Come hither, Heroes. Prove thy worth. Or something like that!

[It's the same older man's voice from the sixth trial, and outside is the same fortune teller's stall. Today the front flap is lifted to show a normal interior -- there's a wooden table, carved with geometric patterns and painted in bright colours, lit by teal-coloured carved candles.

At the table sits a man of indeterminate age, somewhere between 30 and 60. He's wearing what appear to be monk's robes, teal with patterned trimming. In front of him is a crystal ball and a stack of bingo cards, along with a stand-up sign bearing the rules of this Trial.

Across the top in large font, it says:

Icebreaker Bingo

Good luck and have fun!]

Comments

[bad_crowmance]

Got a square you wanna start on?

[unaffective]

I have no preference, particularly. Please choose as you like.

[bad_crowmance]

[ His first and most immediate thought is to start with the kissing square, but he pushes that aside for now. He doesn't know her that well yet. ]

Turn around, I'll give you a shoulder rub.

[unaffective]

... Ah, alright.

[ turns around, lifting the bulk of her hair over her shoulders with her free hand.

from behind, now, he can see that there's a senna-red ribbon on the back of her head, braided into her hair. ]

[bad_crowmance]

[ He moves his hands towards her shoulders and starts giving a good neck-and-shoulder rub. ...He's pretty decent at it, actually, even working mostly off of muscle memory. ]

The ribbon in your hair is a cute touch.

[unaffective]

[ congratulations! it's full of knots!

her neck, shoulders, and back may as well just be one big knot. it's kind of gross. after a small grunt, she murmurs, ]

Thank you... at the time that I began to do it, I did hope that it would appear cute. Loathe though I may be to confess so, my eye for such things remains lacking even today...

[bad_crowmance]

[ Yikes yikes yikes. Not that he'd be one to talk if he brought it up, he tends to be pretty fucking tense himself. Oh well, he's going to get to work on loosening up that giant fucking knot. ]

Oh yeah? A girl as cute as you are, I'd figure you'd have loads of practice with it.

[unaffective]

[ exhales, dipping her head a bit. she can't really deny she's been stressed, but that feeling is something else. ]

Fashion is somewhat beyond me. However, I've heard from others that ribbons are among those things which may be considered "cute," and responded thusly...

[bad_crowmance]

It's a good response, ribbons are pretty cute. I think fashion's just one of those things you gotta experiment with until you get a feel for it. Nothing wrong with that.

[unaffective]

Vexing though the gap in my understanding may be, I must confess that it is likewise of little interest. Certainly there is merit in maintaining one's appearance, but to place my attentions elsewhere would be more prudent, by far.

[ but there's a tiny pause before she adds ]

... My apologies.

[bad_crowmance]

Eh, there's nothing wrong with that either.

[ He shrugs briefly, though she really can't see it because he's still working out the knots in her shoulders. ]

[unaffective]

Rather than that, that I would have you perform such a thing, knowing perfectly well my own condition... It simply feels as if there is some apology in order.

[bad_crowmance]

Heh! If it bothered me, I wouldn't be afraid to complain. Don't worry about it.

[unaffective]

... Is that so... Then - thank you.

[ another pause, ]

At any rate - it shall regretfully take some time, at any rate; to fulfill other squares in the interim would be prudent, certainly. Have you given much thought to your goals?

[bad_crowmance]

Of course I have. My primary goal right now is to get my memories back. What about you?

[unaffective]

I'll save everyone within this place, of course.

[bad_crowmance]

Right, you mentioned something about that-- for your brother's sake.

[unaffective]

- Of course, it's for the sake of each person present here. While it's certainly something that he would like of me, it's hardly as if he is here...

[bad_crowmance]

Of course, my mistake.

[unaffective]

And more scarcely still it is not as if he's requested that I do any such thing. I'd simply like to do so.

[bad_crowmance]

It's an admirable goal, to be sure.