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

[voreaciously]

[Don't have sex. Don't have sex. Don't have sex--]

Yes, Crow-san. Ah, is there anything you do not like, so far?

[she knows he has no regrets and like, well, she doesn't regret most of it but lord she was. sure full of voracious lust and gave him like forty hickies. good grief.

But the tamagoyaki is soft and fluffy, but with literally layered, complex flavours between its colourful rolls. With the soft bite of spinach and earthy tartness of the parsley to add as a counter, it makes for an interesting medley of tastes in the surprisingly artful little roll.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Why not, though??? ]

The fish is my favourite part, but I don't think there's any one part of this meal that's not delicious. There's no small skill in the preparation, that's for sure.

[voreaciously]

[Crow you are going to murder her. Her face is as red as one of the tomatoes in the salad.]

Y-you flatter me. Thank you.

[bad_crowmance]

Is it flattery if it's the truth?

[ The blush is hilarious, honestly. It's like she has no idea how to take a compliment-- actually, he's starting to think she really doesn't. ]

[voreaciously]

You really need to be less charming.

[bad_crowmance]

Nah, I like my current levels of charming just fine.

[voreaciously]

You would, I am sure.

[She cannot be mad, she isn't, but she has food. That makes everything better.]

Did you have any plans for sparks?

[bad_crowmance]

I've got lots of plans. Aside from what we've discussed, I want to get a deck of cards, some more outfits, a cat toy, and a few other things. Not to mention that earning sparks also gets me closer towards getting more memories.

[voreaciously]

[Okay, but--]

A cat toy?

[bad_crowmance]

A cat toy!

[ He confirms it breezily but with no further explanation. ]

[voreaciously]

...Why?

[bad_crowmance]

Well.... you never know when one might come in handy.

[ Look, he just likes cats. Don't judge. ]

[voreaciously]

[Honestly, she isn't going to judge. She's a weird person even if she doesn't always get all of why and she cannot like, begrudge someone esoteric preparation.

It's a little endearing actually.]

No, I suppose not. It is good to be prepared.

[bad_crowmance]

[ It's not endearing, it's PRACTICAL. ]

Exactly!

[voreaciously]

What sort of toys do cats enjoy?

[bad_crowmance]

Let's see... Mice with catnip inside, those teaser wands you can dangle at them, a ball, springs....

[voreaciously]

[Stuffing a dead mouse with catnip sounds reasonable. Cats like dead things, don't they?]

I see. You are quite the connoisseur.

[bad_crowmance]

[ 80H, no. Toys! Toys! Dead mice aren't toys! ]

I'm sure there's some that I'm missing. After all, those are just ones I can carry.

[voreaciously]

[tell that to cats!!]

You carry all of them?

[bad_crowmance]

Not generally at once.

[voreaciously]

Well, seeing as how you can manipulate space for no discernible reason I was not certain.

[SERIOUSLY.



HOW DO YOU DO THE THING!!!]

It really is unfair and a mystery...

[bad_crowmance]

Haha, it's really not that mysterious.

[voreaciously]

It is because it is something you are used to! Even now, you cannot give me a satisfactory explanation for it, it is simply something you do, instinctively. And I cannot sense anything odd about it, myself.

[Honestly, she's not mad at him, and that is clear, but it's infuriating in that it is a mystery that is being kept from her that she likely cannot investigate.

Fuck you jrpg mechanics!!!!]

[bad_crowmance]

That's because there's nothing odd to sense. It's not like it's magic or anything, I'm just putting my guns away.

[voreaciously]

Normally, when someone puts their guns away, they holster them. They do not disappear into parts, places, or planes unknown.

[She sighs, a little defeated, but makes herself feel better with fish.

Yummy, yummy fish.]

The fact that you do not understand how strange it is is exactly my point.