The Sixteenth Trial

[advisories]

Who: trialgoers
When: Day 37, afternoon
Where: The Hermit's Tent

[With the usual jostle of the train, the Hermit’s tent appears in the clearing. His deep, cheerful voice rings out:]

That last Trial was a bit of a mess, wasn’t it? Well, rest assured our dear Vampire friend is very sorry about it.

Of course that doesn’t make you feel better, but how about a mood booster? “Come hither”, and let’s think positive!

[Upon entering the tent, you’ll find yourself on a round, black-tiled platform at the bottom of a clear glass elevator. Look outside and you'll spot the other two groups in their own elevators, facing you on the other walls of a triangular pit. You can't reach or hear them at the moment, but they look safe enough.

In your own elevator, you’ll find a podium with a speaker and a push-to-talk microphone. Taped next to them is a laminated paper containing the rules, titled:

Raise Eachother Up

Time for some cheer and positivity!]

Comments

[schrodingerscockroach]

Walking me home. So you can be a gentleman. [LOT EASIER TO TEASE then think about Faito.]

[awakenerd]

[He thinks Faito would be fine if Dusk showed up it's really Dusk that needs the consideration here but he sighs.]

Do I seem like a cad? Of course I'm a gentleman. I'll see you to your doorstep and everything.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Listen, just because she's willing to forgive doesn't mean it might not still be scary at first to see the guy who tried to eat her. Instincts are strong sometimes.]

Well, you are very charming and do have multiple partners. [Gonna just drape an arm around his shoulders because. Reasons.]

[awakenerd]

[Oh no. Being draped on. He's gonna die.]

Two.

[Two is multiple Rean.]

And if you want charming just look at yourself.

[schrodingerscockroach]

I am surprise my efforts to be sociable have been as effective as they are.

Not that people were lacking in saying nice things about you.

[awakenerd]

You've been very sociable. You're super easy to like. What's the surprise that people like you?

Honestly you might have made more connections successfully than I have. I could learn a thing or two from you.

[schrodingerscockroach]

I think I can come across as overbearing.

What makes you say that?

[awakenerd]

Sometimes people need a little overbearing. But I think you know when not to be,

Say which? That I could learn from you? It's not like being old means I have nothing left to learn.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Eeeeeh. [He waves a hand in a so-so gesture.]

I mean why you think I have more connections. Most of the people are your friends too.

[awakenerd]

Considering you just got here you've worked fast.

I'm not saying I don't have friends, but for example, I've hardly had a chance to get to know anyone else on Clover. But I already feel like you're a dear friend. That's on you. On your attitude. It's easy to feel secure about you, to feel--accepted? Wanted? Like someone cares.

It makes me want to rely on you a lot. But only if you take care of yourself properly.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[....oh my god]

[OH MY GOD]

[He's bright red and just]

[Gonna press his face against Rean's shoulder because really]

...to be fair, half of Clover is hard to get close to. Need to be aggressive with two, and Twilight was luck. Morning...gets it. You should talk to her.

No fair saying all that after you said I can't kiss you.

[awakenerd]

[HE FEELS NO REMORSE. Instead he smiles and lifts a hand to gently fluff Dusk's hair, delighted.]

All's fair in love and war and making cute guys blush. Anyway, I'll keep that in mind.

And if you still want to kiss me in a few days I'll kiss you back. I might just be being overly cautious, but the last thing I want is to betray your trust. I think I just made it clear I already hold you in high regard.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[TERRORIBLE]

So you're saying I should work on making you blush more.

Yeah. Yeah, you made that clear. [Ears are red even.]

[awakenerd]

That is entirely different and definitely not my own double standard.

[fluff fluff but he drops his hand to let Dusk die gently.]

Are you sure, I could keep going until you're sure.

[schrodingerscockroach]

....

[You know what]

[You're getting kissed on the neck]

[SPITEFULLY]

[And tenderly]

[All's fair, after all]

[awakenerd]

[He actually yelps, he wasn't expecting that. And yeah, he goes pretty red and whines loudly.]

Dusk!

[schrodingerscockroach]

[He laughs.] Turnabout is fair play.

And you're really cute when you blush.

[awakenerd]

Look in a mirror when you say that.

[Grumbling. He's dying. He lifts a hand to touch his neck because it just feels sensitive and all after being kissed. Rudely! Or rather, he's just kind of more aware of it so he has to touch it himself before that awareness and the ghost memory of lips makes him simply die.]

Promise me you'll actually rest a bit when I drop you off?

[schrodingerscockroach]

I'm pretty sure you're a lot cuter then me. You have that sort of face that looks open and innocent.

Yeah. I had just been looking to check on Noon when I woke up and then I realized there was a trial...

[awakenerd]

[Yes he knows he has a baby face shut up.]

Personally I think it's more cute when a more manly handsome guy gets flustered, but maybe that's me.

Noon is looking better though, at least. Did you help him with his mana problems?

[schrodingerscockroach]

But I can have a scary face sometimes. Not sure if you could pull off scary. You have all the time cute.

Yeah. We formed a contract.

He's also forbidden me from other contracts, which. You know. Fair. [He knows it's fair.] But temporary Mana help shouldn't be a problem so....that's still there.

[awakenerd]

[He just sighs. Scary is still out of reach after over a thousand years, thus is life. Oh well.]

Having a scary face can be useful at times. Anyway, good for him. You are way too prone to offering yourself way too easily.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Rean is never scary]

Definitely. I'm not begrudging it. I'm just saying you're cuter.

[He shrugged.] It's like 80H said. I'm dedicated to the mission. The mission is keeping everyone alive and if I did shit like I did in my memories regularly? I'm good at least living through things myself. So keeping others alive is important to keep in mind.

Not help how all three of you have been some level of dumbass in caring for yourselves. [A little bit of judging for you. Mostly them.]

[awakenerd]

[He gives up on the face discussion. Dusk wins.]

I don't know how it is for Noon and the other weirdo [weirdo said fondly] but I'm not going to contract to anyone who isn't very willing to accept I have no idea how to terminate a contract.

I know I'm not the same thing as they are. But we're similar. Ghosts of the past who need the living to keep us "real" in the present, I guess, as far as I can tell.

You can't expect ghosts to be that great at staying alive.

[It's a joke.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[You know what you get for that joke? A very rough hair ruffle that's basically a noogie.]

There's a difference between being bad at staying alive and finding death more acceptable than relying on someone else.

I don't offer myself up because I'm content dying for others. I offer myself up because I believe I can find a way to take it and make it out to the other side.