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

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

Honestly if we could have trials like that every day I'd have a great time. I love telling people why they're great.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

Honestly, I don't know how you do it. You're pretty shameless in your own way, aren't you? So long as it isn't about yourself.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

What's shameless about telling people their good traits? I should do it more, too many people here seemed way too unused to compliments.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

You don't see anything shameless about being able to easily pour out compliments without even a hint of embarrassment? It's just so easy for you that it doesn't really seem to occur to you that other people might have a harder time with saying the same things you do as easy as breathing.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

I don't mind if other people can't say them so easily, it's not having any concept of being told nice things that worries me.

[Rean this is so hypocritical--well, no. Even Rean's better at accepting compliments than a few of those poor sods today.]

I could start with you, right now.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

You're not very good at accepting them, either. And I'll pass for now-- I've heard more than enough for one day.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

I'm at least not the worst at it.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

No, that'd be 80H.

[ Whoops, too honest. ]

But it's a pretty low bar.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

Look if I were that bad you could definitely scold me.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

You're definitely not that bad. ...But you still sucked at complimenting yourself.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

I said things that were honest!

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

Look me right in the eye and tell me you weren't just picking a couple things to get that part over with.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

...Ngh.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

Yeaaaaah, that's what I thought.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

Shut up.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

You can't make me~

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

I bet I can.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

[ He tilts his chin slightly in challenge. ]

I'd like to see you try!

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

[He curls his fingers in Crow's shirt and drags him close, leaning up to murmur against his ear, breath warm.]

There's a lot of things I didn't say about you, that I could have. Like how your lips taste like an addiction against mine, or the fact that your skin turns red so easily when I claw it, and your hair is soft and easy to pull.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

[ Oh, fuck.

Crow hadn't realized he could go from zero to turned on this quickly but here he is, a feverish flush of desire spreading from the warmth of Rean's breath against the tender flesh of his ear through his entire body. ]

You win. [ He lets the words out with a breathy chuckle. ] Wanna head to my room?

[ Like, right now? ]

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

[He really does. Turns out he played himself. Crow reacting immediately is... Super nice, and has him shifting forward a step to tug Crow against him more, brush his lips over Crow's jaw, not letting go of his firm hold of Crow's shirt.

He'd really like to go to Crow's room right now... But he wants to make dinner for the train, and he shouldn't get distracted before he finished that task.]

I've got plans. But I'll swing by later this evening.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

[ He moves easily with the tug, more than happy to be closer to him. ]

It's a plan, then.

[ He shifts the angle of his head to capture Rean's lips in a heated kiss. ]

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

[He kisses back, hard, eager, and a bit regretful that he's not immediately following up on this.]

Mmhm.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow really will let him get on with those cooking plans... in a moment. For now, he's lacing his fingers in Rean's hair as he hungrily devours Rean's mouth, swallows that small, hungry sound escaping from him. ]

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[awakenerd]

[Why is being good so hard! He returns the kiss with, well, hunger. Eager and pushy before pulling away a bit short of breath and flushed.]

Better stop.

[Or he really really won't want to.]