The Seventeeth Trial

[catcophonous]

Who: trialgoers
When: Day 39, evening
Where: The Cat's Zone

[Have you enjoyed your day playing in your new train cars? Great! Because now it's Trial Time.

With the usual alert, the Cat's bar appears in the clearing. There's no "come hither" -- instead, just the pounding of bass from the speakers as the door cracks open. Inside there's flashing party lights, upbeat club music, and high-top tables surrounding a wide dance floor. The stage in the corner is empty except for a single microphone.

At the bar you can get free drinks, but you'll have to contend with the bartender -- a black cat curled up on the shelf between the bottles.

On the bar, and on every table, is a sign showing the rules of this game, titled:

Kiss or Dare

If you want to dress up for the club, or want costumes for daring purposes, there's a dressing room behind the stage with a magic closet. You'll find whatever you like in it, but when the trial ends you can only take home what you're wearing!

Good luck!]

RULES | TURN-IN | THE CAT / DISQUALIFICATION

Comments

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Really, he just likes the thought of 'quiet' and 'with someone.' Quiet alone is terrifying after a while, but company was good.]

I'm pretty simple too, I guess.

[awakenerd]

[Isn't that romance? But quiet with someone is ideal.]

I think it's nice. That kind of date is more... intimate, maybe.

[schrodingerscockroach]

...yeah, guess so. No need to be worked up, ready for things to go wrong....just someone you trust.

[awakenerd]

Yeah. If you enjoy each other's company than it doesn't need to be elaborate, just being together is special.

[schrodingerscockroach]

That would be why people are dating, I would assume.

Another dare?

[awakenerd]

Of course.

[schrodingerscockroach]

I dare you....

To come sing a duet with me.

[Can Dusk sing? No idea, but its fun to do things with Rean.]

[awakenerd]

Haha, I'd love to. What are we singing?

[schrodingerscockroach]

Want romantic, silly, or silly kind of romance?

[awakenerd]

Romantic.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Romantic it is.

[And nothing like musicals for good duets.]

[awakenerd]

[Sappy! Rean's voice is the Kouki Uchiyama parts, probably a bit on the gentler side. And despite the song being very sappy he puts his all into his part without reservation.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Always go for sappy for romantic duets!]

[Dusk isn't bad. Not great, but at least passable. His VA has at least been an extra in some musicals, so there's that.]

[But he's definitely putting his all into it because it's fun and why not after CROW'S FIRST DARE.]

[awakenerd]

[It is in fact incredibly fun and he's grinning at the end.]

That was a pretty cute song.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Rean]

[Rean, you're too cute.]

I think it's from a musical.

[awakenerd]

[So are you Dusk!! Look in a mirror.]

Yeah? Sounds like a sappy love story all right.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Does sound like they've been through some hardship that bonded them together and then they just wanted to focus on them for the relationship.

[awakenerd]

Isn't that the kind of love story that's compelling? Shared struggles.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Depends on the struggle. Like if you're together only because of the shared tragedy, eventually the relationship will fall apart eventually. Need something that's two people to bind them together.

[awakenerd]

Mm, yeah. Overcoming things together is more compelling than being victims together.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Well, more than that.

Like if you're only together to comfort each other because of something terrible you've been through, then that's why you're together. But when you've overcome and that comfort is less necessary to function, if you're not compatible otherwise, you'll eventually run into problems.

[awakenerd]

[Laughs a little.]

I'm not disagreeing. But we're still talking about love stories right? The ones I like tend to end in happily ever after, realistic or not.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Well, yeah, if we're talking stories, it's always nicer when they end happily. Just nicer when it does have something 'real' in the relationship too.

[awakenerd]

Definitely. But I think that's part of a good story. Characters that make sense, that you can imagine are real, making choices you can understand. A good story will make you involved in the romance, believe they're meant for each other regardless of what they face.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Nods.] Exactly. If you're going to have a romance in the story, gotta make it so we like them being in love.

A lot of media seemed to miss that. Or just relied on the sex appeal part. [Which is just confusing.]

I think it's your turn to dare though. [There is a Trial, after all.]