The Nineteenth Trial

[hot_mess_express]

Who: Everyone
When: Day 43, evening
Where: The Mermaid's Beach

Come on, come on heroes...! Come hither!

[ There's a playful giggle and the sound of splashing as the Mermaid's beach appears in the clearing. ]

Let's play a game...!

Comments

[voreaciously]

[oh wow that's more than she expected, it's a very lovely one.]

Did you? Why is that?

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Kill her with little kindness okay okay]

Well, people want shellfish.

Too bad I had to stop when I pulled a mussel.

[Badum tsh.]

[voreaciously]

[she doesn't need to breathe

but she sighs gently hearing that.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[He chuckles.] I was inspired.

[voreaciously]

You were something, certainly.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Just looks amused.] A square for you now?

[voreaciously]

Please permit me to pet you for five minutes, I beg of you.

[schrodingerscockroach]

....those are two terrible ones to combine.

Give me a hand to hold for five minutes and you can pet with the other one? Probably want to sit for this.

[voreaciously]

Are they?

[not seein it]

Very well.

[She will primly take a seat.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

Crow would have had a field day with it. [He'll just put it that way.]

[Will sit down beside her.]

[Pause a moment.]

The least awkward would probably be me resting my head on your knee. That all right?

[voreaciously]

[...

Her voice is always quieter, but it just a little softer for the moment.]

That will be fine.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Noting that but]

[Well, he's a big dude, it really is the least awkward way to do this for five minutes.]

[But will move down, resting his head on her knee and taking her hand closest to him.] See, easy hand holding and petting.

[voreaciously]

[this is really fucking intimate, but she tries not to think of that as she starts to pet his head in gentle strokes.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Yeah, but honestly, this train likes to pull this kind of thing. He's rolling with it.]

[And honestly, he does like the petting. It's relaxing.]

So how have you been?

[voreaciously]

[Her team is shrinking, their progress seems stalled, and she doesn't have the usual suspects to turn to, at the moment.]

Fine. And yourself?

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Yyyyyeah, things he also tries to not get stuck on.]

Well, hopefully Clover will get a new expansive for the car. Fingers crossed on it being slightly less child-like.

[voreaciously]

I would not count on it.

[if you don't, you won't be disappointed!

but she continues to pet in long strokes. she seems used to this.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

I know, but I hope. At the very least, I'll feel less trapped everytime I walk into the kitchen.

[He is too, really. Relaxing a lot.]

[voreaciously]

What is wrong with your kitchen?

[schrodingerscockroach]

Only big enough for one person to really work in there.

And I'm a big person.

[voreaciously]

Ah, right, of course. I'd nearly forgotten about that.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Guessing Jasmine got that expansion a while ago?

[voreaciously]

Inasmuch as it could be a "while", but I suppose I have gotten quite used to it.

[schrodingerscockroach]

...it is weird how long days feel here.

[voreaciously]

It is not strange. No one wishes to be here and so the days drag on.