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

[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.

[schrodingerscockroach]

But it seems like a lot can happen in a day. It's weird it can be busy and dragging.

[voreaciously]

As you say.

[she doesn't think that refutes her argument, really. they're given and assigned tasks, but, ultimately, not many people enjoy them and would rather be elsewhere overall.

but she negative cares to argue the point.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

Just...weird, I guess. [He shrugs.]

Have anything you want to talk about from your card?

[voreaciously]

[when the time is up she doesn't stop stroking and instead her hands rub his head with deeper strokes against his scalp, very clearly a massage.]

Not particularly, but I will do so nonetheless.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Well, okay then.]

[Laughs.] Of course.

I am supposed to tell someone something I like about them. [If she could take it.]