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

[spectacularluck]

...

...

...

I forgot that.

[voreaciously]

[




the corner of her mouth twitches.]

It happens.

[spectacularluck]

You look human and I'm not up to speed with robot rights. Androids.

[voreaciously]

I do. That is the entire point of androids, I do not find fault with you.

[she doesn't say that out of frustration, but agreement.]

Let us continue.

[a secret. hngh fine.]

A secret: there is a power in my voice that I have to suppress constantly.

[spectacularluck]

So that's why you were singing bad on purpose.

[voreaciously]

YOu are free to choose a square.

[she's just not gonna address that even remotely yay]

[spectacularluck]

Give me cooking advice. It's a square and I get something useful out of it.

[voreaciously]

[she thinks about this.]

Practise a lot, you develop a lot of skills as you do. Learn substitutions and how to make soups and stews, hearty meals that can deliver a lot of nutrients as well.

[spectacularluck]

What if I want to make something not really healthy?

[voreaciously]

Like what?

[spectacularluck]

Pizza? With pepperoni. And a ton of oil.

[voreaciously]

Follow recipes until you are confident you can get by without them. With pizza or many baked goods, ensure you are putting them in the middle o the oven so they can cook evenly. Pizza is not terribly difficult, the sauce and dough will probably be the most difficult and even then not that hard.

[she needs to make a pact so...]

I can help you make one, if you would like. I will simply guide you.

[spectacularluck]

Sorry, but game or not, I'm going to pass. You're kind of the "I do everything!" type of person when we get to do things, and the last thing I want is to have you take over while I'm trying to cook.

And I'm not about to make an empty agreement, so, you're going to have to work harder for that square.

[voreaciously]

I am not with cooking. It is an important skill to learn and I have helped others do the same. That is why I said guide. You would be doing everything yourself, I would only step in to demonstrate how to do something so you can learn for yourself.

[spectacularluck]

I'm still passing.

[voreaciously]

You can say you simply want aught to do with me.

[like she knows that's the case. she doesn't seem bothered by it.]

[spectacularluck]

I didn't say that.

And it would be more reasonable for you to just change this thing into "let's make a different deal then, Peter! I will stop taking over everything and actually share the workload!".

[ look at him dropping his real name there ]

[voreaciously]

You did not have to.

[like, come on now.]

People are welcome to do as they please, it is simply easier if I do, because I do not need to sleep. Further, we had a work schedule, if you will recall, but the people who used to be around to do it are no longer, I simply took over their days.

[and she likes being useful since she is the only jasmine who seems to be especially present. That aside...]

Would you prefer that I call you "Peter"?

[spectacularluck]

No. Stick to Finn.

And maybe people would be more prone to share the workload if you actually asked them to. You're acting like you're a thing and not a person.

[voreaciously]

As you like, Finn-han.

[but as for that other thing.]

...Yes? That is true.

[that's what she is? thank you for noticing.]

[spectacularluck]

See, that's what really pisses me off. I knew you were going to just say that's how it is.

You're right. I want nothing to do with you.

[voreaciously]

Because it is. I have a function and a purpose and I am glad of it. I do not need anything else. I do not understand your anger, though my apologies that you are angry.

[spectacularluck]

[ YOU'RE MAKING IT WORSE ]

Maybe we shouldn't be playing this together.

[voreaciously]

Jasmine is growing smaller by the day, and I will not suffer a loss when fortune would have it that I am not alone. Let us continue and then you will be free of me.

[and with that.]

I hereby swear to continue to respect your identity, no matter how it changes or how you choose to present it.

[there, sucker, she's getting that square, but it's also actually pretty important to her.]

[spectacularluck]

[ He might be feeling a tiny little bit like a dick now, but he's not going to admit it ]

I'll put in minimal effort to win these games since it's obviously important to you.