05 - week five

[afflictionmods]

WEEK FIVE

Come Sunday morning, the portals around Estelline fade away, but not all of the oddities hanging around disappear so quickly. The recreations of your dreams and memories are still around, ever changing and shifting. Whatever it is that brought these things here hasn’t ended, not yet.

You don’t have time to worry about all of that, though, even if you know you should exercise caution once two of you found yourselves on the bad end of a monster’s claws. The course still isn’t over, though, even if the portals changed lesson plans. Everything continues on, with new places to explore as the fog pushes back once again. This week still feels a little more like what you’re familiar with, though, after Saturday’s lack of lessons.

...For now.


SETTING TRACKER

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SAGE / FLORENCE / LORELEI

CYOA SIGNUPS
Due Saturday at 8pm EST

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

[selfconcept]

[ Uhhh.

Hien drops down onto the rink while holding up his body with one hand with his legs out like a protractor. Then he just goes in circles several times and fluidly transitions to standing up like nothing happened. ]

Like that?

[partymagician]

[ Fai claps when Hien stands back up, and if that wasn't answer enough: ]

You don't even need to ask me if it was! That was really cool, Hien!

[selfconcept]

... Thanks.

[ It feels strange to get compliments about it, but after clapping the dirt off his hands, he holds Fai's hand and resumes skating normally. ]

I feel like by now, it's expected that I can do something rather than not.

[partymagician]

When you put it that way, I guess you're right.

[ He gently squeezes Hien's hand. ]

But that doesn't mean I can't be impressed anyway.

[selfconcept]

If it meant you couldn't be impressed, I think... that wouldn't be good.

[ He'd probably have a nagging feeling about how he's so unimpressive and boring as a person, which is fine if it's most people, but if Fai is the one that gives off that feeling, Hien would want to reevaluate himself. ]

[partymagician]

Because you want to impress me?

[ He laughs, squeezing Hien's hand again. ]

[selfconcept]

If I wouldn't be able to get any sort of reaction from you, we probably wouldn't be dating.

[ Not because it wouldn't be fun, but it would just feel like he's dating someone who just doesn't respond. That's no way to have a relationship in Hien's opinion. ]

[partymagician]

You like getting reactions from people, don't you?

[ There's an amused look in his eyes as he asks. ]

I wonder if I'm a challenge... I know it can be difficult to get one from me.

[selfconcept]

Well, I mean just any sort of reaction.

[ Fai engaging in conversation is already a "reaction". Hien's bar is so low. ]

[partymagician]

[ Rough... ]

What are your favorite reactions, though?

[selfconcept]

People reacting to my pranks.

[ And when he steps on people when they're frustrated and desperate but that goes into cruelty zone, so. He won't say that. ]

I don't need much, really.

[partymagician]

What kind of pranks do you pull?

[ Hien is so calm normally that Fai doesn't associate "prankster" with him. ]

[selfconcept]

Sometimes I scare them by sneaking up behind them.

[ It's not terrible hard to do with his no-sound footsteps and teleportation. ]

Or make things pop out of places that normally don't.

[partymagician]

Ah, I see. So you're a menace.

[ He wonders how many people Hien has pranked here, how much of a menace he's been. ]

[selfconcept]

I'm always a menace.

[ Sorry, not sorry. ]

Just in varying degrees.

[partymagician]

Really now? I don't think I believe you.

[ Is he goading Hien on? Absolutely. ]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien brings Fai close since they're still holding hands and spins him into his hold and dips him as if he's doing some fancy ballroom dance. ]

Sure, Fai.

[partymagician]

[ That takes Fai by surprise, but all he does is momentarily widen his eyes as he finds himself dipped. Then he smiles up at Hien. ]

Hmmm, I still don't believe you. This is more romantic than anything.

[selfconcept]

That's funny, since I didn't do it with romantic intentions.

[ Hien lifts Fai back up so that he standing. ]

[partymagician]

Well, it came across that way.

[ But Fai isn't surprised, since Hien doesn't seem to be romantic. He sort of just... does things. ]

But now I'd like to see you do something with romantic intentions.

[selfconcept]

[ Well, he's right. ]

I'm not good at doing things with romantic intentions in mind, so you'll be disappointed.

[ Truly head empty no thoughts ]

[partymagician]

[ He laughs. ]

I don't know if this is a surprise or not, but I'm not a romantic person. Gestures are nice, but I care more about sincerity than I do romance.

[selfconcept]

... Aren't romantic gestures supposed to be sincere?

[ ????? ]

[partymagician]

They aren’t always.

[ Anyway. ]

I care most about sincerity. As long as you mean something, I don’t need roses or a fancy wine.

[selfconcept]

But you'd like it all the same, right?

[ He's skating several laps around the rink with Fai in tow now... ]

As much as I like the date, it feels lifeless here without anyone else.