recolle | (no subject)

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EVENT

Re:Surgence
The city of Recollé...ready for a homecoming?

I.
It’s been a few days since you’ve learned that Retrospec has lost track of you and everyone you know. The mystery of where you’ve traveled hasn’t been answered, but perhaps you’re actually safer than they think you are There are no monsters roaming the main parts of the city (though several linger in the outskirts, just as they always have) and all of the buildings and property damage that was inflicted last month seems to have vanished.

As time counts down, you’ll begin to notice a few things as the days go on. For one thing, you may hear a strange mooing noise in the distance, almost like a herd of cows you can’t quite find. Bright, sparkling lights blink above even though searching further leads you to nothing but darkness. Every now and then when you look at your feet, an inch of water appears beneath you and sloshes slowly with invisible waves.

Most importantly, the ofrendas that spread throughout the city on Halloween are still there but have multiplied in numbers. Several tables and altars are set up in all different districts with your photos and objects of importance to you, but that’s not all. There are hundreds and hundreds of tables lining sidewalks now, making it impossible to walk without passing a line of them and featuring several faces you don’t recognize. The images are worn and faded, and the objects appear to be several decades old ranging from clothing, jewelry, toys, books and more. They seem to be bolted in place and the altars can't be moved at all.

It's only about 9pm on the 5th that things begin to change. A loud, almost rumbling moaning noise escapes every crevice of the sidewalk and buildings and a gust of air brushes over you. Hundreds and hundreds of figures begin to materialize around their ofrendas, the sound of their chatter growing louder and louder as they form.

It's the season of the dead, and the ghosts of decades past are coming home. Ghosts who passed in the 40s, 50s and 60s seem to be the most talkative but these ghosts range from young to old. They may appear right before you (or right on top of you) and immediately begin bombarding you with questions about the city.

Did you sign up to play tour guide? Oh well. With a bit of luck, you may even be able to get some answers out of them.

II.

Excited to settle back into the city, the ghosts begin to filter and spread out to all regions and engage with those around them. As the sun rises on the morning of the 6th, several of the ghosts begin to chatter and rejoice, sharing with you the good news.

“The festivities have begun!” They exclaim, but explanations aren’t offered as they lead you to different regions to join in their celebrations.

Over in Viea Village, the mooing from the day before intensifies as you step into the district and find a large herd of cows. Formed in a huddle, these cows are calm and gentle, seemingly waiting for someone to direct them. As you approach them, however, you suddenly find yourself in a particular costume, complete with a small brass bell. Recognizing you as one of their own, the cows begin to moo emphatically and nudge you forward, pushing you ahead to begin a procession through Viea Village. The ghosts around you will smile and wave, watching the parade happily as the cows follow your every step. Will you be stuck leading these cows for the rest of the day? Perhaps someone will find a way to distract the cows and interrupt this parade to save you from further humiliation.

Meanwhile, in Enprise, the moment you step into this district you feel a warmth wash over you as bonfires light up the district. A weight appears in your pocket and you find several paper bills of varying denominations. The money also appears to have the faces of people you recognize on them, smiling and waving at you. Beneath your feet, the slabs of sidewalk glow and a semi-familiar square appears. A golden Chocobo token also finds its way next to you as the game begins. The squares around this particular game of Monopoly reflect buildings in the city. You even have the option to buy property temporarily! Throwing your Monopoly money directly into the flames will change the color of the fire as the building you've purchased changes to suit your tastes. Is Expressive too hipster for your taste? Perhaps it now reflects your punk-rock soul. Was the animal shelter too drab to walk through? The walls will change to your favorite color to liven up the city. The possibilities are endless and play as long as you'd like! No one's stopping you from changing the city to your liking, after all.

In Apprassage, everything seems oddly quiet until the midnight hours. If you happen to be around in this district from midnight to sunrise, you'll hear the sound of running water. Geysers erupt in front of you, crystal-clear water enticing you to wash your hands and cleanse yourself. Stepping into the spray, your shoes disappear and the water sprinkles over you. You feel refreshed. Your troubles melt away, and your worries seem like a thing of the past. Nothing can bother you now that you've revived yourself and you can't even seem to find it in you to be too upset about your missing shoes. Lucky for you, it seems as though they haven't gone too far as they sit at the end of the street. As you begin to walk, however, the ghosts around you begin to chant in an incomprehensible language as black beans are suddenly thrown at you. The phrase the ghosts chant repeats itself nine times, but the speed of the beans increase as they pelt your back and your shoulders. Why does it seem like your shoes keep getting further away? And how do you stop the beans anyway? Good luck dodging. You're going to need it.

Over in Chata, things seem to be peaceful. Entering the district means being immediately hit with the rich scents of sweets and spices, savory treats and tantalizing meals you can practically taste. Your favorite foods are all spread out before you made just the way you like them and separated into perfectly portioned sizes just for you. Best of all? Every single table of food has a sign that says "FREE." Who doesn't love free food? Even better is sharing your bounty with your friends and loved ones. Sharing your food multiples the amount you receive, the meal doubling and even tripling based on how many people you share with. However, those who don't share, or even those who take a bite first without offering to someone else will be in for a nasty surprise as the food turns into solid gold and becomes inedible. Any food you try to eat from then on will have the same results, a hard golden sheen that covers every morsel. If you ask the ghosts how to reverse these effects, they'll all tell you the same thing: make your favorite meal from scratch and share it with your neighbor. It's only when you give that you may receive, and the ghosts are more than happy to help you hunt for recipes.

For those prone to wandering Tisse, it's hard to walk anywhere without seeing the large wooden stage in the center of the district. Decked out in lights and bright colors, the stage is filled with everything imaginable to put on a show ranging from instruments, dance equipment, magic props and more. As you watch the shows being performed by the ghosts lingering around (or even by someone you know), it becomes clear that the stage provides everything you need the moment you step up as objects materialize just for you. Do you have a talent you want to share? Now's your chance for the world to see it! And even if you're not usually the type to get on stage, it's hard not to be drawn in by the bright lights and the energy of the crowd. The ghosts will whisper encouraging words, and your feet may move on autopilot toward the stage without even realizing it. Don't be shy! Everyone here is ready to see what you have to offer.

Last but not least, Tribunal Terrace has several stations set up around Recollé Square with tables filled with candles, paper, strings and paints. As ghosts mill around, they seem to be working on crafting paper lanterns. These lanterns can be designed to your taste, and if you're not the crafty type the ghosts will be more than happy to help demonstrate how to create these lanterns. Mayor Mayer wanders the premises, admiring lanterns as he goes and excitedly telling the citizens of the city that tonight's the perfect night for this celebration. (This…is said every night. Every night is the perfect night for the Mayor, actually.) As the lanterns are finished, candles are lit and the ghosts begin to release them into the sky, encouraging you to do the same and send your lanterns up up and away. Make as many as you'd like. Supplies are endless, and the lanterns seem to shine even brighter than the stars tonight to lead the spirits through the city and light their path.

III.

What about the forest and the ocean? That's a great question, and the curious-minded may venture out to these locations just to see what's happening out there. The ghosts have spread out to these parts as well, couples leisurely strolling the paths of the forest or friends celebrating a day at the beach despite the fact that it's November. They're friendly and seem to mind their own business in these parts, strangely, doing their best not to disturb anybody and tending to stick together though they'll watch anyone who lingers for too long.

Maybe it's best to keep moving.

For those who find themselves in the forest, a sense of peace washes over you as you venture further in and the earth shifts beneath your feet. Large, colorful roots sprout from the dirt and should you step on these roots the trees will begin to light up depicting stories of the city of Recollé. While you may recognize some of these events as things from history or things you've learned about in school, you may also see images from your own personal history highlighted in the bark of these trees. Wisps of light float away from the trees and circle you, a gentle whisper encouraging you to live life and find inner peace. Enjoy time with your friends and focus on the things you want to do. The trees are a breath of fresh air, and though they remain rooted in place those whispers will follow you all the way back to the city as a constant reminder to embrace who you are.

Meanwhile, out at the ocean, a long line of ghosts stand on one of the docks and appear to be boarding…a boat? And the ferryman doesn't exactly look too friendly, either. If you're brave enough, you can join the line and see what all the fuss is about. You can board the boat with the living and the dead, and as the ferryman pushes you away from the dock you'll find yourself drifting along the shoreline of Peach Beach. The boat disappears around a corner, venturing into dark caverns and seemingly down and underground. The city rumbles above your head, and the water beneath you turns black and murky as small hand-like figures claw up the side of the boat. They're easy enough to ignore and the ghosts with you merely look sympathetic. There are no cries for help and the hands disappear after some time. As you look in the water again items float past you. This may be a token from your childhood, something that belongs to a family member or even something innocuous that you recognize and feel compelled to reach for. Good luck fishing it out, Retrospecters. The hands come back in full force and if they grab you, you're overwhelmed with a sense of fear and a sharp, burning sensation.

Do be careful. The boat ride will only end once it reaches the riverbank and allow its riders to step ashore. In front of you is a silver door that some of you may find familiar from months ago. As you exit through the door, a tunnel unground in the old subway system stretches ahead. Sterile and silver with floor-to-ceiling mirrors on one side and metal panels on the other, this path stretches for miles before dropping you right back in the main empty subway hub to bring you back up to the city.

That was fun, wasn't it?

IV.

It seems that even with Retrospec unable to track you, the city's operating fairly well. Monsters stay outside of the city boundaries, the ghosts are friendly and talkative, and you're still you. There are no monster effects, no body swaps, no strange and unusual events that leave you questioning when everything will end and instead it feels almost like one giant party. The celebrations continue for days and you're given the freedom and time to yourself to recharge and accomplish things you've been putting off thanks to the city's shenanigans. Even the ghosts are beginning to get into it. As time goes on, they're far more interested in the things you're doing and your daily routine. They want to know so much about the city and they'll ask questions, learning about Recollé today and especially learning about you. It seems harmless, doesn't it? They're friendly and stepping out of the past and into the present. It doesn't seem like such a bad idea to help them.

Then again…how could you have known what would happen next? It starts slowly at first. Ghosts begin to attract the attention of your friends and family, showing up to gathering they weren't invited to and sharing parts of your history that don't belong to them. They begin to seek out the company on their own, nudging you out of the way and stealing the attention of those you love. While those on the app can see the difference, NPCs will begin to accept these ghosts as real people and welcome them into their homes, celebrating with them and integrating them into everyday life. Too bad that in some cases they're replacing you in everyday life. Your parents may soon believe they've only ever had one child. Your employer might believe you weren't the candidate they hired a while ago. Your teachers will praise their star student and maybe even forget all about you.

It's almost as if you're becoming…a ghost?

That can't be right. The only person who can be you is you. You can't be so easily replaced…can you? You may have to step up your game and try to convince not only those around you but yourself.

BONUS.

The Retrospec network seems quiet. Without the company checking in, it's actually fairly easy to ignore the app if you never wanted to open it. For those of you who are a bit more social, however, there's good news! A randomize feature has been added to your chat list allowing you to randomly connect to someone else on the network. There's also a new anonymous feature to temporarily allow anonymous messages to be posted.

…that may be a bit too much power to give, but who's watching? Go ahead. Send a message! You don't need to know that posts made to the main network will still have your name attached to them. You also don't need to know that messages sent to individuals will only remain anonymous up to the 10th message before promptly revealing your identity.

…oh. You did need to know that? Whoops.

Welcome to

recolle's November event!

Following the game's new format, this is the first event log! The second log will go up and coincide with the game's TDM on 11/17!

Characters will be able to explore the city, areas such as Jabberwock Island, Rainbowland (de-Retrospec'd), and Wall Maria, and the four regions (Pesgare, Respatrum, Bosuma, Magatus.) The four regions have returned to normal and match the descriptions on the locations page.

As a reminder, you can claim two freebies on this log!
-Players may claim one freebie for participating in a death celebration. This thread must be at least 5 comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie for engaging with a ghost and sharing the information with someone else. This thread must be at least 5 comments from you.

If you would like to sign up for plot information via ghosts, please see this post here! Those who signed up prior to today will begin receiving information shortly after this log is posted.

Finally, any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for important information as well!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[she's. going to try not to think too hard about him nearly getting eaten by a dinosaur. there are a lot of things that she'll need to unpack with that and they'll have about 75 minutes to talk about it if they decide to make bread pudding. she takes a look around her station, making a theatrical "hmm", and realizes that yeah, actually! they absolutely have enough here to make bread pudding!]

We can definitely make that. Come on, get back here. [and she waves him into her stand as she walks back towards a mini-fridge that she'd plugged into the generator for her ingredients that need to stay cold.]

Have you made bread pudding before? I promise it's really easy if you haven't. Oh my gosh, am I going to get to teach you how to cook?

[He smiles and goes into the stand]

Nope! So you do get to teach me how to cook!

[Not surprising considering he just steals money then buys food with it. His demeanour is a little different, a bit more cheerful]

[Lina giggles, so, so pleased that she'll have the opportunity to guide someone else's hand. it's like being at the orphanage again, almost, which makes her feel a little better about missing Halloween's visit.]

Okay, so! This isn't really that hard. You picked a really good dish to start with because it's just bread, butter, eggs, milk, and sugar. So... let's see. I'll get the oven going and work on our mise en place for everything else. Can you grab one of those small pans and line it with bread pieces?

[she points at one of the pans off to her right, plus a half-loaf of bread that should definitely be a good base for what they're making.]

You shouldn't need too much, but we want to make it as evenly lined as possible. Now... I wonder. How much control do you have over your fire? [she shoots him a grin over her shoulder.]

Will do!

[Al got right to work and tries to do as instructed if this is what makes her happy, then Al would be happy to learn cooking from her, besides, he could use this later...steal the ingredients THEN cook his own stuff, gift it to other people, he could literally say it was a labour of love from start to finish.]

Alrighty....kinda like this? [It is roughly evenly lined, a few patches are bigger than the others. He did try to use a spoon to make it all flat...ish.

Al's face lit up like it was Christmas when she essentially just asked him to use his fire magic.]

I'm getting better at it, I could just keep the fire around my knife...I don't know exactly how hot it will be though. Completely immune to fire and can't really feel too much heat, just enough to be comfortable.

That looks good!

[she glances over from her station, where she's measuring out ingredients so they can make the actual pudding part of it easily enough. there's a chilled stick of butter that's been cut into chunks, and since the next step is getting all the bread covered in melted butter, she drops it into a cold pan and picks it up by the handle, then walks it over to him.]

I could put this on the stove to melt the butter, but I think it might be more fun if you heated up the pan yourself. It should be good up to about 700 degrees, so I'm not too worried about you melting through the pan.

[He takes his knife out and points it up and away from them, he is soo happy that this might be a normal everyday thing he can do with his magic.]

Alright then! Let's do this! AMON!

[A burst of flame about a foot high comes out before it settles into a small fire around the knife. Al takes a deep breath and plays around with how hot the flames should be...the flames get a bit hotter and intense]

Around this hot alright? I just putting in a little more magoi then I start with.

[she's just glad to help, and she's smiling broadly up until the fire actually starts—and it reflects in her eyes and she remembers back to that confrontation they'd had and the... the feeling of being surrounded by fire that she could only ever parse as dragonfire, and...]

[she shakes her head. back in the moment, Lina.]

Good! That should definitely be hot enough. [and she holds the pan over the flame, not really caring too much about things like convection because getting injured is apparently not a problem for her anymore (not that she's told anybody that part yet), and she'll just watch as the butter melts. it shouldn't take too long.]

It's always nice when we can use these things from Retrospec for fun, right? Have you gotten back anything else from the app that might be useful in cooking?

[Al was focusing on his flames, smiling widely. Trying to keep the fire consistent, which he does, for the most part. The temperature of his flames do go up a little bit. It takes a lot of his concentrating to not raise the temperature by much more]

I don't think I have got anything else...I suspect I might have a giant black sword coming, one memory had other me cutting some jaguar warrior with it...Preetttyyy sure that I would cut the kitchen counter along with whatever I happen to be cutting.

But I seriously love how I am just using magic and it's not life-or-death. How about you, you got fun stuff to use every day?

[don't worry, it's just butter. Lina watches it melt extremely nicely and starts moving the pan to make sure it's even. when it's down to the last tiny vestiges of the chunks it used to be, she pulls it off the flame and brings the hot pan over to the bread so she can drizzle it out. while she works, she listens to him talk and looks very interested in the idea of getting back swords in the mail. maybe one day she'll be that, uh, lucky?]

You can use the things we're getting back from Retrospec for all kinds of normal things. Just because some of us have magic fire or brass knuckles that shoot bullets or things like that doesn't mean it all has to be used to break things.

[she pauses in her speech while still drizzling the butter, then levels out the pan and continues.]

That's my roommate's, by the way. The brass knuckles. I haven't really gotten anything fun back, but I'm okay with that. [lying] It lets me focus on doing what I love.

Brass knuckles shooting bullets? I think I know someone with that, It wouldn't happen to be Jen would it? Robotic arm, blonde, purple eyes, a ring named yang.

Still trying to find the everyday uses for it, I feel like my magic gets stronger the more I use it, kind of like working out.

I'm sure you'll get something fun, you were super quick and super strong last I saw you...the grip on my shoulder was the hardest someone held me, and you're talking to a guy that's been dragged by cops on more than one occasion. So I think I know a thing or two about being grabbed.

[The last bit, was said with the intention of being little humorous. But is legitly true, he has been dragged by cops three times.]

Oh, right, um. [oops, she kind of. forgot that he already knew about some of the things she was capable of. unfortunate! maybe she could play it off, though.] I think a lot of that was because I was a demon? That's not really the kind of thing I do when I'm, um, normal.

[a lie, of course. a lot of this is a lie, but there's only a handful of people she's actually going to tell about being an Intoner. not even Jen knows—and speaking of, she'll take that distraction! as she finishes with the pan and drops it into the sink, she talks with a little more energy in her voice.]

You know Jen? Oh my gosh, what a small world! [and she's made her way over at the mixing bowl now.] I'm her roommate. I remember before her eyes went purple, but it's a really good color on her! How do you two know each other?

[because surely he and Jen wouldn't have run into each other during any. issues. with one of Lina's sisters. that would be ridiculous.]

[Al sort of looks at her blankly with disbelief, something doesn't seem to add up, his gut told him.

The distrust is probably written all over his face and the gears are working hard in his head, and he glares at her for a few moments. Before all of a sudden, looking away clearly ashamed and saddened.

Didn't he JUST say he wanted to be a good person like she was? Who forgave him and trusted him without any fuss.]

Sorry about that...something didn't feel right about that like it didn't add up. But...whatever, whether your lying or not about it doesn't matter, or maybe I'm just being paranoid...

[He is feeling pretty bad about it, as was clear from his sad shaky voice. He wanted the benefit of the doubt from her, shouldn't he give it too? Then he changes his tone to be more friendly and warm]

ANYWAY SO JEN! Yeah, her Purple eyes are really pretty! Did she have blue eyes one night then woke up with purple ones? How did both of you react?!

[he's... too perceptive. Lina's not hiding many individual things, but what few things she is hiding are big. and she hopes that he doesn't end up sussing anything out; she'd really rather focus on Jen and pretend that he hadn't just basically called her a liar. (which, yes, again, she was.)]

[at least she could distract both of them with the rest of the ingredients. the first step is to beat the eggs that she'd cracked when setting up her mise en place, which she'll let him handle, too. she gives the eggs a few example whisks, then hands it to him.]

Do that until they start looking opaque. We'll need to beat the eggs before we're ready to mix everything. [she gives him the same warm smile she'd been giving him, then falls back into talking about Jen. and speaking of falling...] She got so surprised by her eyes changing that she fell backwards and took the towel rack out with her.

I thought they looked really cute. [and she remembers... more things about how that conversation had gone, but they are really not appropriate for what they're doing right now. and talking about that kind of thing so freely isn't really Lina's modus operandi.] But of course I did, you know? Because they are.

[Whatever her reason...she trusted me, I should have given it back. But still, it feels off...best not to think about it, she wouldn't just lie for no reason...right? She just placed faith in me, shouldn't I put some in her? At the very least that we are both trying?

ANYWAY! Idiot! Just, TALK like nothing happened! She will talk about those superpowers when she wants to or, if they are there...WHATEVER!]

[He smiles back, trying to be as warm as she is, he is slightly uneasy in the inside, but he is glad that she appears to let it go. He takes the bowl and whisks, a bit slow]

Like this?

And seriously?! She took the towel rack? Was this before or after the Robot arm deal? Not that I blame her either way, hell, if my eyes randomly transformed blue. I would freak out....even if I think I might look a bit better with blue eyes since I have blonde hair. But a colour that shouldn't be normal would be worse! Even if they did look really good.

Yeah, like that.

[she smiles and lets him talk and just... thinks a little bit more about what bits and pieces she can remember from those two months when she was different. it bothers her so much, to this day, that they're just. fuzzy at best, fraying at the edges in ways that bother her a lot more than she lets on.]

You know, it's hard to remember. I think it was after, though? A lot of things happened between me and Jen that... well, that I probably shouldn't be talking too much about. [and she gives a quiet giggle before moving on.] But she's gorgeous no matter what happens to her. And you never told me how you two know each other.

[Al smiles a bit wider before he chuckles, then tells the story lightheartedly]

Well...I met her when there was castle thingy attacking the city. Jen and a friend of hers dropped from the sky in front of my face.

I honestly thought I was dreaming or something for a bit, gorgeous girls falling from the sky and one of them legit had an entire superhero thing going on, cape and all...when the hell does that happen?

[Armaros.]

[she's sure that Al is saying some incredibly funny things, but Lina finds herself spacing out as she combines the other ingredients into the mixing bowl and just stands there, staring into the distance as fear rises in her chest, holding a now-empty measuring cup.]

That wasn't a dream. That was a nightmare.

[she doesn't even realize how dramatic she sounds.]

[Al thought about that day, and suddenly remembered Jen mentioning her roommate had a sister there. Which made him stop whisking the eggs that were almost done.]

Sorry, I shouldn't have joked about it...Jen mentioned a roommate's sister being in there and...I just connected the dots...sorry.

Is she alright?

[He asks sincerely, feeling quite ashamed of himself yet again, he thought he finally broke his horrible joke spree.]

She died.

[streak definitely not broken. it takes Lina a second to realize she'd even said anything, but when she does, she sets the empty cup down again and reaches for the next ingredient almost mindlessly.]

She recovered, but. I still lost my sister.

[and maybe more than just that.]

[Al tries to get back to whisking the eggs, slowly.

He wanted to say something...just...something, but for a while, it was just silence...It killed him inside.]

That's horrible, I'm so sorry...does she remember anything?

Yo-You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to...I'm...I'm here if you need me...for however that much is worth...

[It's a struggle for him to say those words...he sincerely wants to be there for her but...last time he tried to say a soul..it didn't go so well, who is he to try to offer help like that?]

It's okay.

[it's not. even she's not good enough of a liar to pull that off. but it isn't something she really wants to talk about, even though she's the one who brought it up in the first place. way to go, Lina.]

Neither of us remembers much. It happened during those two months that a lot of people can't remember really well. [but that her roommate and May can.] I don't know if that's making it better or worse.

[she glances at the eggs solemnly. not a great sentence.]

Those should be good by now if you want to pour them in here.

[That is something he is completely familiar with, he used to do that and worse to his own family. Al tries to speak with empathy, trying to do a little bit of what he wished other people would do to him.]

Then it's okay, you talk about it when you want to talk about it. I'm not going to force you.

I can't pretend to understand a hundred percent, or even have any answers, but if you ever want to talk about it and...it's either me or a wall. Hopefully, you'll pick me. Walls aren't really that helpful, years of me trying to talk to them and I can safely say they don't talk back.

[Al pours the eggs, the wall thing was him trying to lighten the mood slightly]

Edited 2018-11-19 00:34 (UTC)

[and she recognizes that he's trying, and she gives him a quiet smile and starts mixing all the ingredients together in an uneasy silence. one that she desperately, dearly wants to find some way to break.]

[it takes her a second, but she thinks that honesty might work here.]

I don't want to throw a lot of my problems at someone I barely know. I appreciate it, but you have your own things going on too, you know? [she's speaking sweetly, even if she's deflecting.] I'm just a girl dealing with some family stuff. The same as a lot of people in the city.

[The silence also killed him, he was wondering whether or not he did the right thing, said the right thing. When she breaks the silence, he is relieved and smiles softly.]

Fair enough, remember, you pretty much know my story and I seriously meant it when I said I owe you a butterbeer for the conversation.

Whether you want that drink for serious talk or just shoot the breeze, that's up to you. Think of it as revenge if that helps to vent at me one of these days if you need it. I did vent at you first so, you can always even the score, plus that sort of thing probably helps at the being a good person thing. So win-win.

[Al tried to keep his tone lighthearted for the second half, the revenge thing was almost said jokingly, Al is just about at his limit, but if he ever wanted to be useful to those he is close to...isn't this where it starts?

She does have a point, they don't know each other well. He is pretty sure the next opportunity, he might change topics. At this point, he probably did good enough, right?]

Edited 2018-11-19 18:02 (UTC)

Oh my gosh.

[she's kind of surprised that he's being so... kind, really, but she appreciates it an extremely large amount. there's a smile, and her mixing gets a little more lively to match.]

I didn't want to hold you to anything you told me when I wasn't myself. I'd rather learn things about people because they want to tell me, you know? [this is honest. this is sincere. this is... regret?] Not because I force them to tell me to fulfill some... fake contract that would never give them what they're asking for anyway.

[a more thoughtful pause.]

All it was going to do was turn you into a demon if you signed it. But I'm sure you figured that out already.