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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

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.

[This feels right, the appreciation she is showing reminds him of someone else, and that warms his heart. It's...different but it's similar enough for him to accept it and be warmer still.]

We both did things then that we are not proud of, whether or not it's under our control is kinda beside the point.

Cause like you said, it doesn't matter how many times we stray from who we want to be, just as long as we try again. So magic made you stray, magic took away your choice. So it made you do some choices and you felt it, do you ever want to do it again?

Because I was horrible to you, I revelled in it. Hell, it felt GOOD doing it and there was no magic compelling me to do any of that, that was all me. But I know I don't want to be like that.

I don't exactly have a clear goal or know exactly where I am. But I want to believe I can be better, whatever the hell that means, and meeting someone like you who can have faith in me, even after seeing me being a massive dick. Really does help, more then you realize.

[she's listening to him talk and she just... understands. g-d, she wishes she didn't understand, but she does. it feels so free, so good to not worry about. societal pressure, the way the world wants her to be, anything like that. to be open. to be honest.]

[she's repulsed with herself by how much she loves it. how much she does want to do it again, in at least some ways. she doesn't need to be a monster to be open and free; she can do that all on her own, like he's also talking about. he wasn't a monster, but he just... cut loose when he was faced with one. sigh.]

I try to have faith in everybody I meet. [speaking of honesty.] It's easier for me to assume that everyone I know is doing their best every day of their loves. Whether they're out making food with someone they yelled at a few weeks ago, or they're stuck in their bed because they can't make themselves get up.

[that's not true for everyone, but. she's known her sisters for more or less her whole life. she knows when they're actually trying their best.]

And I've seen worse than how we were to each other last month anyway.

[Just admitting that to her...and for her to shake it off and still have faith, it was a breath of fresh air for him. It wasn't just this one snap he was worried about...what if...if this was how he became his dad? Has he even changed at all?

Giving in to his darker impulses felt natural almost seamless then and this time it felt good...he rather have heartwarming moments as he had earlier with her and one other...but those are for good people, aren't they?

Is he even a good person? A guy who just snapped so easily? A guy who fate had broken and still struggles with those pieces years later?

He sighs sadly]

That's really amazing, you know that right? That kind of faith...I just hope...that I'm worth it.

Edited 2018-11-22 16:57 (UTC)

Hey.

[she steps away from the mixing bowl, wipes off one hand, and places it on his cheek. maybe it's a little personal, but they're kind of being close to each other right now, aren't they? and maybe he's the kind of person who needs a little extra kindness.]

I think everybody's worth it. Maybe thinking like that will hurt me later on, but that's something I can figure out later on. I always have room in my heart to believe in people.

[most of the time. if she's not related to them.]

You'll do just fine. As long as you keep your eyes on being the person you want to be, you'll get there. Promise.

[He blushes hard at first, but he appreciates the sentiment and water gathers in his eyes]

I just want to be good, have a big heart, just like you, my mom and the other angels I have met.

[the tears come down]

But damn it, so much hurts, almost four years later...and I still have nightmares about mom and worry that somehow my dad might be alive.

Even with my new family that gave me nothing but love for two years and putting up with my shit, barely knowing anything...it still fucking hurts soo much.

Edited (wording) 2018-11-24 20:21 (UTC)

[Lina's quiet, and it's a careful silence. she knows how to approach this; she just wants to find the right way to say it.]

When I got adopted. [a good start, she thinks.] I wasn't used to having parents who loved me. I wasn't used to being brought into somebody's life and becoming their pride and joy. I didn't know what it felt like to be... wanted.

It took time to get used to it. It's still taking time. I still... [sigh.] I still have problems feeling like people want me around. It doesn't always feel like I belong where I am. [with the people she's with.]

But healing is like cooking a Thanksgiving turkey. It doesn't take a lot of time to make the outside look nice, but the inside always takes longer than you think to get where you want it to be. And maybe you get something wrong, but you're always learning, and you can always try again.

[she takes her hand off his cheek and puts it in front of her mouth instead to stifle a small, embarrassed giggle.] I think I lost the metaphor somewhere in there.

[Al listens to her carefully...if someone like her can struggle to feel accepted, then maybe it really is okay for him to still struggle.

Despite how other people told him similar things, something clicked this time around, and he hugs her for it. Laughing softly]

Probably, but yeah...the inside takes a long time.

I was paranoid about this family...I didn't want them to hurt me like the ones I had to run away from. So I didn't say much, but back in May...

[He holds her tighter]

One of my brothers...he saw he break down...seeing mama die again...and he held me, when it mattered he held me...that's when I decided to open up...and since then, people have been trying to hold me up and they got me this far...

[Al sobs the tears coming down harder]

I'm so sorry...I suck at trying to keep it together when I want to talk, I don't and then I dump it on someone else...

But thank you for bearing with me anyway...Angels like you should always belong wherever you go.

Edited (grammar ) 2018-11-24 23:21 (UTC)

[he keeps calling her that, and she doesn't know how comfortable she is with it or how much she agrees with it, but she won't just... let him not say it. Lina could use the encouragement, really. especially right now, after last month. she giggles again instead.]

It's more important that you get it out at all, even if it has to come out like this. And I'm probably the wrong person to talk to when it comes to keeping feelings inside, anyway. [being honest about that might not be the best idea, but it's too late. the words are out there.]

Here. [she goes back to the bowl and hands it to him.] Here, let's pour this on top of the bread and get it in the oven, okay? I'll let you take care of it. Make sure it's even, and don't pour too fast. And then we can talk more about your family, if you want, or we can talk about anything else.

[he has had an extremely difficult life and Lina can absolutely tell. maybe he needs more of a distraction instead of getting caught up in those memories again. she's not sure, but she'll play this by ear.]

[He blushes hard, he spites himself for pouring out so much to another, again, he takes the bowl nodding gently, taking deep breaths while he pours slowly. Trying not to get sucked into the memories, he already feels light-headed, like he might drift away from reality. So his pouring is a little shaky, but he keeps a smile on his face and tries to be light hearted]

Thank you, I owe you a butterbeer sometime. It's a non-alcoholic drink from my brother's world, tastes like butterscotch and makes you feel all warm inside. You know "The Three Broomsticks?"

[He caught on to the fact that she has stuff inside, which in the back of his head, makes him wonder if it is connected to her superpowers. But whatever, she's more than earned the benefit of the doubt in his books. Now he just wants to shoot the breeze with his new friend, show that he isn't a buzzkill 100% of the time.]

[she never thought he was a buzzkill; he's just. he has things he's working through. everybody works through things differently. heck, the entire reason Lina knows how to cook is because of a way to cope with violent tendencies when she was a kid. they could talk about that, maybe. but either way, she's very pleased with the pour and, once the bowl is empty, she brings the unbaked pudding over to the oven and slips it inside.]

Congratulations. We're on our way to having bread pudding, and you did the most important parts of it.

[now that she doesn't have to pay attention to the food for a while, she heads over to the nearest empty counter in her stand and leans on it, her body still facing inwards.]

I've walked by the Three Broomsticks, but I don't go out drinking very much, even if butterbeer is non-alcoholic. Is it... butterscotch and hops? [she tilts her head, trying to think of why it would be called that if it doesn't have alcohol in it, then trying to think of what that combination would actually taste like.] It sounds interesting. But you don't have to owe me anything! We can just go out as friends.

[Al smiles, him saying "I owe you a butterbeer", was his way of essentially saying "I want to be your friend". So her saying that makes him glad, he is also excited about the bread pudding they have made together is now cooking. He has been so used to closing himself off, to the point where he would just daydream, live in his head because he didn't want to risk expressing himself. But as he has been recently discovering, those feelings need to come out, so all of these recent outbursts, he interprets as "practice" for when he finally gives the whole story to his family and maybe finally let himself heal.]

Hops? [He raises an eyebrow confused]

Ummmm, I honestly don't know. During my brother's housewarming party, there was just a bunch there and I took one...or three and loved it since.

There is also firewhiskey, which to me, doesn't exactly sound fun. People have told me regular whiskey burns enough by it's own.

So, I'm guessing some Scottish wizards in his world were drunk one day and went something like [In a poorly imitated Scottish accent] "You know what would be great? Drinking liquid fire! Because I should feel third-degree burns while recovering from a hangover. Makes it easier to count my organs."

and somehow that became a thing.

Edited 2018-11-26 16:39 (UTC)

[see, this is much more fun than... well, learning about each other wasn't unfun, but this is definitely a lot of fun too. she giggles at his bad Scottish accent even as he makes, what she thinks, is a perfectly valid point about being able to keep track of one's own organs.]

Oh my gosh, yeah, that's way too strong for me. I usually stick with, um. Fruity, girly drinks? When I drink at all. A little blue curaçao can make anything really pop. I can see the place for whiskey in... cinnamon-flavored drinks? Things that are supposed to be spicy. But just drinking it straight? [she shudders theatrically.] That's too much.

[she should... probably rein this in a little, her brain tells her as she tries not to look too embarrassed.]

Sorry! Sorry. I'm just taking things and running with them. Um, hops are what they use to make beer taste bitter. You can really taste it in IPAs if you've ever had one of those, but again, that's a little too much for me.

[Al smile gets wider and laughs]

Don't worry! I'm just glad this joke landed, my track record for those are all over the place.

I'm just thinking if your first thought when you wake up with a hangover is "Do I have all my organs?" and it's a legit concern...I think someone needs to rethink some things, like, maybe where the hell they are drinking and move to another neighbourhood, instead of "hey, lets set my organs on fire!"

Ah! So there is no hops in it. All sweet butterscotch goodness! Annnddd I'm pretty sure you can't get drunk off of it...unless I have been completely shit faced for the last few months....might make more sense than the app honestly...wait, I have all my organs, right?

[Al says all of this light-heartedly. This was really nice, just shooting the bull and talking about hypothetical bad decisions, Al loved how she is rolling with the punches.]

[oh my gosh, this is a whirlwind of jokes and she's giggling pretty hard at all of them. he's not a bad comedian, or maybe Lina just has exactly the right sense of humor. once she's done laughing, she leans backwards on one of the tables of her stall, putting her palms on the edge and letting her back stretch out a little.]

I think you would know by now if you were missing some of your organs. [she smiles with her whole face, her blue eyes closing briefly just to drive it home.] It sounds delicious. Maybe if I'm charming enough, I can convince the bartender to teach me the recipe. Then I can learn how to make it all on my own!

And if you did want to make it alcoholic, I could probably make that happen. Unless—oh, um, are you over 21? I don't want to encourage any... crimes.

[she wants to be a good influence! g-d, she almost feels like she's back in the orphanage right now and she kind of loves it. this makes up for not seeing the kids for Halloween last week.]

[Al is just having a blast, his jokes are actually working for once! Granted he isn't always context-sensitive, but he tries to be friendly.]

I hope so! Otherwise, those drunk guys have a point, which is a sentence I didn't think I'd say sober.

No, I'm 17. I'm happy with butterbeer just as it is though so don't worry about it.

But, why are you saying maybe? I'm pretty sure you can be charming enough.

[Al says teasingly]

Edited 2018-11-29 02:40 (UTC)

[Lina laughs and it feels like a bell chiming in her chest and resonating in her ears.]

You're really sweet, you know that? But I don't usually go around trying to get people to do what I want. If I'm charming, it's in a totally different way.

[there's a difference between using a high CHA score for good or for evil, and Lina still tries really... really hard to use it for good.]

If I like it enough as it is, I might just keep going there, you know? There's no better way to show appreciation for a small business than patronizing it! [oh, she sounds proud of herself.] Of course, it helps a lot that people I trust are recommending it so highly, too.

[That makes Al blush, both the "trust" she implied and calling him sweet]

Ummm, not really...well...there is one girl...

[Blushing harder, then tries to think of something to get out...then to clear his throat]

Anyway, I guess it would be better to just buy it from there...no need to go black widow on the poor guy.

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