one. [vidya | action]

[yourlastdance]

Well hello, City. [Inigo is seated at a table at an outdoor café, the device propped against a salt shaker. He gives the screen a smile and a tiny salute.] I do hope I’m using this thing correctly, otherwise I’m about to feel at least ten degrees of stupid in the very near future. But it pains me to imagine such a pretty girl would steer me false! Even if she did seem a bit preoccupied…I don’t necessarily object to brisk treatment, mind, but the details are everything.

[ TEA BREAK. This tea is delish.]

Now, where was I?

[Pause. Pauuuuuuuse.]

Ah! My name is Inigo. It isn’t often that I find myself whisked away to strange new lands with nary a warning- and by often I mean mostly never, and by mostly I just mean never. Unless time travel counts.

Regardless! [Gosh, this tea is so great.] I could use some company, and there must be a lovely lass out there who wouldn’t mind a cup of tea with old Inigo?

Comments

[mortemscintilla]

...You've time traveled?

[yourlastdance]

Oh, it was all very complicated- I never could keep the details straight.

[mortemscintilla]

[ But but but weird science stuff! ]

We-ell.

...Has it happened more than once?

[yourlastdance]

No, once was the limit, I'm afraid.

[mortemscintilla]

I guess once would be enough.

Too bad I can't say the same for the City. There's no limit to how many times you can exit here, but wind up back again. [ BUT THAT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE. Ahem. ] Regardless ... welcome to the City? [ Such a warm welcome. ]

[yourlastdance]

Any more is a tad excessive, don't you think?

[he goes to take a sip of tea, and nearly chokes on it]

You could've waited a moment to spring that nasty little surprise on me, you know! [cough cough] How embarrassing...

[mortemscintilla]

[ Oh no don't choke on perfectly good tea :< ]

I'm.

Sorry?

[yourlastdance]

[WHOSE FAULT IS IT]

Your sense of timing is dreadful. But now that we're on the subject, would you mind elaborating?

[mortemscintilla]

[ He didn't meaaaan to :< ]

I... get that a lot.

And it's true. You're let out whenever the City's bored with you. But there's no guarantee it won't kidnap you again in the next day or week. Or, um. Hour.

[yourlastdance]

Practice might help. Not all skills are innate, after all.

[pauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse]

It sounds an awful lot like you're suggesting this city is sentient.

[mortemscintilla]

That might be ... a few years of practice, in my case. Or. Decades.

[ a h e m ]

It's debatable. Some people suggest that it's a entity in and of itself. Others think the Deities are the real string-pullers here.

[yourlastdance]

Either you're exaggerating or...you're really that socially awkward. If the latter is truly the case, I have plenty of experience with socially awkward people!

[sob hei]

What do you think?

1/3

[mortemscintilla]

[ Indignant!! ]

I never said I was socially awkward!

[ YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO :D ]

[mortemscintilla]

I'm.

Just.

Shy.

[mortemscintilla]

... I-I'm not sure. Sometimes I think the City's sentient. And it feeds off the emotions of people trapped in it. Like a giant parasite. Other times I think this is a cruel experiment being conducted by bored gods. And we're the hamsters running on those little wheels.

1/2

[yourlastdance]

Shy? Then this was a fortunate meeting! I'm well versed in overcoming shyness, too.

[yourlastdance]

...Er, little wheels?

1/2

[mortemscintilla]

...I-It's fine, thank you.

I'm sure reading self-help books will do the trick for me.

[mortemscintilla]

[ a w k w a r d ]

Yes.

You know. The little wheels. That. Hamsters run on. The running wheels.

[ Li, why are you so hopeless. ]

[yourlastdance]

A book is no substitute for real life interactions with real people.

[pauuuuse]

No, I don't know. I've never seen one!

[mortemscintilla]

But p-p-people are [ disgusting. untrustworthy. worthless. he can't stand them unless it's to use them for his own ends. ] Well. They're people.

...I see. [ Some serious throat-clearing going on here, gosh Li could you get any more awkward? (The answer is Yes, you ain't seen nothin' yet.) Eventually, ] It's a contraption that looks like this. [ Attachment.gif. ] It. Pretty much sums up City life in general.

1/2

[yourlastdance]

[MAN THIS GUY IS PATHETIC.]

Yes. You're a person, too.

[yourlastdance]

[It takes him a little bit to get the attachment open. A lot of button pushing and shaking the device- BECAUSE THAT TOTALLY HELPS -and. Stuff. And then he's going to sit there. And stare. And stare. And stare.]

1/2

[mortemscintilla]

[ AND A COMPULSIVE LIAR. AND A MORAL TODDLER. AND AN EMOTIONAL SINKHOLE. And THE SUBJECT OF BOOKS SUCH AS WHY MEN LIE AND WOMEN CRY AND HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU. ]

[ ......Need we go on? ]

Yes. I guess I am.

[ b a r e l y ]

[mortemscintilla]

[ That's ... a whole lot of staring going on, bro. Li lets it continue for longer than should be feasible, before he. Sort of clears his throat again. Loudly. ]

Um...

Is something wrong?