SEPTEMBER TDM

[recollecters]

TEST DRIVE

SEPTEMBER TEST DRIVE - EVENT AND FOURTH WALL EDITION The city of Recollé... ...or, at least, a good mimicry of the city. It's been a few weeks since you've found yourself in this digitized version of your beloved city. You've found yourself surrounded by NPC versions of your friends and family who aren't a part of the Retrospec project, you've encountered strange and new places, and the viruses continue to appear despite the fight you've put up. On the evening of the 17th, things change again. No matter where you are, Alphas and Betas will hear the sound of loud clacking, something similar to fingers typing frantically on a keyboard. The dial-up sound rings out, echoing off of buildings and in your ears as a bright blue flash of code scrolls before your eyes. Perhaps it doesn't make sense, but your handheld device might help. It beeps to alert you of a new message, screen lighting up as a navigation app appears and seems to stick. It appears to be an ordinary app like Google Maps or Waze, but the destination is pre-installed and your feet begin to move on their own accord. I. - IN-GAME CHARACTERS ONLY If you're strong enough, you might be able to break free of the mysterious hold that's dragging you across the city and out toward the outskirts of Tisse. It's hard to locate the source of the pull, but everyone will find that as they traverse the city they're all heading in one direction. The navigation app cheerfully blurts out instructions as your body operates on auto-pilot, causing you to stumble through the city and the other districts. You'll find yourself colliding into another user, soon walking in front or behind them as everyone around you begins to form one solid line. The human chain forms steadily and…aren't you lucky? You get to hold hands! Single file, everyone. Maybe you lucked out and you're holding hands with a friend. If you're stuck between two strangers, well, maybe that's a little awkward but the chain is impossible to break. You continue to move. Locked hand in hand with every user in the city, you'll have to help each other navigate, avoid obstacles, and make sure you don't lag behind. Viruses linger and will follow this mass of people, snapping at your heels and attempting to devour anything nearby. Can you fight without your hands? It may be time to find out. The night sky is a bit cloudy and your only source of light is the moon and the glow of lights on buildings you pass by in all districts. The walk shouldn't take you long, but as you venture further away from the center of the city the sun begins to rise and obscures your vision a bit. Has time sped up? Or are you simply walking further than you thought? What an interesting question. II-A. - IN-GAME CHARACTERS ONLY The navigation app leads the group through a long, winding journey that ends just beyond the furthest point of Tisse as the day breaks. As the app chimes, the air before you shimmers as a glass-walled building materializes. Unlike the other buildings in the city, it appears to be solid and smooth, lacking the pixelated quality a majority of the city has by now. The human chain breaks and you let go of your neighbor. You're now free to explore this place. Stepping inside, you find rows and rows of glass cases and chambers off to the sides and in stacks. Accommodated with work stations and instruction manuals, you may find yourself drawn to these computers before the empty cases. While the manuals appear old and frayed, there are instructions one can follow to create the person of their dreams. Are you looking for someone athletic? Simply change the input for a higher muscle mass than your average model. What about someone funny? Copy and paste some knock-knock jokes to embed in their code. It's easy to create anything you desire. The book allows for anything, even those who aren't exactly human. As you code and build, the glass cases and chambers begin to fog up, smoke whirling around inside as something begins to grow and take shape. Be careful! You may have a clear vision in mind of what you wish to create, but the programming may have other ideas… …for those who don't wish to experiment for themselves, or those who are strong enough to shake off those urges, there are several other floors to explore. Unlike the cases downstairs, these ones are occupied and filled with finished models pre-labeled "Projected Example" or "Reboot". Perhaps these faces are familiar to you, or they're someone who looks interesting. A lost friend. Someone from your memories. Someone who you feel doesn't belong encased in glass at all. The possibilities seem endless when it comes to who you'll find inside, but as you continue to stare at the case before you…the glass cracks. II-B. - TDM/FOURTH WALL CHARACTERS. Where are you? The last thing you remember was a wavering, dizzy spell that forced your eyes closed as you fell unconscious. Upon awakening the glass walls around you are stifling and thick, white and blue smoke dances around your ankles as you blink away black spots impeding your vision. Trapped inside a glass case held behind glass walls, it becomes clear that you aren't where you're supposed to be. Any items you had on your person are missing and the palm of your hand burns intensely for ten seconds as a black tattoo forms. Branded as either a "Projected Example" or "Reboot", it isn't easy to understand what these terms mean. Perhaps that isn't what's important though. Rather, what's important is breaking your way out of this glass case and figuring out where you are. Shadowed figures can be seen walking the hallways just outside your case, sometimes alone or sometimes with a friend. It's hard to make out any of their features, but you can hear the muffled words being said. It's only when someone is close to your case that you find your strength. The glass begins to spider crack under the pressure of your hand, allowing you to push and punch as much as necessary to break free. There's no shame in needing assistance, of course. Some cases are thicker than others, and as the glass begins to crack it becomes easier to be heard by those outside of your case. How will you escape? Who will you find on the other side of the glass? It's a mystery and one that will not be answered until you free yourself of your enclosure. Breaking free is easy if you try and it gives you a full range of motion. The glass won't harm you, but sparkles adorn your skin as the sunlight shines through the windows around you. You're free to explore the floors of the building and check out the other glass cases nearby. Perhaps you'll even lend a hand and help others who are trapped. How did you all get here? That's yet another mystery that doesn't seem to have an answer, but more importantly…how do you get out of the building? This place is huge. III. - OTA Lucky for you, this building seems to be a safe haven from the crazy world outside. Though several stories tall and filled with cases and equipment as far as the eye can see, nothing strange seems to be happening and navigating the building is almost a pleasant experience. The glass walls allow for plenty of late-summer sunshine to filter in, giving you and everyone you're with a path to follow. This path, however, won't lead you to the front door. The front exit no longer exists and any attempts to reroute to it will send citizens on their way through the halls of the building again. Several doors and laboratories are found on the journey though you may not enter. Labeled areas such as "memory restoration", "accounting", "legal" and "resources", these areas are scattered and just beyond your reach. As you venture through the building and exit out the back door, the sound of music hits you full-force. Bright lights, thick grass and the sounds of children laughing await you. The grounds are vast and empty of other people. While the area is large and sprawling, it's evident that several iconic pieces of this area are missing. A large sign hangs overhead, greeting you and welcoming you to Rainbowland. Complete with a carousel, children's rides such as spinning tea cups, bumper cars, the hurricane and the octopus, and a midway full of games, this amusement park looks like the perfect place to spend an afternoon. Along with the usual set-up, Rainbowland is host to a special event for the next week. Scattered throughout the grounds are banners and stalls proudly proclaiming "WELCOME TO RETROSPEC." Carnival food of all kinds can be found at these stalls with the Retrospec logo plastered on the side. Eat these foods at your own risk! Sweets will grant consumers super-speed, meats such as hot dogs and burgers kick in a boost of super-strength, fried foods will cause a consumer to move in slow motion and drinks may cause temporary invisibility. Weird, right? The midway has a few strange surprises as well. While most games are easy to play (and free at that, why isn't anyone around to take tickets from park visitors?), there are certain games set up by Retrospec themselves that have equally strange prizes. Stuffed animals of a variety of creatures from other worlds line the shelves (some you may or may not recognize), along with glass dolls of you and people you know. The likeness of these prizes is a little too spot-on; dolls will spout a common catch-phrase and stuffed animals will feel as though they are breathing. Finally, in addition to the Rainbowland rides, Retrospec has provided a wooden roller coaster and a large ferris wheel, both branded with their logo. For those who wish to feel the rush, the roller coaster reaches speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and comes with several hills and one full upside-down loop. Riders, however, will experience brief hallucinations after this loop; as the loop completes they'll find themselves seeing visions of a dark, underground river. The hallucination seems within reach almost as if the cart they're in will dive straight into the water. The ride ends with all riders unharmed, however. As for the ferris wheel? It's just a ferris wheel, several stories high with bright blue, encased cars to give riders a bird's eye view of the entire city and protect them inside. As you reach the top, the car will come to a gentle stop and the view from the window will change. Instead of the beloved city of Recollé, the landscape below is different. Perhaps it's a landscape you recognize, or it's an area of a battle-ridden world. Perhaps you see your friend's high school that they've seen in their memories or islands from another life. Every view is different, but by the time you reach the ground again you're back in Recollé. It's a carnival and it's fun, but several things that don't belong to Rainbowland seem off. Those with a keen eye and who have been around for a while may come to realize one important factor; the symbol is drawn inaccurately. The Retrospec symbol is missing a few loops and the particular shade of blue used is too dark to match. A counterfeit Retrospec...is it possible? Maybe it's best just to stick with what Rainbowland itself has to offer. IV. - OTA So maybe carnivals aren't your thing. No matter! You can leave Rainbowland whenever you'd like and make your way back to the city. On the other hand the city and areas around it may not be as you remember it. "Projected Examples" might not recognize this place at all, but "Reboot" will recognize that the pixelation of buildings, the NPC status of people they may know and the glitches that occur aren't normal by any standards. Exploring the city will allow all visitors to ride the trains and visit the various locations Alphas and Betas have access to, create and travel through the digital scape of half-constructed concepts, and they'll find they're even more susceptible to being attacked by bug-like viruses. These viruses will follow newcomers, snapping and biting to try and devour them. Defeating one will generate two more, and while they aren't as prominent in the digital scape you may find yourself with your hands full. There is no way to reach the outside regions of Pesgare, Respatrum, Bosuma and Magatus at this time, but there's plenty in the city to keep you on your toes. Visitors may have to find lodging for the next few weeks whether that's with friends or strangers, but at least all of the buildings remain standing. And if that doesn't keep you busy enough, the NPC citizens of Recollé are happy to provide you with jobs. If you choose to speak to any of these people, they'll go off of their pre-assigned dialogue and provide you with a small quest. "Find ten bananas and deliver them to someone with red hair." "Pet every dog that you see." "Catch three fish from the ocean and sell them to a neighbor." Some of these quests may not even make sense, but they'll be assigned nevertheless. Upon completion of each quest taken on, a triumphant sound will play from overhead and a banner will appear displaying your new title. Deliver those bananas? "Gone Bananas" will flash over your head. How about those fish? "So Long and Thanks For..." will linger for a while. Too bad no one told you those banners won't go away. When you're alone the title will be hidden, but as you speak to more people in the city the banner reappears, hovering over your head for the entire length of the conversation. The titles will change as you complete new tasks, but it appears as though they're permanent now. Congratulations! BONUS. - OTA Everyone will be equip with a handheld device much like a cell phone but downgraded. Containing only a drawing application, the game of Snake, the Retrospec app and the navigation app to lead you back to that glass building, it's...pretty useless. Technology in the city is hit and miss in its pixelated state, but perhaps it's better to ask the Retrospec network what the next step is. While Alphas and Betas are still posting as their A/B IDs, "Projected Examples" and "Reboots" will find that all posts and comments are tagged as their status and their name. Examples and Reboots will also find that a "Welcome to Retrospec" guide pops up, giving them only a brief moment to read the guidelines before a bright flash appears, snapping their photo for their profile and connecting them to someone new on the network. Whether you're sending or receiving messages, a string of colored text, numbers and code will leave or enter your device. These devices also need to be charged constantly, so be careful when taking them out of the house! You'd hate to get cut off at the worst possible moment, wouldn't you? Welcome to the recolle test drive meme, fourth wall event, and September event part two! Please review these instructions for this particular event! As we are combining a few different options here, we want to ensure players know what options are available. Thank you! All characters who are TDMing will be begin in-game AU'd as Recollé residents. You may use any of the above prompts for ideas or make up your own depicting your Recollé AU! Prompts do not have to be set in the districts listed above. You can review our list of locations for what's available. Please note that TDM threads can be used as samples, can be kept as game canon, and can also be used for bonus points for future item regains. Share a few minor details of your AU, tag around, and have fun! Since this is a special event, the TDM is tied with a fourth wall event as well! For players who are fourth-walling characters (canon versions, different canon AUs, CRAU, versions from other games, etc), please label your top-level as "Projected Example." Players who are TDMing to app will fall under "Reboot" and we ask that you label your top-level as such! And finally, characters in-game are not required to label their top-levels with anything. This way, it's easier for your gamemates to know who's TDMing, who's just playing around, and who's already in-game. For Prompt III, any characters who choose to ride the ferris wheel will be able to see the landscape of any canonical world once they're at the top. It doesn't matter if they would recognize it or not, but the image will be brief until the car moves again! Likewise, stuffed animals won from the Retrospec midway games can be creatures your character would recognize from their memories or from other canons they may or may not recognize. Use your best judgment! Prompt IV may be used to create new scenarios and threads based on the prompts from Part One of September's Event! Please feel free to read the prompts in event log one and create your own scenarios for your top-levels. Additionally, you are free to make up your own silly/serious fetch-quests and titles that would be rewarded to your characters. While normally we do not allow this, please remember that current players may earn one freebie by threading with someone who is TDMing! This thread must contain 5 consecutive comments from you to be eligible. In addition, all players may use any threads accrued in this event for bonus points. As a special note, we will also allow current players to use a thread from this Fourth Wall/TDM/Event for their AC proofs! As this ties into a game-event, we are making an exception. However, your other proof(s) (at least ten comments) must come from sources outside of this log. Likewise, as this is an event log instead of just a standard TDM, you may use this log to trigger regains as normal. Please note: you will need a reserve to apply, and current characters must have full AC posted at the time of their reservation. Your September TDM directory is here, and your AU workshop is here! Our mod questions thread for this TDM is over here!

Comments

[faireleclown]

[ he keeps his gaze ahead, smile a little fainter on his lips. ]

Ah, no, it's nothing so grand. I'm not fond of putting people on pedestals, is all.

[idolworship]

Most would agree; it can be quite dangerous to idolize a person such.

( to let someone have that power over you, to have those expectations of them . . . when they, likely, are no better off than you are, whether they be living or dead. )

But in practice, most do it to some extent, don't they? Saints aside, there exist celebrities; parents; peers; teachers . . . Admiration and love turn quickly overwhelming. Humans can only strive toward what is concrete . . . And so to strive toward their dreams, they require someone to become them.

( he did notice wataru's reaction; the preface to his change of topic just takes. awhile, )

But it's probably not that interesting of a topic to you, is it? ( since wataru isn't, as far as he knows, affiliated with rosetis; and, if he's inclined toward any other particular religious belief, he doesn't seem to feel strongly enough to express it. ) I've wanted to ask you a little bit more about yourself, actually. I've heard things here and there from Tori, but I'd like to hear it from you. You said you were studying in France?

[faireleclown]

[ that's why he worries for tori, somewhat, as much as he allows himself to; living with the boy (taking care of him) for something like three or four years has the unfortunate clause of becoming a little attached. he can admit that much: his joking worry is more than a bit real, when it comes to the boy's well-being.

but the shift in topics is much appreciated; wataru grins, running a hand through his ponytail and flicking the end of it. ]

I was! I did, at least... I started taking college classes a little ways into my senior year of high school, and transferred with them to Recollé's sister university in France with a scholarship once I graduated. I've always loved the country, though. [ his grin tempers a little, but it's no less fond, no less joyous. ] It's very beautiful, and the language is as well. The people, ah, they're the same as you can find anywhere else, though. Mankind is as mankind is, no?

[ so there are good ones, there are bad ones, there are toris and miais and rosetises. ]

But, yes, France. A country of love, of brothership! A bloody history, but from which roses have sprouted! [ not to say it doesn't have its own issues, but, ] Truly wonderful.

[idolworship]

( he listens with genuine interest, as he would with anyone, really - but even if wataru is different than he might have expected, he still has a very slight amount of extra curiosity reserved for him. it's nothing intentional, just, )

To have something you've been passionate about since such a young age . . . I envy you ♪ Was there anything in particular that drew you to France in high school? Or was it initially only a passing interest?

[faireleclown]

[ ...it feels a little embarrassing to say, so wataru puts his finger to his lips and winks. ]

Can I trust you with a secret, monsieur?

[ a secret that is not ... particularly a secret ... but still. he's a drama teacher. what do you expect. ]

[idolworship]

Oh? I'm quite the fan of secrets. Consider my lips soldered shut.

( he doubts it's that much of a secret if wataru will tell it to just anybody, but it's a nice mood, a casual one, so he doesn't mind playing along. )

[faireleclown]

I was in love with my teacher. [ he spreads his hands with a sigh, eyes closing. a lot happened, surely, and...

...not all of it he'll share with much of anyone, so after a long moment, he opens his eyes again and shrugs. ] It didn't work out, of course! First loves never do.

[ another beat. ] He was married, besides.

[ so you know, ]

[idolworship]

( sweetheart, that's definitely something you shouldn't tell people upon first meeting - not that miai has any right to say, given all the stuff he spews at people when they hardly know him.

he raises an eyebrow, surprised, because it's not an answer he was expecting in a sort of extraordinary way. )

I hadn't realized you were such a romantic ♪ That takes quite a bit of courage at that age. An entirely new country, and an impossible love . . .

( well, it sounds like something that's likely to end up being a bit of a sore spot, so he won't praise it too much. he swings his arms behind him, thoughtful. )

At that age, I was far less ambitious. I left my first love for another country, even though he was entirely within my reach—the complete opposite of you. I was simply cowardly.

( he makes a humming sound, as if it were a distant memory - but he's still eating dirt for it, don't worry. karma is fair. )

Do you regret it? Following after him?

[faireleclown]

[ it doesn't matter much to him; it's in the past, and it's over and done with. he has no connection to the man any longer, and there's nothing between them, too. what love he has is reserved for the country he found himself in, and only for that.

he can't care about someone who never cared for him. he decided that long ago. ]

Not at all. I fell in love with a beautiful country, met many people, learned many things... Came upon young Tori. [ he counts them off on his fingers, curling them into his turned up palms, continuing it as he talks. ] I found myself thrust into the throes of life! All the hardships, the woes— but the successes, the joys, as well! An unforgettable experience, many parts of which I wouldn't like to repeat, but experience all the same.

[ ...though, sometimes, he does regret it; not france, but the reason for it. nothing he'll divulge now, and he lets his hands fall, sliding them into his pockets. ]

Ah, but look at me, telling all my story as if we're sitting across from each other in a Californian diner... [ he knows how trite, unlikely, it is. wataru is a man versed in cliché. ] But I admit, I love the sound of my own voice. I wouldn't teach drama if I didn't.

[ ........he is also a man versed in self-satire. ]

[idolworship]

( fufu )

If I had a voice as lovely as yours, I imagine I'd be entirely the same ♪

( first of all, he's like this with everyone, right, so, like, this isn't weird. it's normal. he's normal and hits on everyone all the time casually that's just what he's like. second, he already doesn't shut up so his point is moot but, )

You say you came upon him? Was it akin to finding a chick fallen helpless from his mother's nest— a meeting entirely by chance?

( a poetic embellishment, but, regardless, )

[faireleclown]

[ oh, he's been flirted with..♪ wataru lets it pass, the only acknowledgement it gets being a small chuckle, and he shakes his head. well, hmm. ]

Yes and no, but it's a boring tale! And we're at our destination besides.

[ indeed, the roller coaster is much closer— maybe they haven't quite arrived-arrived at it, but wataru has no problems at all sweeping ahead the extra distance. ...he's a gentleman, so he'll open the car door for miai to step in first as well, ]

Monsieur.

[idolworship]

I'm always very interested when it has to do with my cute Tori.

( said affectionately, as usual. they have joint custody of this little brother and miai intends to pull his weight,

regardless, he's fine postponing the tale for another time, as he wouldn't put off a deathtrap for mere conversation. )

Merci, Monsieur ♪

( he graciously accepts wataru's politesse, loading himself onto the ride and strapping himself in. for a moment, he considers if this really is a good idea . . . but it should be fine. he's been good all month, so he should've stored up enough health to be able to handle it. (miai, effectively conceptualizing this as akin to storing up HP, and the ride likely to take out a chunk of it... as if health worked that way... but it's fine, thank you.) )

[faireleclown]

[ wataru slides in beside him, closing door and clicking his belt too. ah, it's been quite some time since he got to go onto one of these, his heart's beating in anticipation... ]

If you get scared, monsieur, you may squeeze my hand, but only once. ♪ [ he offers it up, slyly looking at him from the corner of his eye. ] But if you do even that, then I won't reward you with another story. How about that?

[ this does mean he's certain miai's going to squeeze his hand but, anyway, patronizing aside, ]

[idolworship]

You underestimate a former acrobat very much. Or do I simply seem the type to be easily scared?

( a rhetorical question, of course. perhaps it's only that wataru thinks miai would take up the opportunity as another means of flirting with him . . . but, listen, if that were his intent, he'd have asked him to the haunted house. classic, but effective.

he places his hands on the bars, in playfully pointed defiance. he can tell he's being patronized, but he doesn't need to rise to it. )

Besides, I love a good story more than anything else. If that's your price, then I'm afraid I'll happily spurn you as many times as it takes ♪　

[faireleclown]

[ miai, so sneaky,

wataru cants his head in deference, settling his hands on the bars too; just in time, as the roller coaster jerks a little into motion, and wataru's feet bounce a little in excitement. up, up, up they climb...♪ ]

You wound me, you know. What if I'm the type who's easily frightened by heights, and so I wanted an excuse to hold your hand just in case? [ hypothetical, because he's hardly scared of such things. ] Ah, you'd leave me out in the rain like that, if that were the case, how cruel. You and my little bird truly are the same, aren't you? ♪

[ not that miai will get the pleasure of replying, given their upwards climb lasts, maybe, ten more seconds before it goes down, and it the fun of the roller coaster doesn't stop there !! so many ups and downs, so much speed; wataru's laughing up until the full loop,

what with its, like, haunting dark underground river hallucination at all at the end there. though as the text says, riders are unharmed, though he's left a bit. unnerved, smile a little taut. hm. hmmmm. ]

[idolworship]

( this is actually not quite so bad, and though the beating of his heart seems nearly to stumble and pause as the roller coaster reaches its finest height and greatest loop, he's enjoying himself genuinely - even more so with wataru laughing loudly beside him. miai himself isn't as inclined to be so vocal, though he's very much beaming as they speed along the tracks - if it's a ride that takes your picture as you go, the image would likely be the very picture of joy between the both of them.

it's the downward descent that catches his breath with the sudden and unwelcome shock - his heart and breathing stopping short, remaining still even as the ride comes to an end. his body recalls to breathe - but can't - and he's stuck hunched over coughing into his fist—

hold on, hold on, how embarrassing— he shakily puts up a hand in wataru's direction, as if to indicate he's fine, but he doesn't. sound fine at all. (he isn't going to die, it's just going to suck until it passes - and it eventually does die down, after several, over-long seconds.) )

[faireleclown]

[ wataru idles between letting him cough or doing— something, and the, smile on his face is slightly more awkward when miai's able to get himself back in control. he waits a few more moments to make certain of it, then pushes the bar forward and unclicks both of them from the seat. ]

Monsieur, if you were at risk of hacking up a lung, you should have made mention of it before we got on. [ slightly chiding, but not overly so; he isn't going to scold someone he barely knows. ah but, hm, tori hadn't mentioned anything about this either, admittedly ... ] ...Are you alright now?

[idolworship]

Sorry, sorry . . . I really was fine until the very end of it.

( a little weakly as he regains his voice. how... lame... )

I'm fine, though, thank you. Attacks like that aren't very common. ( but that implies they do happen ... he straightens up, and, carefully, pushes himself out of the car - without help, as if to show he really is fine, and that show of weakness was just a fluke. ) It was fun enough, regardless ♪ How did you enjoy it?

( sweeping past whatever just happened with his health, )

[faireleclown]

[ ...hm.

not his business, though this sort of not-his-business feels a little uneasy to let pass compared to others. he steps out too, brushing himself off a bit. idly. ]

C'est magnifique. [ up until the last bit, there, but, ] Though I've never had anything like that happen... Ah, not your attack, though that certainly counts! But, hm... Perhaps it was just me...

[ how to describe it... ]

...It was as if we were about to dive right into the Seine, albeit if it were beneath the ground à la the catacombs.

[idolworship]

( fortunately, those are french-isms he can infer well enough, in part because he knows exactly what wataru means. )

You as well? I saw the very same thing . . . It's what startled me, in fact.

( he can admit that much, at least . . . hm, wait. he thought npcs were oblivious to these sorts of things? well . . . he can't check if wataru's on the app even if he wants to, what with names being jumbled up, so it may be a side effect of this month's strange occurrence with that strange building and the like...? )

Mmm . . . I would hope the other rides aren't so altered. The carousel was fine, wasn't it? It feels a little like playing Russian Roulette.

( which rides will give you hallucinations of life-threatening situations? who knows! it's a mystery. )

[faireleclown]

It was. Tori and I had no problems with it at all. ♪

[ tori's fright of heights aside. but, hmm... if they were to go on another... he looks up to the ferris wheel, eyebrows pressing together. that would be safest, or at least, less unnecessary-worry-causing. it has the same logo as the roller coaster, he notes, and he offers miai a bright smile. ]

...Well, Russian Roulette isn't so bad is it? Let's enjoy ourselves a little more, monsieur. I haven't yet found a name for you I like half as much as your given. [ never mind he never actually calls him miai, only monsieur. ] Life isn't fun without a little risk, and I believe in this case, the reward certainly outweighs it! ♪ Provided your health stays in the clear.

[ he is not going to be responsible for killing anyone today. ]

[idolworship]

You oughtn't worry yourself so much over my health. I told you I was a former acrobat, didn't I? ( granted, that was long before his health complications arose, but details. ) I can handle much more than this easily.

( he waves a hand, dismissive. he's fine. )

Regardless, very few things in life are worth doing if there isn't much risk involved. But if you're truly that nervous and require a hand to hold, I don't mind taking up a ride that's a little more leisurely on the monsieur's behalf.

[faireleclown]

[ yes, but what caused his job title to be "former"? perhaps those health issues,

he laughs though, stepping along to the ferris wheel. ]

We'll simply switch off on them, how about that? Something exciting, and then something to calm ourselves again... A palate cleanser, if you will. The ferris wheel, and the tea cups! The bumper cars, and then the octopus! Perhaps a bit of food, and then the rigged carnival games...

[ so many activities, so little time.


this implies the carnival games are the heart-pounding one of that pair but, ]

[idolworship]

Oh? With an itinerary like that, you'd be sure to charm any girl you meet. Perhaps I ought to step aside? ♪

( a casual unflirt. of sorts. he may regret this in the future, but anyway. for now, he's in step with wataru once again, looking up in awe at the ferris wheel. ah, so wonderful, so big . . . ☆ it's so much grander seeing it up close - closer as they approach it. he seems to be in quite the good mood that this is their next destination, purely for personal reasons. )

By the way, you owe me a story, don't you? Or was that only a little lip service?

[faireleclown]

And here I was hoping you'd forgotten! [ a little playfully, but— faintly serious. wataru shakes his head, watching the ferris wheel. ]

Let's see... A story—you were interested to hear this one so: Little Tori and I...

[ mmm. ]

I was somewhere around three years into my education, and once more several months out of luck, let's say, when I chanced upon an ad to take care of a young man, and tutor him as well. While I had very little experience in either affair, the pay was enticing enough to try for—not to mention the offer of housing—and...

[ well. he spreads his hands helplessly, letting them drop after a moment. ]

We do many things to survive, don't we? In the end, for whatever reason, be it dumb luck or—as few are stubborn enough to insist—God's will, I was chosen, and Tori became my charge. That's all, though. I told you it was boring tale, didn't I?