//TESTDRIVE.EXE

[reparator]

"I'm the reason half of you are drunk at the moment." (CEO-SAN, NO...) "I'm the reason half of you are drunk at the moment." (CEO-SAN, NO...)

//TESTDRIVE.EXE The lights flicker overhead, music blaring from the speakers as you step inside, every sound drowned out except for that hypnotic tune. The walls are painted in an array of hypnotic colors, saturated to the point where your attention doesn't know where to land, and all kinds of screens hang from each corner, showing flashing images of ads, gadget after gadget appearing in a second to show you the best of what Ceres has to offer. Dancing bodies flank each side of the large ballroom, bodies with eyes that look hollow and their faces too symmetrical. They'll occasionally glance at you and smile, maybe even engage and offer to take you to one of the private rooms in the back. However, their words are interrupted when the lights suddenly turn brighter and focus on the center where a raised platform sits. A man appears in the center, one hand raised to silence the music while the other holds a microphone. "It's been some time, hasn't it? As you may or may not know, I am the CEO and founder of CERES, Julius Vincere, and you can say, I'm the reason half of you are drunk at the moment." He chuckles lightly before continuing, "For a second there, I was worried we wouldn't make it, but I placed my confidence in all of you. I knew you'd surpass my expectations when I first brought you here, and you were able to utilize our tools to perfection. As you may have suspected by the gallons of champagne being passed around at my behest-" He pauses to reach out for a glass, snatching it from one of the wait staff passing by before raising it to the crowd. "We've finally obtained our first victory here on Cerealia. The colony is ours completely and will be fully functional from this day forward. Please enjoy all the luxurious amenities we have put together, and join me in journeying towards a new and better future. Together, we will expand our territory here and reach even further horizons. And by all means, don't be shy with the staff. They're also here for your entertainment." He gestures around the room, smiling before taking a sip of his champagne. Applause echoes from the crowd while Julius steps off the stage, handing the mic to one of the staff before pausing for pictures and interviews from reporters. You stand in the crowd as the lights dim once more, lost in a sea of people and wondering where to go next.

//SCENARIOS.EXE PHASE I [ 1801 ] The screens lining the walls inside even extend into the bathrooms and the back rooms, playing commercial after commercial, all CERES themed, as you mingle with the other guests, but occasionally, the image transforms into a flash of something else. It appears for a split-second. There's the face of a woman, lips parted in a soundless cry. She looks to be in pain, fingers pressed to the screen. It's so quick that most don't register it, barely even notice it's there unless they focus. The party continues without incident, otherwise. Because it's a pretty damn good party, isn't it? There's plenty of food, strong drinks - hey, no one under seventeen is allowed to drink - and many decorative people. Just ignore that feeling of being watched! You're just so good looking, after all. PHASE II [ ???? ] A room sits in the back with several helmets characters can wear to upload themselves into ViViD, a state of the art virtual reality game, and enter one of the game stages to participate in a team mission. They can sample a few minutes of gameplay as they enter a short battle with one of the NPC creatures. They'll quickly become familiar with the state-of-the-art technology as all pain and wounds experienced inside will feel real and will appear on each character's body. But what an awesome game it is. With amazing digital quality surround, it's a world like none other... but be careful not to fall too fast! (Those monsters even smell real, don't they?) Feel free to talk to Vidia, the game host, if you need help getting things going! PHASE III [ 2134 ] The evening is wearing on, the dance floor is becoming more crowded. The music seems oppressive by now. People are feeling charged with adrenaline, or feeling the intensity rise in the mood. Maybe a new partner is the right choice to go with- or maybe you can talk to a wallflower. But one thing is for certain... The loud vibrations disguise the fact that something is moving over the vents. You can hear it in the background, the rustling sound that agitates your ears. But hey, maybe it's nothing, right? After all, it's just a party... Maybe you'll want to go into the back rooms for a bit to... explore your new friends? The rooms (and your companions) are quite pretty and cozy, and can be adjusted with holograms to create a room for your desired mood. After all, it's a little too noisy when you're not alone, but the sudden silence might get oppressive too... [ Feel free to get intimate or just get out of the party and sleep off the drinks, but remember, anything above PG stuff must go into your own journals and under NO circumstances will unwanted propositioning be allowed or any non-consensual activity lest you want to be locked in a cold box on top of a huge ice cube for the rest of the night. Naked. Please use your own discretion, the minimum age for intimacy is 15-16. ] PHASE IV [ 0243 ] In the quieter corners of the party, it becomes more ever-present until something falls on your eye. It's red. Warm... As you gaze up, you see a dead body faced down, the half-sliced face lying against the ventilation screen. The body's eyes remain open, staring down at you. Screams and sounds of shock sound, and the party halts. As the security filters in to investigate the body, the rustling only grows louder. It's then that they suspect something is in the vents. It's crawling avidly across the ceiling, and lights fall one by one, exploding against the ground. There's barely a moment to register the chaos before the last knight of CERES appears. You can choose to run. You can choose to engage. The knight won't let you leave its sight alive. But you know you have to do something. Be it protecting the innocents there, or fighting off the creature that seems to only be there to harm you and your friends, old and new. And you do want to protect this place, because it's just been won... don't you? BONUS [ whyo'clock ] There's a ball pit hidden in one of the auxiliary rooms. All invited parties are given a maximum of one hour to have fun time in the ball pit. They must not exceed their one hour or they will be forcibly removed by the security droids. Please keep all food and alcohol out of the ball pit. Do not have any genital parties in the ball pit. The ball pit is sacred to CERES. [ The party will be long, so take your time enjoying each scenario... and dreading it. At the end of it all, things will be calmed down and you're free to enjoy the night as you please. Remember to keep things PG (the FAQ below elaborates!), and absolutely no forcing any R-rated things with anyone below 15-16 (so be sure to ask their age, right?) or the droids will have a little fun chasing you around! Do enjoy the pretty views of the gorgeous digital city though. Which seems strangely quiet, but at this late hour, why not, right? ]

//RUN.EXE Welcome to CEREALIA's first test drive! Please forgive our appearance as we are going through the final stages game completion. While most pages are under development and/or hidden from the public eye, please don't feel discouraged, since knowing everything doesn't always make the experience. Your characters will know as little as you. For your convenience, we have compiled a mini-FAQ - please read it thoroughly before playing. Thank you! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS HOW DID MY CHARACTER GET HERE? You may have been just been doing their day-to-day activities - be it swimming or fighting demons - but the next moment, a crack and blinding light - now you're here, in your best attire, celebrating. The memories of your at-home activities fade away like a fleeting dream, and it's replaced with the feeling of happiness. ( You haven't forgotten your past, just that anything you were doing seems far too distant to be important. ) Must be something in the air. You can't remember clearly fighting for CERES, and whatever this Julius Vincere is telling you might be complete bullshit for all you know, but something influences you to play along anyway - if you think about it long enough, perhaps you had fought for CERES after all...? WHO/WHAT IS CERES? WHAT IS CEREALIA? You mean... you don't remember? After all the help you gave it? WHAT FORMAT CAN WE USE FOR THIS TESTDRIVE? Action (brackets/prose), video/voice, and texting are all available via your CEREVICE at this moment. Most functions are currently undergoing a system update, but as long as it is still connected to the Auralia Network, it will be available for communicative uses. WHAT IS ViVID? An amazing VR game! The demo version of ViViD will be here to play, aren't you excited? It's played with headsets that immediately allow you to experience full-body simulation, without having to move out of your seat! You can enjoy the demo world, design your own, play alone, play with a team, but remember, the boss must be beaten! Please check the phase ii thread for details and interactions! SO... PHASE III? Sexy things can happen, you're getting hot and heavy on the dance floor, and there are rooms in the back that can be decorated to your mood, after all. REMEMBER, the age of consent is 15-16, please use your own discretion and don't upset people. For the test drive, any situation that goes above PG (beyond kissing/grinding/light making out... We're lenient) must go into threads in your own journals. Any creeper behavior or unwanted advances will get an IC boot into the Frozen Locker with "Let it Go" on repeat. POWER LIMITATIONS? Actually, no, the characters don't have any of their abilities locked or otherwise suppressed. More info will be i the official FAQ, but so long as you don't destroy the entire game ( and we trust you can use your powers responsibly— as does CERES! ), limitations are nonexistent. OKAY, WHAT ABOUT PREVIOUS GAME MEMORIES? It's completely acceptable to bring a character that has been in a previous game to Cerealia! THE NAME LOOKS FAMILIAR. . . Yes, a loosely related setting concept with a place called CEREALIA was pitched for an ExitVoid phase before the moderators decided to close the game for good. A few of us got together with the original pitchers of the idea since we thought it really awesome and with a lot of potential and decided to try our own thing with it! ARE THE GAMES RELATED? Nope. Not at all, it's been rehashed from the ground up and built to stand on its own as an original place and game. We'll keep coming back to this, so don't worry.

Comments

one | drakengard 3 | phase i + iv

[envisaged]

PHASE I
[ The music blaring from the speakers combined with the odor of everyone within her proximity overwhelms her— she finds herself with a headache that just might split her head in two, and an unpleasant scent wafting through the air. Not one for dancing, she finds herself situated on a bar stool, observing the party-goers with a keen sight, even in this dim lighting.

The memory of actually fighting for CERES escapes her, and the more she dwells on it, the more she can't seem to scrape up anything specific. She adjusts her gloves and the jacket she has on, being careful to leave no skin exposed, as she glances to the screens. And it's just in time to catch the flicker of an image that's so out of place between the endless commercials that it startles her.

She takes the time to mull over what she's seen, perturbed but doing well to not show it, when she looks up to notice someone approaching. ]

Ah. Excuse me, it's free. [ She figures the stranger's intentions are obvious, given the fact the only free seat is next to her. She grabs her glass of water and takes a small sip. ] You can sit there, if you'd like.

PHASE IV
[ The stench above her sets her off immediately even before the drop of blood is on her face. She wipes it away, looking upwards and sees the mutilated corpse in clear detail. The screams around her only add to the awful headache she's been sporting this evening before it completely stops. Her eyes wander upward, keeping track of the movement above her.

Every sound is amplified, the crawling in the vents and the lights as they explode. She's painstakingly aware of the situation, so much that she processes the evening could turn horribly wrong if whatever is up there gets out.

It's when the beast appears in front of her does she feel the need to take action. The space is far too confined, far too dangerous because of the people, to even try and use her Chakram. She decides not to risk it.

There's no time to warn anyone of the obvious, before the beast lunges at her. She opens her lips to belt out one continuous note, a white light manifesting in front of her before a circular barrier appears. It separates her from the knight just in time, although her real concern lies in the people behind her. ]

[virginous]

[ Four is still rummaging around the crowd before the sudden shrieks hit her ears. It's a moment where she's actually glad not to be in One's shoes, especially since she can only imagine the pain she must be experiencing thanks to her heighten senses; which is why the thought alone of One being somewhere having to suffer makes her stomach churn.

The noise from the vents catches her attention, stepping to the side when a fallen light crashes near her feet. The people running in shock causes a brief moment of annoyance, cursing under her breath before her breath hitches in her throat. ]

One nee-sama! [ The note is so familiar to her, only because it's the same song she would sing to create a similar barrier. Fortunately her own weapon doesn't require much space like One's did, which is why she so quickly dashes forward to her side, preparing herself for combat. ] One nee-sama, are you alright?

[ She's so glad! She's so glad to see that she's okay... if anything happened to her, she surely wouldn't be able to forgive anyone. Especially any human. ]

[envisaged]

[ She's long learned to cope with her heightened senses, but that still doesn't mean the pain is lessened. She focuses on sustaining the single note, eyes never leaving the beast in front of her.

She hears footsteps running towards her rather than away, and she's tempted to turn to usher them back. But she thinks if they're coming to her aid, they're more than prepared for the monster before them. And it's when she sees Four, she's finds both comfort and strength.

The resolve on her face becomes pronounced, taking only a moment to glance at her younger sister as the beast strikes at the barrier again and again. She nods in place of a simple 'yes', making room for her. She trusts her and, at the very least, finds her more than capable to take down a beast this size.

Knowing that, she finally closes her mouth, the barrier quickly disintegrating a moment after. ]

[virginous]

[ It's that single look from her that gives for all the strength she needs really. Even if One wouldn't praise her in the ways she wished to afterward, it was so much easier to think that maybe, possibly, she'll get it after her helping her so much. Especially since this crowd wasn't exactly the ideal place to pull out her weapon.

Fortunately for Four, her bare fists were enough, in which she so easily charges the beast once the barrier was down. ]

Ha! [ She leaps forward, extending a leg and kicking the beast back into the buffet table. It easily collects itself, however, and it's movement seem to surprise even Four as it quickly advances to strike again. She intends to defend herself, but in doing that it would leave One defenseless—

But she certainly doesn't want to die. So quickly she opens her mouth and sings, creating a barrier similar to One's but one that shined a brilliant green. Hopefully the crowd has died down enough so that One's weapon wouldn't make it an obstacle. ]

[envisaged]

[ The table crashing doesn't necessarily sound pleasant, but it's much preferred over the screams of their earlier guests. She breathes in, brows furrowing slightly as she surveys the room.

Everyone's managed to get the idea— run for safety and find protection. Four's voice rings through her ears, and when she finally confirms that the last person is gone, she moves to quickly aid her sister. Bringing her chakram out, she readies her stance, charging the weapon as it glows a red hue. ]

Four!

[ Only a few feet behind her, she calls out her name as a forewarning before she throws the chakram forward, her target being the monster attacking for the barrier rather than her sister. ]

[virginous]

[ One's order has her moving quickly, closing her mouth in response of her name and stopping the song. Jumping out of the way just in time for the chakram to rush past her, implanting itself into the monster as soon as the barrier disappears. ]

You got it! [ There's a sense of joy in her tone, immediately eyeing her sister before turning her attention back to the monster to watch it slowly crumble to the ground. She approaches it unafraid, staring at the creature before she lifts a foot to kick it's head to look for any sort of response.

There was none. ]

One nee-sama, it's dead.

[envisaged]

[ She stands fully, eyeing the body warily until Four confirms its death. She calms, walking over to retrieve her chakram from the corpse. ]

That's fortunate for us. I can't say the same for its earlier victim, however. [ She pulls the weapon out, looking down at the body before lifting the weapon up and striking down one last time. She doesn't want Four to get attacked, or anyone else, which is why she's being thorough.

Her attire is instantly splattered in blood, the stench of iron heavy. Despite the smell, she can only think about how a monster like that came into this place, and why it went unnoticed until now. She finally directs her attention from the body, to Four. ]

Are you all right?

[virginous]

Disgusting...

[ Because it's not human, after all, and it also had gone out and attacked someone for no reason at all—at least, no reason that they were aware of, at least. It was their duty to protect humans as Intoners, after all, at least those who wouldn't defy them.

She pauses, saying a silent prayer for the person that was killed by the beast they had slain before looking up to One and nodding. ] I'm fine, we both did so well... but are you okay?

[ Because of everything that happened. All the screaming and the stench of blood must have been agonizing for her. ]

[envisaged]

[ Her expression remains firm, brows furrowing lightly in that moment of silence. It feels wrong to simply leave the corpse up there in the vents, mutilated like that. But she has to decide what to do, where to start, and what to question, first.

She glances towards the vent, then back to her sister. ] I'll be fine. Don't worry. [ Now that the screaming stopped, she is. The smell is still horribly overwhelming, and the way the blood sticks to her clothes and dampens it makes her want to writhe. At the very least, with the presence of Four here, it's slowly becoming bearable.

But that also means she can't exactly express her discomfort openly. Like the fact she desperately needs a change of clothes, or a change of scenery so she can think at least think clearly. ]

I've heard mention of private rooms within the back of the building. We can stay there for the time being until we decide on a course of action.

[virginous]

[ There's a feeling of delight apparent in her features, but in the bottom of her chest her head was screaming for some form of thanks or appreciation. Why was it so hard for One to do that!? Why was it that the one person that she wanted to be praised from couldn't do so to save her life? It agitated her to no bounds, but fortunately she was capable of keeping that under lock and key.

Because even though One didn't do it, she did. It's a trait of hers that even One cannot obtain. ]

Oh, I've heard of them, too. [ She nods energetically, stepping away from the body as security finally came. ] Let's get there quickly.

phase i

[unathletic]

[ This is definitely the worst part of parties - being dragged into being social when he.. generally isn't. He doesn't mind the atmosphere here entirely, somehow it makes him feel a little lighter and calmer, although it could also just be since his mind feels so woozy whenever he tries to think of the reason he's here, of how exactly he fought for CERES or whatever everyone is talking about.

So when Five speaks up to him, he glances (almost awkwardly so, although his face is pretty much a lineface for the most part) between her, the bar and the rest of the partying crowd for a moment or two. It doesn't seem like he's going to find any more quiet place anytime soon, so maybe his best bet is to just take this offer instead then. Maybe she won't turn out to be that annoying of a person, even if she definitely looks.. odd. And that's putting it very lightly.

So instead of just directly answering like any normal person, he's just staring for a moment with a slight frown. Don't mind him, obviously, even though he's being the elephant in the room right now. ]

[envisaged]

[ She wouldn't put it past him to think that, she's covered from the neck down, after all. Of course, it's all a precaution. She'd rather feel uncomfortable wearing her own clothes than overwhelmed touching someone's skin. ]

I see.

[ She sets her glass down gently, not minding the fact he's not answering like an normal person. She's used to interacting with far more ''normal'' people (her sisters), so she doesn't mind his behavior. She isn't going to push him to do it either, primarily because this is not her problem, so she'll let him do whatever he wants.

She turns to face the bar, deciding to read the labels on the bottles than face the crowd behind her. ] You're not used to gatherings like this. [ She states, looking at him for a confirmation. ]

[unathletic]

[ Of course, those sisters are the most normal of people.. a bastion of sanity, One's "family".

He doesn't walk away just yet though. Mostly since he's looking for answers. As weirdly light as he's feeling (for his standards while he's in the middle of this busy of a social gathering, anyway) there's still something that's a little too weird nagging at the back of his head. He can't entirely ignore it.

So even though he doesn't really care for small talk, maybe he can at least find something out by talking to someone here. Even if it has to be a girl this strange-looking. (Most people here are rather strange-looking, anyway, there's not even any opportunity to be picky.) ]

.. Yeah.

[ At least he honestly admits it. He could add that he doesn't even know how he got here, but it feels like playing his cards too early. He's used to dealing with shady stuff thanks to his younger years, so he knows not to show weakness too easily. ]

Is this usual for you? [ So maybe Heung Soo just needs to angle it so he might get answers out of her, instead.

(He's still not sitting down though. Awkwardly standing there is totally the way to have a conversation, what do you mean...) ]

[envisaged]

No. [ The last time she did any kind of celebrating was when One and her sisters arrived back after defeating the tyrant lords of the land. And by celebrating, she really means being forced to parade through the streets of her city atop a horse.

As an Intoner, she spent the lot of her time protecting and guiding her people as well her family. And before that, it was leading her sisters into battle after battle. With whatever free time she did have, it was spent in a vault reading countless books for the pursuit of knowledge. ]

Fortunately, it isn't. [ She tilts her head upward to look at the other, noticing that, yes, he's still standing. Since she already offered the seat, she didn't see much point in voicing it again.

The volume of the music and the strange odor coming from the dancing figures makes enduring this evening more of a task then it already was. She wants to cover her ears and find some place to be alone, but she sees no chance of that happening any time soon.

She keeps her expression even, doing her best not to frown. Although it's hard to try and look pleasant when you're squinting because the colors in this room are far too intense for her to handle.

One crosses her legs, turning her body to face the crowd behind her. ] ..You wouldn't happen to know what that is, would you? [ She makes a gesture towards the screen up in the corner nearest to them. ]

[unathletic]

[ He follows the direction of her gesture, his eyes falling on the screens that line the walls of the large room. ]

Television. [ But unlike a certain someone he's used to who might have been deadpan about the answer, there's a little more in Heung Soo's answer - a kind of question, or maybe just plain curiosity, as he looks back at the girl. Television is a pretty normal sort of thing for everyone, right? Especially if they're at a party like this with those things all over. But it's not like there's anything else she could have meant to point at, so he's just a little bit confused as to why it's apparently so unfamiliar to her. There's only a hint of it in his expression as he looks at One, though. ]

You don't have one at.. [ Heung Soo hesitates for a moment. He's not sure why, but just until the word came to mind, he didn't even think about the place he came from. Not much, anyway. It all felt so far away, like it didn't matter, even tohugh everything at this party is so unfamiliar to him compared to his house. Why didn't he realise before-- ] .. home?

[ But then again, even people without televisions should at least know what they are. No way someone wouldn't know. ]

[envisaged]

[ She stares at him evenly as he speaks. That slight shift in tone tells her that despite the fact they've all come here for one singular reason--to celebrate their victory, that there's still differences between them all. That man did mention having brought them here.. Her eyes lower, expression concentrated.

At the mention of home, she suddenly questions where his is. Suddenly, she actually bothers to notice what he's wearing. While she looks strange to him, he looks strange to her. ]

No... [ Her voice softens, but it's still loud enough to be heard through the music. ] ...We don't. [ He's acting like it's common information, that she should already be acquainted with the machine. So does that mean what she saw was 'common'? No, that doesn't make sense... it can't. She has to scratch that idea immediately. ]

Have you watched what was on that television?

[unathletic]

[ Is this chick from some hippie family, is that what's going on.. it sure would explain the strange outfit and the fact she doesn't even have a television at home nor seems to be very familiar with them. Weird parents sounds like the best thing to blame all of this on rather than something like different worlds that isn't even an option in his mind since it's not supposed to be real.

Her question makes him direct a small glance at the screen again before glancing back at her, lightly raising his shoulders into a shrug. ]

Commercials. [ From what he saw, anyway. ] So I didn't look much. They're the usual.

[ Except that they were speaking of this CERES group just like that guy -- but even from watching one he didn't get more information that actually made sense or filled in his hazy memories, so he just gave up on looking for information there.

He hasn't noticed the woman yet, apparently. ]

phase i

[teasing]

Hoh? If you insist.

[ in a sea of unfamiliar, nameless faces, finding someone that didn't look like they'd been sculpted out of clay by a half-hearted artist with clammy hands was a welcome sight. not that he'd been unnerved by any of it thus far; waking up with no recollection of how or why he'd arrived, with the lingering sense of something missing, senses dulled in confusion and that feeling of unabashed, vibrant happiness? business as usual, right?

only it wasn't, and Tyki knew it. but he'd played along, as he was wont to do - or had been wont to do? he couldn't remember - moving with the throng of writhing bodies, striking up conversation with the nearest passerby with a mere nod and a half-smile, inviting. he'd gotten little in the way of answers and he wasn't entirely sure if he should be frustrated or more intrigued by that. more importantly, he couldn't decide if he was motivated enough to ascertain the question weighing on his mind, smothered into obscurity by the sea of good drink and pleasurable company.

so for now he'd indulge. he'd enjoy himself, the food, the drink, the people, and he'd pick casually at the doubts swirling in his mind at his own pace.

the pursuit of his enjoyment had led him here, to the bar - to the woman in particular, more for the fact that she was alone (and vibrant? real? someone that didn't look like a carbon copy of everything else here) than anything else. not that he particularly minded socializing in large groups, but if he had to be perfectly honest small, intimate encounters were much more preferable to larger endeavors.

he considers easing out the packet of cigarettes on his person, the imagined taste of nicotine on his tongue real enough that he could swear he's already lit up this evening.

he decides against it.

moving smoothly onto the stool beside the woman, he gives her an acknowledging nod and allows his gaze to drink in the small details. water, it would seem. no part of her bared to wandering eyes. it was the sort of appearance of one who might not want to be approached.

perhaps another time, then. ]

That was quite the battle, wasn't it?

[envisaged]

[ Even if it depends on her company, she doesn't mind socializing. For extended periods of time, yes, but a lot of her reasons as to why are simply because she's rather sensitive to smell. To touch, sight, taste, sounds, making this celebration, she's found herself participating in, more of an awful headache than anything.

The way she's dressed (covered from the neck down) is just one of the many ways she's learned to deal with her side-effect as an Intoner. Which is part of the reason why she's in the least flashy part of the place, her plain drink, and more importantly, away from the crowd of people that don't resemble any humans she's seen before.

She reads the labels of the bottles ahead of her easily, mind drifting back to the woman she had seen moments before. When he actually addresses her, she doesn't seem to notice. Only when she snaps out of her thoughts does she look at him. ]

In the sense that the odds were seemingly against us... I can agree. [ She has no time to decide whether playing along is a good idea or not, but she does it anyway. Maybe she can get some information out of him, or at least get a second opinion on this place. ]

We've helped to obtain Cerealia's first victory, hopefully one of many.

[ And despite knowing nothing about Cerealia, she finds herself saying that with some genuine content. ]

[teasing]

Hoh? So you actually remember the fight?

[ he could have kept the game going a bit longer, had them both dancing around each other without any significant reveal or any progress. they could both pretend they knew what had happened - her more than he, unless that interest, that pride in their efforts was genuine - or they could end things now and be honest with each other.

honesty. the thought made him laugh, though he did his best not to let it show openly on his face aside from the thinly veiled smile of amusement he gave her. it was no more entertained than it was generally pleasant, as though he was honestly enjoying her company. it wasn't far from the truth, exactly. ]

You seem distracted. [ he lets rests his elbow on the bar counter, props his chin on his hand. his gaze moves over her again, studying, before snapping up to her face once more, chased by a warm, albeit slightly knowing smile. ]

Or is this just not your sort of party?

[envisaged]

[ She looks away, brows furrowing. His question only makes her feel a sense of unease. And coupled with the not so pleasant sensations she's been having due to how loud and vibrant everything is, she wants to hold her head in her hands and simply sit in silence.

However, she can't. So she brushes those thoughts away, looking at him once more. ]

..Our leader, earlier, expressed his concerns over the brief chance of us having not paved a path to victory. I drew a conclusion from that alone. [ She admits, finding the word 'leader' to feel strange on her tongue.

She takes the time to watch him, studying him as well but only briefly. It's startling how easy it is for her to soak in every detail, but with her sight, it's a given. She takes a moment to rub her eyes (gently, with all her might she has to do it gently) before placing her hands down on her lap. ]

Truthfully, I'd rather be elsewhere.

[ She is distracted, yes, but she's not sure whether she should mention much of what is troubling her. ]

[teasing]

[ so she didn't remember either. at least, that's what was implied.

he echoes the sentiment. he's not sure where he'd rather be, but somewhere away from here sounds like a solid enough idea. perhaps with the people back in his memories, the ones that made him feel a distinct sense of "home" and "family".

but then that nagging feeling hits him again, the feeling that this was a peace he'd do well to enjoy since he'd fought so well for it - had he, though? - and he lifts up the glass presented to him, raising it in a mock toast to her before taking a sip. ]

Elsewhere? One of the private rooms, perhaps?

[envisaged]

[ She watches the glass, as it rises up and into the air. While not compelled to do the same, she decides to take a sip out of her own glass as her own way of joining in. She had come here to celebrate, didn't she? Somewhere, she answers yes, even if she's not enjoying herself as much as she should.

But even then it's still a bit daunting without her sisters. If one Intoner was here, surely the rest would be, that's how it always worked.. She eases out of her thoughts, brows lifting at his suggestion.

Honestly, that'd be the best piece of news (second to the actual reason why they're celebrating) she's heard since she arriving here. ]

If you would not mind.

[teasing]

Of course not. [ there's more on the tip of his tongue, more he wants to say but he decides against it. he knows where the rooms are, vaguely, and after draining the rest of his drink in a way that does not suit the gentlemanly air he's projecting at all, he gently pushes it aside and rises to his feet.

a beat, and he's offering her his arm. ]

Shall we, Miss...?

[envisaged]

[ She's not at all surprised when he downs the rest of his drink. And since she's already finished a good majority of her own, she takes her time with the rest. Once done, she follows suit, standing only a moment after he does. ]

One. [ She provides, after giving a brief look of hesitation at the offered arm. A second later, she smiles faintly. ]

Thank you, but there's no need.