WEEK FOUR MINGLE

[potatomance]

ᯓ⭐ WEEK FOUR MINGLE

Heya, lovebirds! You're entering the final week and things sure are... great.

Right?

Well, whether you're feeling great or not, you're going to find yourself looking your best in formal wear this week! Suits, gorgeous dresses, fabulously outlandish outfits, you name it, you're stuck in it. No sweatpants or lab coats for anyone this week. We have standards.

And we also believe in telling the truth, one way or another!

That's right, if you're asked a question, any question at all, no matter how innocent or dire, you are compelled to speak your most truthful answer. It could be who you think is the hottest in the castle. It could be your opinion on orange juice. Whatever it is, there is no longer a brain-to-mouth filter in place!

And maybe you'll figure that out and all decide to be merciful, but Riri will be popping up every now and then. And Riri? Riri will not be merciful.

Except for one thing, and that's a note in the main room that states simply: You all suck at this, so this week, our good ol' lesbian duo can now speak normally. You're welcome. ♥

FAQ ⭐ Truth Booth Voting ⭐ Mysterious Thing ⭐ Sex Dungeon ⭐ Perfect Match Voting

Comments

[hnl]

[And just like that, there's a flash of anger in Mithra's eyes, and he finds his legs encased in ice. He can't move, much less step back when the water turns into sharp points of ice, halting just before they can maim him.

He feels the instinctive spike of adrenaline, his body's response to danger. But Brenner has dealt with kids (or just one in particular) that's wanted to kill him and everyone around him in much more mangled, painful ways. So of course he just puts up his hands in a placating gesture, a pinch to his brow... but still a quirk to his lips.]

Come now, there's no reason to get so angry. Riri won't much appreciate you skewering me, you know.

[Well Riri might but. It's probably against the rules, anyway.]

[ozzz]

[He could do it. Compared to the large bones of massive magical beasts, the human skeleton is weak and small by itself. It would be easy to kill this man and move his body with magic. That way the corpse wouldn't miss the final ceremony.

But he can't risk it.

Mithra pulls himself out of the pool with his eyes narrowed in displeasure. He recites his spell and a powerful gust of wind sweeps past, drying him instantly.]

I don't care what that creature thinks.

[hnl]

[How's a corpse going to to vote for truth booth or make a decision on stage, Mithra.]

You care enough not to throw away those things that are so precious to you.

[A statement, not a question. Otherwise, he'd not be here.]

[ozzz]

[He can point.]

Preciousness has nothing to do with it.

[There are consequences, however, that he isn't willing to bear. He shoves his hands in his pockets. The ice melts in an instant and hits the pool with a splash, wetting the floor beside it.]

[hnl]

[And so Brenner steps back, his footing now free to do so.]

No one's here because they don't care about the things they've lost.

[ozzz]

What's your point?

[hnl]

My point is that you're driven to participate in this nonsense the same as us, for fear of losing what's been taken from you. And knowing what those things are reflects upon you as a person.

You shouldn't treat it as some great offense just because someone is curious. It's all a part of playing this game, and the fact you're still being surreptitious about it in week four is completely inane.

[ozzz]

[He purses his lips.]

Then ask me about them. But if you ask too much, I'll really kill you once the show is over.

[hnl]

Then tell me if I'm asking too much.

[Until then, he will definitely ask questions.]

Your master, what were they like?

[ozzz]

She was like a flower.

[He heaves a sigh, airy and cleansing. It releases most of the tension in his shoulders as he looks away from Brenner and leans into the fragmented memories.]

And a beast. She was a sexy, ravenous, wild woman who liked to dress flashily and come up with schemes for seducing powerful wizards. She herself was a powerful witch, but I was stronger, so she was like a little sister to me. She was always laughing or crying up a storm, and she never stopped talking.

[His hand brushes against his collar as it reaches up to rub his neck.]

She was annoying, but she reminded me of Spring.

[hnl]

[Brenner cannot know what it's like to have that kind of relationship with someone. Someone you respect and adore, but treat as a sibling all the same.

He understands Mithra's descriptions at a base level, but he cannot relate to them. Still, he isn't asking this for the sake of being relatable.]

And is she... no longer present in your life? You speak about her in the past tense.

[ozzz]

[His long fingers snake over his collar and rest against his neck. What is a sister, really? If he tries to come up with an image, though, it must be someone like her.]

No. She died ten or so years ago during childbirth.

[hnl]

I see. I'm sorry to hear that.

[So, in that case, the issue of her children rears its ugly head once more. This seems to be a very sensitive topic for Mithra, though he cannot imagine why.]

Do you feel responsible? For the children she left behind.

[ozzz]

[He glances at Brenner, expression unchanging. What an unnecessary apology.]

I do. They're weak wizards who don't understand what the world is like. If it weren't for me, they'd have turned to stone several times by now.

[hnl]

[Condolences are necessary, even if Mithra feels nothing from it. Brenner might be a villain in his tale, but he is not necessarily the one who struggles with empathy. Just the one who shows his care in not wonderful ways.]

So they're your charges now.

[ozzz]

Something like that, yes.

[Because they'll die if he isn't there to hurl a poisonous frog from their hands. They'll die if another magical being breathes in their direction. And they might die if they continue traipsing around wherever Riri sent them.]

[hnl]

[Help. They sound competent.]

Well. Imagine that. We do share something in common, other than believing we're not suited for each other.

[ozzz]

That's a commonality shared by most of us. It doesn't mean anything.

[hnl]

Most, not all. But you're assuming I'm trying to pry any "meaning" out of it in the first place. It's just surprising to me, thinking of you as a caretaker.

[ozzz]

I'll have you know that I'm quite good at it.

[Never mind that he forgot about them for 15 years. He's making up for it now.]

[hnl]

[Brenner has ZERO room to criticize...]

Well, according to everyone here, it's hard to judge your own parenting skills.

[ozzz]

It doesn't matter what others think. They don't get to choose how I live.

[Of course, the same applies for them. They can live however they want. Mithra doesn't care.]