IC Inbox: cerealia

[shacklebreaker]

"You've reached Simon Blackquill. Leave a message if you are so inclined -- but be brief."

[ AUDIO | VIDEO | TEXT ]

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[psycholawgy]

[ continued from here. ]

[ She's getting a bit more stressed out and ends up missing a couple shots, making her lead smaller and smaller by the second. Her self-confidence gets lower and lower by the second, too.

This is really stressful, okay?! ]

[shacklebreaker]

[The timer is ticking down; they only have about thirty seconds left. And there goes Blackquill, scoring another shot.]

Come, Athena, where's that luck of yours from before?

[psycholawgy]

[ Eventually, she just gets desperate and shoots as many balls as she possibly can. Some go in, some bounce back. It's a 50-50 thing. ]

It wasn't luck!

[ Or was it??? ]

[shacklebreaker]

I told you, the game is rigged, so your early shots were all flukes.

[He manages to land a few more shots, and when he has a chance to finally surpass her score...

...He pretends to fumble the ball, missing the hoop, just in time for the timer to end the game.]

Blast it all. It seems you win this one.

[psycholawgy]

[ She's too overjoyed to hear whatever discord came out of that, and she starts jumping up and down and pointing fingers at the robot and then at Simon. ]

Did you guys see that?! Defense is the way to go!

[shacklebreaker]

Yes, yes, I concede my defeat... How truly shameful. [He'll just let her enjoy the victory, since she's none the wiser.]

You get to choose a prize, as well.

[psycholawgy]

[ YEAH TOTALLY GRABBING A TEDDY BEAR NOW. It's even wearing a suit and a top hat! Cutest shit ever.

And totally bringing it up right in front of Simon's face. Or as close as she can to it, anyway. Why does Simon have to be a giant... ]

Look at how cute this is!

[shacklebreaker]

Oh, he's a dapper gent. [+1 approval in your teddy bear tastes!] You'll have to think of a fitting name for him.

[psycholawgy]

I'm open to suggestions.

[shacklebreaker]

What about Kuma?

[Does your Japanese vocabulary go this far, Athena? Don't disappoint him.]

[psycholawgy]

[ UNFORTUNATELY, HE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED. All she's learned so far is how to write in Katakana!! And "senpai". Questionable things, ok... ]

Is that Japanese for something?

[shacklebreaker]

It is indeed. Why don't you ask your roommate, when next you see her?

[Homework assignment!! Because telling her would apparently be way too easy.]

[psycholawgy]

[ She can't do it herself with both her hands playing with the bear, so she just moves the bear's arms and have its... sausage arms... hands... bounce against each other. ]

Right on! I'll do just that.

[shacklebreaker]

Your new friend seems just as eager as you are.

[She seems happier now after that bumper car fiasco, anyway, so he'd call that a success. He looks around at the other stalls.]

Anywhere you'd like to go next?

[psycholawgy]

[ She's taking it as Simon having fun too, and that's why he wants to go around the stalls as well. ]

I dunno, it's your turn to pick. So... do it! Don't be shy.

If you want some churros or some cotton candy, I can totally treat you, too.

[shacklebreaker]

The only carnival food ever worth procuring is Samurai Dogs, and I fear they are not in supply here.

[Are Samurai Dogs even a thing any more? After seven years, he can't keep up with you youngins and your new trends. For now, he leads her away from the basketball stall, looking at the other games on offer.]

Why don't we try our hand at this one?

[... It's a hook-a-duck game, because of course he'd choose that.]

[psycholawgy]

[ Coincidentally, the prizes are all plushies and figures of birds.

Coincidence, or not? Probably not at this point, right? ]

Only if you get to use the pole. I'll be taking pictures.

[shacklebreaker]

[Blackquill whistles for Taka, and the hawk swoops down to perch on his shoulder.]

Taka will see to it that you take no demeaning pictures. Won't you, my bosom buzzard?

[Taka gives a screech of what is probably assent. So much for no more hawk attacks...?]

[psycholawgy]

Wha- That is so unfair!

[ Walking over to talk to Taka, with her hands on her hips. ]

You need to let loose, Taka!

[shacklebreaker]

[Taka just cocks his head at Athena and blinks.]

...An admirable effort, but he does not respond to being lectured. Now, are you going to let me play the game?

[psycholawgy]

[ ... Widget is her friend. He'll take a picture anyway!!

She still looks pretty disappointed, though. ]

You picked it, so I won't stop you.

[shacklebreaker]

[Rude, Widget!! ... Not that Blackquill would actually really care if he did. He swipes his card to pay for the game, then grabs the pole for his first try. He pulls a duck out of the water, then turns it over to examine it.]

...Hmph. As to be expected, birds grant me far greater fortune than our previous game.

[It's a winning duck. Which means one down, two to go.]

[psycholawgy]

Wow!

[ BEHOLD, she is truly amazed! This is totally getting her absolutely excited, now. ]

You— I can't believe it! Hurry up, hurry up! Go get another one.

[shacklebreaker]

[This time, he forgoes the hook entirely, nodding to his hawk.] Go on, Taka. It's your turn to have a bit of sport.

[Sure enough, Taka swoops down and picks up another duck, dropping it into Blackquill's hands. Rules, what rules?]

...And another winner. Well done, Taka. [The hawk settles on his shoulder again, preening the water off his feathers and looking pleased with himself. Then Blackquill looks back to Athena, imploring her to undertake a task of the utmost importance:]

Care to find the final duck?

[psycholawgy]

[ WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED

YOU DON'T DO THAT IN A DUCK GAME... why... ]

I- I'm fine with just watching, thanks!

[ She'd probably run away and throw the duck at Simon if she didn't get a winning one, anyway. ]