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Okay. I will attempt to keep any food poisoning at a minimum.

[pauses, then grins]

Aw... Well, then, we can hurry so it doesn't get cold. Or stolen by seagulls.

I'll be really brave about my future stomachache.

[ ... the face of someone who did not entirely think about seagulls. ]

If the seagulls got to it we're just eating ramen.

[ By the grace of the dice lords the seagulls do not get to it (17) and the plates are still covered when they get upstairs. Look, he may have stolen a table and some chairs from the lounge and brought them up there for a seaview. The tablecloth has decided to come up but other than a quick straightening out of it -]

[ Picture perfect meal!! So he'll let go over Gingham's hand to uncover the plates of: marry me chicken, garlic parmesean mashed potatoes, and roasted greenbeans. It doesn't look bad!! It looks very good except he seems to be realizing something with a groan - ]

- I forgot drinks.

Ramen is good! I like ramen.

[but as they make it up there and he opens the plate]

—But not as much as this. You are not allowed to feel bad about forgetting drinks, this looks great. Seriously. How long did it take you?

You mean the ramen that's been on the menu for over two weeks? Pass.

[ looking sheepish, shrugging again. ]

Not as long as you'd think given I've had a couple weeks of getting used to making food for six people.

Well, regardless of how long it took - I bet it's delicious.

[taking a seat]

And if it's not, don't say anything.

[ He jokes and takes his own seat. At least he's starting to look a little less sheepish. ]

Did you manage to make any wishes come true yesterday?

My lips are sealed.

Maybe one or two. How about you?

[ scrunches his face up in thought ]

Nah, don't think so.

[ but he doesn't seem that bothered when he takes a bite ] It was just nice to have a day without something weird happening? Not that the strings weren't weird, but they beat nightmare mermaids and vision ladies appearing.

[ -probably shouldn't have said the last part ]

[tilts his head]

Wait - someone from your visions is here? Who?

[ wincing slightly ]

Just this lady. She's appeared in most of them? Well, I don't know about the newest one yet... but if it's more stuff about the Witches Road then probably.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, what's she like?

[ He hesitates. It'd be really easy to lie. He's always lied about things being fine, but this is Gingham. He's been trying not to lie - especially after the nightmare. He makes a face. ]

I don't know.

[ He settles on after a moment, waving a hand. ]

I mean - if they're just visions that don't mean anything - whoever she is there isn't who she is here, right?

[ Except he doesn't think they're meaningless. ]

I mean - probably, yeah, but would it be a really bad thing if she was similar...? I mean, did she do something wrong in any of your visions?

Not sure I can judge whatever she might have done when I'm pretty sure the kid in my visions has done bad things, too.

Okay, so that's not a no...

[ he should lie??? he should Lie. god damn his desire not to lie to gingham. and also dice rolls of 19, ]

It's complicated.

And before you freak out, I already told Forte. I showed him one of my visions... but I'm kind of almost positive she's like some serial killer.

[almost blurts something out but then pauses]

...Okay. I'm not freaking out. Not at all. Totally calm.

[takes a breath!! totally calm!!]

And - I'm not judging her, because I do agree it's not very fair to do that based on visions that may or may not have a lot to do with us, but... I just want to make sure she didn't hurt your vision person. Or, that you didn't get a vision of being hurt without me realizing it.

[ wincing more ]

I mean. The kid in my first vision almost died after being impaled by glass that I'm pretty sure was a fire demon and not her. Or the fire from the fire demon.

[ ...things he had not told gingham about before, actually, ]

[ but really quickly, ]

She took care of him after that, though. Like I could tell she was really worried... but I guess something happened and they stopped playing nice with each other? I think that's the best way to describe it. I don't think she's like done anything to him yet, they need each other to get through the Road.

I don't know; I don't have a lot of context and I haven't taken the other vision yet.

Edited 2024-12-30 03:47 (UTC)

[mutters to himself]

Not freaking out, not freaking out...

[but more importantly]

Okay, so... They were working together at one point, and it seems like she cared about him, but then you got another vision where that wasn't the case anymore?

Can I be there when you watch it?

Hey. I'm right here? So even if - [ A beat, ] Even if they are real, some way, it doesn't change the fact that I'm right here.

[ He tries helpfully and reaches out a hand for his in solid proof even if he kind of glances away and makes a face. ]

... I thought about asking you, because I know you were worried? But I also know, like just from how everyone responded during the last performance to even a little bit of information from it... whatever happens in my visions isn't like - very good.

Which. No surprises there from what I've seen already.

[taking his hand easily]

I know you are. And I'm really glad, seriously. I'm more worried about the fact that you've been seeing some really hard stuff and I didn't realize. I mean, even if it's not very good - or, exactly because it's not very good, I don't want you to feel like you need to go through it alone.

I'm here, too, you know? I want to help. And I promise I'll do my best to keep calm and not make it more stressful.

[ He shakes his head. ]

Honestly, it just feels like taboo to talk about it? Personal. I can't talk about them with the Disorder or they get pretty bad - [ which fair, he knows Forte's aren't great either - ] So it's just been easier to take them alone.

We've never even talked about yours. [ he swallows, ] And you are helping, you help every day.

... Sorry, this wasn't a conversation we were supposed to be having.

I mean... Is easier also better for you?

I guess mine haven't come up, but I don't mind telling you about them if you want to know. [blinks, then shakes his head] No, it's okay - I want to talk about it. I mean, if you do. It doesn't have to be right now, obviously, but... Something to think about.

... Sometimes.

[ It's the closest he'll immediately get to his own feeling. One that he knows Gingham has a hint of, that it's easier to keep it in if it doesn't worry someone else. ]

I want to hear about it; I want to hear about everything important to you. Especially if something ever ends up bad for you and I really hope it doesn't. [ the treason... He breathes out, ] Maybe later? We can look at the board and hope it doesn't totally ruin the mood.

[ ... it might ]

Edited 2024-12-30 04:29 (UTC)

...Yeah. I hope he's okay, too.

[giving his hand another squeeze, though]

It doesn't have to be today if you don't want it to. I know you wanted, like, just one normal night. We can do that.

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