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Entry tags:
Dreambucks Dating Sim(?!): Limited Edition
Who: Emet-Selch, Mei Lee, and a Bevy of Beautiful Boys (maybe)
Which: OPEN to friends and acquaintances (and innocent bystanders should you prefer it!)
Where: Dreambucks, five days later at high noon (backdated to ~August 10th or thereabouts)
What: In a half-hearted effort to help Mei overcome her unusual "ailment", Emet-Selch has agreed to take tea with her at Dreambucks and to invite a few of his more objectively attractive acquaintances. (Worry not, he's only here as a chaperone.)
Warnings: Cringe, regret, and secondhand embarrassment.
[The day is young; the wind is high. A small change of plans to begin what is certain to be a rather... unique experience, all told, has ushered Emet-Selch and his party indoors. Emet-Selch sits at a cafe table not terribly far from the entrance, positively bored as he pores over preliminary scheduling notes for his grand talent scouting venture whilst waiting for their guest of honor. The shadows beneath his eyes are more prominent than ever today, and he seems considerably older than his "forty-two" years. In other words, he's managing to look his age for once.]
[How this all came about, he still isn't completely certain. Perhaps at the time he was exceedingly exhausted and low on sleep (such as now), searching for anything at all to keep him focused and awake. Or perhaps in a lapse of judgment he saw this endeavor as a source of inspiration for an upcoming production - something whimsical about the struggles of life; a sentimental comedy. Or... perhaps a small, very small perfectionist-driven part of himself wished to help put an end to a young girl's peculiar affliction once and for all. "Stage fright" in the presence of others, broken focus, a tripped tongue. To have one's mind clouded is a tragedy, particularly when it would prevent one from reaching their full potential. And as it happens, Emet-Selch knows well how important it is to be able to make oneself understood when in the company of others - yet this is hardly the time for an origin story.]
[Emet-Selch lets out an exaggerated sigh and his hard gaze pins itself to the first person who is unfortunate enough to make eye contact.]
I do hope the child does not overdress for the occasion. This is a common social gathering, not a wedding reception. I reiterated the fact several times, yet I'd be foolish to think she heard a word of it. She was too busy shouting about her "first grand step into the exciting world of adulthood".
[A sideways glance at the doorway.]
Which: OPEN to friends and acquaintances (and innocent bystanders should you prefer it!)
Where: Dreambucks, five days later at high noon (backdated to ~August 10th or thereabouts)
What: In a half-hearted effort to help Mei overcome her unusual "ailment", Emet-Selch has agreed to take tea with her at Dreambucks and to invite a few of his more objectively attractive acquaintances. (Worry not, he's only here as a chaperone.)
Warnings: Cringe, regret, and secondhand embarrassment.
[The day is young; the wind is high. A small change of plans to begin what is certain to be a rather... unique experience, all told, has ushered Emet-Selch and his party indoors. Emet-Selch sits at a cafe table not terribly far from the entrance, positively bored as he pores over preliminary scheduling notes for his grand talent scouting venture whilst waiting for their guest of honor. The shadows beneath his eyes are more prominent than ever today, and he seems considerably older than his "forty-two" years. In other words, he's managing to look his age for once.]
[How this all came about, he still isn't completely certain. Perhaps at the time he was exceedingly exhausted and low on sleep (such as now), searching for anything at all to keep him focused and awake. Or perhaps in a lapse of judgment he saw this endeavor as a source of inspiration for an upcoming production - something whimsical about the struggles of life; a sentimental comedy. Or... perhaps a small, very small perfectionist-driven part of himself wished to help put an end to a young girl's peculiar affliction once and for all. "Stage fright" in the presence of others, broken focus, a tripped tongue. To have one's mind clouded is a tragedy, particularly when it would prevent one from reaching their full potential. And as it happens, Emet-Selch knows well how important it is to be able to make oneself understood when in the company of others - yet this is hardly the time for an origin story.]
[Emet-Selch lets out an exaggerated sigh and his hard gaze pins itself to the first person who is unfortunate enough to make eye contact.]
I do hope the child does not overdress for the occasion. This is a common social gathering, not a wedding reception. I reiterated the fact several times, yet I'd be foolish to think she heard a word of it. She was too busy shouting about her "first grand step into the exciting world of adulthood".
[A sideways glance at the doorway.]
no subject
The newspaper went down and she selected the yummiest-looking biscotti before she rose. Crunching away at her newfound treat, she... seems to have lost something and snooped around the table perhaps to find it.
This, naturally, was the perfect opportunity to select her new seat and check under the honey jar, the sugar bowl and the saucer to Emet-Selch's teacup.]
...Mm. Nope. Not here, either. I just can't seem to find your goal in this.
no subject
[He regards her with a frown.]
I imagine your undercover work has thus far proven fruitless, seeing as you've already seen fit to reveal yourself.
[Not that her identity wasn't obvious from the beginning, but minor details.]
no subject
You burned for company. Respite from a spot of babysitting.
[She leaned to be shoulder-to-shoul... eh... shoulder-ish.]
You could have waved, or crooked a finger. A coquettish tip of the chin for the sake of this experiment.
no subject
[Respite, however, he would accept... yet this is Madhuri, and he knows from experience that whatever she has in store is likely to be even more exhausting than Mei Lee's comparatively more innocent (if more excitable) banter.]
[Shoulder-ish, given he leans his six fulms and 4 ilms of height away from the contact and crosses his arms over his chest.]
And why should I expend the energy when your curiosity would have gotten the better of you eventually? What do you want, Madhuri? If this is about the Exarch, know that he volunteered, and that I am only borrowing him.
no subject
Boys' Club. I see. You intend to flood poor Mei.
[She propped her chin on her knuckles and peered up at him. So tall, so gods-damned tall.]
Hmhm~ Raha's a big boy and can take care of himself, I think. But my horns, they can sense when something is amiss. Mei is but a girl trying to figure herself out and she perplexes you.
[The smile widened.]
You've had sons but no daughters, I take it?
1/2
[He glances down at her from over the rim of his cup.]
Certainly preferable to her attempting such a thing on her own, I should think. There'll be far less chance for her to lose focus. She might even surprise herself.
And. I get my tea break.
[That last bit is sarcasm, no doubt.]
2/2 edited for timely garlean family lore dump :')
[Well, it isn't as if it's any great secret. A quick perusal of the history books or old Unity Day clippings will grant anyone who knows where to look the answers they seek. (Not that he truly wishes to discuss his parenting experiences, nor relive the events that followed, however.)]
...nay. If it's Solus of whom you speak, he never sired any daughters. Only two sons.
[Though that doesn't necessarily mean he's entirely clueless when it comes to women. She would be right, however, in her assumption that Mei's behavior utterly baffles him.]
here we go.
[A slight cant of her head.]
That name again. Should I know a Solus, however...? I'm afraid my time in the Steppe has left me utterly bereft of much of the goings-on outside. I'm still years behind, even in my present life among my comrades.
no subject
[Private joke. In response to the rest, he gauges her words before answering.]
As to the latter, if you've never before heard of the name, you may consider yourself rather fortunate indeed. For the purposes of this conversation, however, you may think of it as my previous line of work, a pet project over half a century in the making.
It's only too bad that I was called out of my retirement early. I should have liked a much longer respite.
no subject
Huh. A retiree. Does he ever get tired of being compared to a grandpa? She bet he does.]
Aw. I could always make you a 'welcome to retirement' cake. Perhaps you do have your duties you would see fulfilled, this dream land does offer plenty of opportunities for the finer things in life:
Coffee dates. Slapping world-eating beings across the nose for being naughty and trying to nibble on your star. Naps.
[She gestured to Hythlodaeus.]
Old friends.
[She casually selected a trio of sugar cubes from the bowl and proceeded to juggle them.]
...Naps with old friends.
no subject
[And yes, he can see exactly what it is she's trying to do, though what it matters to her specifically quite continues to boggle him.]
And settling the score with a world-eating being sounds a great deal like work if you ask me. Even now I'm nearly as busy as I was before with even less time for sleep. I'd hardly call this a retirement at all.