DAY :33

[wille]

[ Fatigue is the clearest sense that bleeds through when she opens the link, but it's not dwelled upon, just an old bedfellow grown familiar. In contrast, Misato tries her darndest to seem nothing but determined, confident, enthused. It's not a lie if she also believes it. ]

( Hey everyone. We've found a few things we can use to our advantage.

First, if you want to pander to the judges' preferences, you should go colorful, electric, violent, sexy and loud. It's no time to be shy. Miss Mystery hates forest green and wears shoes dipped in liquid metal. Saldo Saldo likes soft vore, shiny and over-the-top body modifs and, uhm, transformations, like ugly duckling turning into a swan stuff. Now Talius Rex loves exotic pets, the more human-like the better, exploit that, he also likes cute things and dressing them and himself up. You may have seen his pets around . . .

Sam has also found that the chips the competitors wear are tracking their vitals, location and they act as credit cards. We may be able to use this. I know we've got a few tech-savvy people out there.

Lastly, I've got some experience choreographing giant weapons, so talk to me if you want help with that.

We can win this! I know it! Let's do our best!! )
 

Comments

[wille]

( Hey, it's all about the ratings these days. Gotta make money somehow, huh? )

[somnifacient]

(The more extreme, the better? Maybe people need to start to appreciate the more simple things in life.)

[It's less of a complaint than it is a flippant response. It's still too early to tell what any of those descriptions really mean in context.]

[wille]

( Excitement is like a drug. You start wanting more and more )

[ But listen to her, philosophical musing has rarely been her strong suit. ]

( Are you in or out of the tournament? )

[somnifacient]

(Excitement makes me tired.)

[It would be a joke if not for how true it is.]

(I'm in, along with three others.)

[wille]

( You're a bit too young to be so tired. )

[ She'd say the same even if he's 50. ]

( Ready to win this for us? )

[somnifacient]

(Age and energy levels don't have much of a correlation for me.)

[At least he's self-aware of this fact.]

(And I'm definitely going to try. Just wish I knew exactly what I was getting into.)

[He had... assumed this might have been a combat tournament. With these new "preferences" coming to light, he's starting to wonder, now.]

[wille]

( Age and energy-- I can't believe you just said that with a straight face.

I think we all feel the same way more or less, and I'm not talking about the tournament. )

[somnifacient]

(It's not like everyone's built the same. I'll put in the effort when it's required, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy sleeping in now and again.)

[If it feels like he's had this conversation in the past before... it's because he has.]

(Right. I'm still not sure I've managed to wrap my head around this whole hivemind situation.) [A beat.] (No pun intended.)

[wille]

[ Coming from her, the woman with apparently endless and near-inhuman levels of stamina, it's not much of a chiding. ]

( I'll give you a free pass for that terrible pun cause you're new. )

[ That is totally a pun, Noctis. ]

( How are you holding up otherwise? Need any help? Guidance? )

[somnifacient]

[It wasn't a pun! At least not one made on purpose.]

(Still trying to figure out this whole mental communication thing, without letting everyone else into my head.) [Or worse, letting his own emotions spill out all over the place, but he leaves that part unsaid. Case in point: she can probably feel his uncertainty radiate out in a big wave upon bringing up the idea.] (Any suggestions?)

[wille]

( Practice, practice, practice. )

[ She lets his uncertainty roll over her, letting it pass untouched. It's fine, she has fielded worse from others. ]

( I'll work with you, we can help each other. How about, once we get out of this mission alive? )

[somnifacient]

[It's good, because the uncertainty doesn't stop; it's less an assault than it is a low tide, creeping in occasionally, and receding with equal frequency.]

(Sure. I'd be pretty prideful to think I can handle all of this myself, and to turn down someone willing to play instructor for awhile.)

[wille]

( I'd call it fellow student rather than instructor.

What's your name again? )

[somnifacient]

(Noctis Lucis Caelum.)

[What a mouthful.]

(And you?)

[wille]

[ If we're doing it that way. ]

( Fancy name. Katsuragi Misato. Misato's fine. )

[somnifacient]

[Noctis doesn't think it's "fancy"; then again, he's lived with this name for thirty years, so.]

(Some could say yours is just as fancy, too.

But all right. Just Misato, then.)

[wille]

( I never said mine isn't. )

[ There's amusement there, wry, like a tired old joke. He doesn't know, and she finds herself unwilling to explain unless asked. ]

( But Latin is a whole other thing. Nice to meet you, anyway, Noctis? )

[somnifacient]

(Unlike any I've ever heard before, at least.)

[Latin, though? A question rises in his mind, probably felt on her end. There's no Latin in Eos, and therefore he has no context regarding what she's referring to. FF character naming conventions, why]

(Nice to meet you. Let me know if you find anything else out about these judges.)

[wille]

[ grips your hand, what are normal names even ]

( Good luck. You'll be needing it. )