Crankshaft Rafflesian: We're Past the Tutorial Thank God!

[A_Mi_Manera]

You've fumbled your way out of the hotel, eyepatch and coat and all sorted together roughly with your friend by your side. 



Dotty: So... you want to talk a bit more about earlier?
Lex: Ah you mean... I'm really sorry if that was weird at all.
Dotty: Not at all! Just thinking about everything. Tons happened today really fast.
Lex: I mean.. if you don't mind too much I wanna go somewhere a little low traffic for this.
Dotty: Nobody's paying attention.
Lex: No but... I wanna set a mood for this.
Dotty: Like that over there?

There's a set piece, an perspective based optical illusion replicating the set of an old fantasy film from decades ago you're sure you've seen before. They're popular among people who like taking fancy vacation photos.



Lex: Yeah, that'll do. 
Dotty: You seen this movie?
Lex: Mm? Maybe. Uhhh, the one about the queen?    
Dotty: Princess but technically she would be? She was monarch and she *was* married. 
Lex: Weird. Marketing?
Dotty: Absolutely. Don't want kids worried power will make them old and wrinkly. 
Lex: Huh.. kind of pretty to look at.
Dotty: So... fake though. There's another set behind it.
Lex: The buildings behind the moon sure are uncanny?
Dotty: Yeah... 
Lex: But... I kind of like it? One of those eldritch things you stare at and it's almost pretty... like... can I tell you some dorky stuff quick?
Dotty: Go ahead, that's why we're here and not getting you that giant glow stick right?
Lex: Well... I mean I'll get to uh....
Dotty: To the stuff from earlier?
Lex: It's relevant to it I guess. So you know I used to do a lot of witching?
Dotty: I mean I had your old outfit for it saved away liked you asked. Brought it because I didn't have anything else for you and I figured you'd be running too late to pack proper.
Lex: Yeah well... used to be some comforting stuff really. Didn't have too many close friends growing up or do good in school or anything so being good at something that felt personal like that got me through stuff..
Dotty: You didn't seem that lonely when we met.
Lex: Ehh well... I wasn't good with keeping contact with any of those friends. Used to everything like that being temporary, even as a kid. Sometimes I wanted to just cut any losses and run into the sunset until I ran into something that'd stick you know?
Dotty: Where'd you go?
Lex: I mean this is goofy but there used to be these tall fields in my old town... and they'd go into the horizon. Nothing at the end. Sometimes I'd wonder if I'd find some pretty warm place at the other end where the people never leave. Maybe become a hero, maybe live a life of quiet with a few good folks, maybe even find the devil at the end and live hapilly ever after.
Dotty: Why the devil?
Lex: When you're a dumb teen the devil is either the end of the world or some cute shithead with wings and a tie.
Dotty: You're saying you used to be one of those?
Lex: It told you it'd be dorky!
Dotty: It is! You still uh...

She pauses for a moment.

Dotty: You worried at all that we're going to drift?
Lex: God I hope not but I'm a nervous wreck about the idea sometimes.. I think this is different but... I get scared you know? 

She offers her hand. You grab onto it.



Dotty: So you used to do magic?
Lex: Yeah, I was a bit of a lonely kid so you messed with that. Messed with things you shouldn't, messed with things that end with getting hurt more than often.
Dotty: So uh... 
Lex: So I gave it up I guess... used to be big into forging decks and filling books with new spells and uh... sometimes stuff got weird.
Dotty: Weird like...?
Lex: Embarrassing weird. Weird stuff that led to a lot of bad dreams and being scared of the dark and taking to voices in my head til they became real I guess. Wasn't good for me really. One of those voices came back though. Like a second me who has their stuff together better than I do. Smarter, braver, knew how to do the things I wanted to do better than I did. You met them today though, met them proper.
Dotty: Uhh.... when?
Lex: Like... that wasn't me when... it's like... another voice. Like when we.. you know, leaned in like that and... I mean... I'm sorry if that was weird.



She starts laughing. 

Dotty: Are you kidding?! I'm glad you did! 
Lex: Really? I mean... I liked it but...
Dotty: We're dating! I want you to do stuff like that! I mean.... I didn't expect you to go for it the way you did, the second mouth's meant for shredding robots apart so.... It's brave, sweet, maybe just the right kind of crazy. 
Lex: Yeah? I mean... It wasn't me though so uh.. I mean I really did want to! Like, I've thought about it!
Dotty: Then... why don't you do it yourself?
Lex: ...Are you sure? Like really? Right now?
Dotty: I'm giving you all night to figure out how you want to do it but... right now's not bad. 
Lex: And if I don't make it happen?
Dotty: Then we try again tomorrow. It's not that bad when you know someone's willing to risk their face like that.
Lex: I've thought about it a few times before that. Someone else just had to make it happen.
Dotty: Yeah well, that's the first proper kiss I can remember. It's a big moment.
Lex: Let me just psyche myself up a bit. I want to keep tonight going good.
Dotty: Like I said, take your time. just you, me the three lost folks passing by, and some old movie set backgrounds.

There's clearly someone you forgot to count in the background.




Dotty: That wasn't there right?
Lex: Could be a local lizard?
Dotty: That's not what lizards look like around here. It's got a hat.
Lex: Yeah that's... someone's pet probably. 
Dotty: That kind of looks like a cowboy hat doesn't it?
Lex: I mean you're right. That set's not to scale s it's probably small.
Dotty: I think it's still like a good 12 feet tall. It could probably drop someone.
Lex: It's kind of cute. 
Dotty: Cowboys can't be cute.
Lex:  I wanna fight it.
Dotty: No.