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

[A_Mi_Manera]

The two of you, technically three, head off to bed pretty quickly. You're glad you came running to the bus in your PJs because you don't have to worry about borrowing a set off someone. You're both having rather vivid dreams tonight...... 




You're Dotty. You're dreaming... but your vintage construct brain doesn't really make up dreams. It just rewinds old memories to help you get your full sleep cycle. You don't mind this one. You're nice and settled into the leather seated booth of a local food joint filled with wrinkled uniforms and tired faces trying to end the day on a high note. You're among the ranks, a public duelist grabbing a bite after your shift with a newly found friend. You're pleasantly surprised this has gone as far as it has, getting the invite and even seeing her show up before you. 

Lex: Yo, really glad you made it.

Dotty: Yeah, same here. Didn't keep you waiting too long right? I mean I had paperwork to wrap up, didn't get to change out of my uniform before rushing over-

Lex: Don't sweat it, you're fine.

Dotty: You sure? I mean I should've asked for a number or something to tell you but-

Lex: You're fine, for real.

Dotty: Gotcha.

Lex: You're not like, nervous right?

You try to play it off.

Dotty: Nah, I'm all good. You?

Lex: All things considered? Yeah. A bit sore but yeah.

Dotty: You come out of work?

Lex: Nah, I duel. Went sparring today with some of the local circuit scrappies.

Dotty: Didn't you like... hurt yourself earlier?

Lex: Yep. I walk it off.

Dotty: You're crazy, for real?

Lex: I mean yeah, I'm not wasting the rest of my day because someone wanted to pick some beef.

Dotty: Strong.

Lex: Yeah what can I say.. 

Dotty:  If I got roughed up by some punk I'd go straight home and nap for the rest of the day. You just got scuffed on campus, patched back together, and then put on your game face right after. 

Lex: Practically indestructible you know? Can't keep me down?

Dotty: Really think that?

Lex: I'm here, means nobody's managed to do me in.  So uh.... you've barely eaten anything.

She narrows her eyes toward your food.

Dotty: Ah! Yeah I mean... I'll get to it.

Lex: Get to it soon, shit'll get cold.

Dotty: If it gets cold I'll ask for a takeout box and eat it at home.

Lex: It's burgers and fries, doesn't reheat well.

Dotty: Yeah well... I'm taking my time.

Lex: What a waste, poor fries didn't deserve to go out that way.

Eventually you do get to it.  Lex wrap up with her own plate. She takes sips from a cup that's got nothing but fragments of droplets left. She looks over like she's trying to prompt something but struggling right now. You make your move.



Dotty: Sooooo... what's the deal with the lens?

Lex: These? 

Dotty: Mmhmm! Cosmetic?

Lex: Corrective. I'm just a little near-sighted.

Dotty: Wee bit?

Lex: Hella more than wee bit, been fussing with insurance to get some repairs work.

Dotty: Didn't know they did custom jobs like that for prescription glasses. Kinda reminds me of some of the stuff... what were they called, the folks who talk to ghosts?

Lex: Ah... well.. I mean I'm a bit of a coat on the side.

Dotty: Coat?

Lex: Like... you know witches?

Dotty: I know of them?

Lex: Kind of a sub-branch really. Little bit paladin-core, little bit on the supernatural enthusiast side. Pushing the good energies in and cleaning out the bad vibes. 

Dotty: So like... you see auras or dead people? Something like that.

Lex: I mean no, I want that but uh... nah.. I can do a pretty good reading though if you want, find the card that's most you.

Dotty: Oh?

Lex: Yeah, don't have my deck on me but next time if you're up to do this some more I can set you up. Once you got your main arcana you got a anchor to keep you safe.

Dotty: What's yours? 

Lex: XX, The Aeon. 

Dotty: What the fuck is a Aeon?

Lex: It's like...a measure of time. I think. 

Dotty: Weird. 

Lex: I'm sure you'll get a cooler one than that.

Dotty: Why's that?

Lex: I dunno. You got a very VIII vibe. 

Dotty: What.

Lex: Like... I dunno. You're tall, you got a long ponytail, you're you don't mind me rambling so much.

Dotty: Gonna take a page from you and say don't sweat. Wouldn't be here if it bugged me.

Lex: You know what? You're right. You got stuff to say too though right? Like, I don't wanna hog all the talk.

You shrug at her.

Dotty: Don't have all that much going on outside of work.

Lex: Nothing? No hobbies? Friends? Troubles to yell about?

Dotty: Ehh.... I'm boring. I just go to work, go home, curl up with a book, and spend weekends 

Lex: You're not.... seeing anyone are you?

Dotty: Nooooooo..?



She smirks at you.

Lex: I'm gonna drop you a proposition. One I think you're gonna like.

Dotty: Bring it. 

Lex: I'm gonna take you out on a date.

Dotty: Oh shit what? Like now?

Lex: Now.

You have work tomorrow morning... but this sort of thing doesn't seem to come up often. You can risk it. Coffee will carry you. You're gonna play along with it, escalate it a little even.

Dotty: Alright, what's the catch?

Lex: No catch.

Dotty: I'm gonna have to put a pin in this for now because I'm gonna counter your little proposition with a few little adjustments.

Lex: Go on.

Dotty: I'm taking you on a date. You pick the spot, we get dessert after.

Lex: I need a sweetener here to really get it going. 

Dotty: Yeah?

Lex: I want a second date.

Dotty: We... we haven't even finished the first?

Lex: As a act of goodwill, I'm counting this right now as our first date. You can buffer it to another day, and that'd be a second date. You could keep this date going. Your call there. But I demand.... you walk me home.

Dotty: Hand holding included?

Lex: Optional. But... I think you've made up your mind on that.

She's giving you the smuggest grin possible. You're trying to turn this around but it's starting to crash down. 

Dotty: I want compliments-

Lex: You're cute. 

Dotty: Your face is cute.

Lex: I know, we got something in common.

Fuck. You fumble around mentally to think of a comeback.

Dotty: Yeah well.. 

Lex: You're making out of this pretty good yeah? You got anything else you gotta drop in? 

Dotty: We're supposed to take turns on this aren't we?

Lex: I got to know that a few nice word melt you. You've given me the biggest thing of all, power. 

You wheezed in a horrible frankenstein cocktail of a laugh and a played up gasp filtered through the most old tin quality windpipe ever heard.

Lex: Did that noise come out of you just now? Oh my god!

Dotty: Look-

Lex: That's cute! 

Dotty: No! You're horrible! We're going on that date now, fuck you!

Lex: You're not getting a take out box?

Dotty: We're asking at the front! God! You're a nasty chaos worm in a costume!

She laughs a little before the confidence she just had flushes down. 

Lex: Are you actually okay? Like.. just to make sure we're all good here? Didn't push any buttons too hard right?

Dotty: Yeah, no, I'm goofing with you too! For real, like.. I'm up for this! 

You ask for a takeout box at the front register. They provide you with a paper bag, close enough. Your date refills her drink before catching up. 

You've nabbed yourself a hell of a challenge here, one you don't think you could have prepared for going into today.

 You got plans to fulfill the whole deal, second date, walking home, down to the word and every interpretation of it.... and if it goes well... maybe renew things for the longer term. You absolutely milked the hand holding clause that day for all it's worth. 




You're glad this one loops a ton, and you're glad that wasn't just a one off. You couldn't imagine having to handle something like today entirely alone.... You're still incredibly anxious about the duel however. Lex coming with you eases some stress but... Geezer is allowed to bring a second of his own. At least you won't have to disappoint his grandma by not remembering why you owe her this fight in the first place. 

You think a little bit about earlier when that odd lizard, that horrible little "pardner" as Geezer insisted it's called changed things around a bit. You were a very different creature, almost organic. You can't help but wish you got a little more time like that if only to know proper. 

You wonder what Lex and Jam are dreaming about, if they're dreaming at all right now.