lusi | ( fjord's perma-catchall )

( molly's inbox )

[ Meeting up with Molly to go on their first real date is nerve-wracking. It doesn't matter that they have slept together already and are going about this backwards, Fjord still has butterflies in his stomach as he dresses in some island clothing for the excursion, a zippered hoodie and tshirt over his usual trousers and boots from home. It looks less "ready to fight" and more "ready to fight for prizes", which is the relaxed vibe he's going for.

Gods know he needs to at least fake being relaxed on the way to pick up Molly for their date so it can really settle in.

When he spies him in the city square, he waves. ]

Hey! Hi.

[ Aaand will go in for a quick kiss!! Nothing can keep him down today! All hands on deck for Date Day! ]

[ Molly heard 'fun' and doesn't know what the hell to wear for a date, so he's waiting in most of his normal clothes, even if his tops and coat have been replaced with a blue-green tunic and a sweater that looks like someone gave up halfway while knitting it. Molly's horns are as decorated as ever, but he's removed his rings and necklaces, and doesn't have his swords.

Thankfully. ]

Oh, hell-

[ He's kissed before he can finish and it makes Molly laugh slightly, wrapping his arms around the half-orc so he can kiss back. ]

I didn't expect this. A date, I mean.

[ Where did the other half of that sweater go ... ]

I wanted to take you on one as a, you know. As a couple.

[ Chin up, he looks pleased with himself, looping his arms around Molly for a hug that draws him in up for another kiss. ]

I think I found something you'll like. You excited?

[ Lost in the Astral Plane, stuck on a clothes line in Cognouza? ]

As a couple...

[ Molly repeats, as if tasting the word in his mouth. He does his best to temper his smile, but he meets that kiss with joy. ]

Very excited, love. Show me.

[ Molly's enthusiasm feeds Fjord's and he slips his hand into a lavender one with a happy squeeze, holding on as they walk toward the arcade. Any idle chatter about the house stops as they reach the street corner before the arcade and he steps behind Molly to cover his eyes. ]

Okay, no peeking. Walk forward until I say to stop.

[ The sounds coming from the wide open doorway are oddly musical, laughter of a crowd providing an undercurrent. ]

[ Molly chats about everything and nothing just to fill the time, but then they stop and he grins again. That kind of surprise, is it? ]

Alright.

[ He makes a big show of closing his eyes, and after the months here he trusts Fjord with his life. Not his pride, because jokes, but his life.

Once he hears the music and the blipping and blooping sounds his tail starts to sway in curiosity, spurred on by the laughter and people having a good time. Whatever it is, he's already enjoying it. ]

...can I look now?

Just a second, couple more steps ...

[ His hands fall away and he steps to one side. ]

Okay, you can look!

[ Ticket To Ride! blares out in neon over the arcade doorway, more mechanical lights glittering within as a fairground atmosphere grips the whole place. Claw machines, penny-pushers, ball-games, they and more are crammed into the artificial world of the arcade. ]

[ Molly's eyes open and at first he stares confusedly at the colorful surroundings, the carpet and the neon sign - but then that ruby gaze turn into full moons as it sinks in where they were. ]

It's a fair...

[ A strange, mechanic fair, but definitely a fair. Molly's both excited and smitten - Fjord thought of this? For them to enjoy?

Grinning, the tiefling bops the hexadin on the shoulder playfully. ]

Come on then, pick a game and I'll beat you in it!

[ Grinning widely, he smacks him back on the arm and heads inside. ]

Like hell you're beating me today!

[ The first machine that catches his eye is a big one with double controllers and bright buttons, a 2D fighting match. Perfect. Credits are being spent on good things today! ]

I'm going to pulverise you, Tealeaf.

[ He's picking the tiger-headed fighter!! ]

[ He's never seen any games like these, more used to trebuchet, shooting targets and knocking over cans. He's spent some time here, though, and it's a little less surprising every day to see random incomprehensible things.

Molly takes one of the controllers, trying to figure out how it worked. The game has a brief tutorial, thankfully, and then he looks at the people on the screen. They all look like some kind of human aside from the tabaxi Fjord circled, so Molly picks an angry-looking guy with weird pointy hair. ]

We'll see about that!

[ It is TIME to BUTTONSMASH!!! ]

[ BUTTONSMASHING!! He paid zero attention to the tutorial and bangs on every button until he figures out how to do two things, jump and ... ]

Ohoho! Eldritch Blast, bitch!

[ That's basically what the figure is doing. Cue Fjord firing as many as possible as he leaps madly around the screen. It's probably fortunate he can only fire three in reality and has the dexterity of a rock, if that would be the result. ]

[ Molly at least looked at buttons at the tutorial, even if the text didn't stay long enough, so his attempts starts at trying to follow those... but quickly evolves into just smacking buttons as well. ]

Bite me!

[ Why needs dexterity when you have Blink? This really did seem like a Fjord, which makes sense. His own character seems to be a monk with all the punching and kicking he's doing, and takes a lot of damage from the tabaxi before Molly figures out how to jump and avoid some.

Then KO appears on the screen and the tiefling isn't even sure who won. ]

Ah, shit.

[ It looks like Molly won, all that avoiding let him stay alive longer. The tickets that spurt out of the machine do so on the tiefling's side. ]

Keep those! If we collect enough we can exchange them for prizes.

[ Where next? Hmmm ... so many games! ]

Hah!

[ Molly teases, making a fistpump and then grabbing his tickets. He didn't see any fellow carnies anywhere, so it made sense that prizes would be given out some other way.

He looks around excitedly, and then grabs on to Fjord's sleeve and points him towards a strange game with balls. It seemed more like something they could do! ]

It looks like we're supposed to roll the ball and then it bounces into one of the rings depending on how hard or stylish the rolling was.

Of course you find the balls game.

[ Elbowing him on the way over, he takes up a spot and pays for their turns. The game isn't hard and he's overconfident, which makes it appropriate when his hand slips as he pushes the ball (12 dex roll, sob) and it barely rocks forward only to roll right back. ]

... I'm warming up.

Suuure you are.

[ Molly says with a wink, nodding to Fjord to continue with the other nine balls. Skeeball was the closest to the ball-on-bottles game the tiefling could see, and he's very much enjoying watching his date give it a try.

His date! ]

[ With his second roll (even worse, a nat 1) he manages to aim the ball right outside the game and hit the wall behind, wincing at the bang! ]

Okay, okay ... Calmly does it.

[ He manages to get the ball close enough to the lowest hoop but it doesn't go in (3, wow) and he gives the game an aloof look with hands planted on his hips. ]

Maybe this is rigged?

[ Molly laughs as the ball flies off, and snorts at the next miss. It looks like Fjord was kind of making some progress, though? (He's kind of expecting him to hit someone with at least one ball.) ]

It's quite possibly rigged, carnies do it all the time. However, I see nothing that could be rigged on it. It looks like you're just bad.

Well, help yourself to some balls, Mollymauk.

[ With a sassy tap from his device, he pays for Molly's turn and spreads his hands in a challenge. ]

Feel free to show me how it's done.

Oh, you know it!

[ He kisses Fjord on the cheek and then grabs his first balls - and then goes over to grab the actual ball to play. Measuring a bit, he rolls the ball (dex 12) and it almost makes the way to the bump for it to bounce, but was too slow.

Molly hmms at that and grabs his next ball, using more force this time. (5??) It bounces pretty well, but doesn't hit any of the rings. ]

Ah, fuck.

[ He has some balls left, so he goes for another, taking a moment to steady himself before he rolls it forward (NAT 20!). This time it's just enough speed and a perfect bounce, sending it right into the 100-labeled ring and making the machine ding happily. ]

HAH!

Holding back, I see.

[ He collects the tickets spurting out when that top score is achieved, handing them over with a stolen kiss of his own. Mwah. ]

Where next, overachiever?

Gotta make my lover look at least a little good!

[ Molly teases, giving Fjord a wink. Then he looks over the arcade again and sees someone dancing(?) on a strange mat on the floor in front of a screen. There's two extra ones near them, so of course Molly will head over to the DDR game. If balls and fighting were fun, surely dancing would be as well!

Especially since it looked like the other person was moving at extreme speed before getting their score and leaving. ]

[ Charming jerk! Fjord follows Molly as the tiefling investigates, eyes widening at the dancefloor game. ]

Are we supposed to go that fast?

[ He's gonna die. ]

I don't know...? It might start slow.

[ He gets on the little platform thing, looking at the plate-things on the floor curiously. Molly steps on one, and it lights up. ]

Oh, look!

[ Molly grins, excited and pointing to the one next to him. ]

Come on!

[ He trots up to tap-tap experimentally too, wondering how it runs without candles beneath the floor ... Wizard stuff, probably. Fjord activates his screen and it screeches music choices that have him blinking widely, swiping through.

He picks beginner mode, because skeeball was a lesson learned. ]

Okay, I think mine's ready.

( molly; first date )

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