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[wheft]

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[wheft]

Hmm.

Write a love poem and read it out loud to me.

[astrolabium]

Don't judge me if it's lacking. I do not have any experience in love.

[ now............. ahem. ]





For as grand as the cosmos may be
Clusters of radiant stars and faraway galaxies
Distance between constellations are but a meager breadth
Failing to capture the affections of my heart's depth

[wheft]

[ ........wow. ]

Could've fooled me. I'm no expert in poetry either, but it's nicely written. It's very... you?

[ because of all the stars and constellations talk. ]

[astrolabium]

[ mona usually puffs up and demands more of it when she's praised, but... ]

Thank you. Though, now I realize why I've heard others say sharing their poetry is embarrassing... It's a little raw, isn't it? Oh, well.

Truth or dare?

[wheft]

[ she can just ask for it, damn......... ]

It's raw, but that's a good thing. It only shows that you mean business.

Anyway, truth.

[astrolabium]

[ she wants to be praised for her genius!!! not silly poetry okay ]

If you had to get a tattoo today, what would it be?

[ since mona had a few star-shaped ones prior to waking up in the resort, she's curious. ]

[wheft]

Oh, good question. I've met plenty of sailors with tattoos myself, but I've never really thought about getting one.

I guess... It'd be some compass, and I'd put it on my back? Or my side, maybe.

[astrolabium]

Was there any particular reason why? Regardless, it will have to be special if it's to be the first.

And I do quite like a compass as a design. It's fitting.

[wheft]

It just hadn't crossed my mind, is all. You can opt to get enhancement tattoos for a little boost of strength, but I couldn't afford it at the time. Most sailors would usually get one because of that, and it's also a way to set yourself apart from the rest.

[ back then, ishmael hadn't known who she was or what she'd wanted in life. but now... ]

And thanks. Can't go out on a journey without one.

[astrolabium]

[ those descriptions give mona pause. she has to remind herself that the bits of information and such she has discerned from ishmael through her powers have revealed how unique ishmael's world is. it's as if everything is purposed for combat.

if mona had originally hailed from there, would the stars inked into her thigh and stomach have strengthened her, too? ]

Tattoos are expensive in every universe, it seems. I do hope that you'll have the opportunity to get yours, whether it be for a boost of strength or aesthetics.

For my turn, I will go with 'truth'.

[wheft]

[ she will, though - in another life. but that's neither here nor there. ]

What is your most toxic trait?

[astrolabium]

[ silence for fifteen seconds... ]

I suppose I can be, in some instances, a bit cavalier.

[wheft]

...Huh. That's hardly toxic. I was expecting something far worse than that.

[ like, don quixote-levels. ]

[astrolabium]

Well, I do try and be reasonable as an astrologist. What toxic trait were you anticipating I had?

[wheft]

I suppose... Being able to take advantage of people since you could see their futures and all. You could even cheat easily because of it. Things like that.

[astrolabium]

[ ah. she sees now. ]

Astrology is a very well-respected craft, and so to betray one's trust and use it for misdeed would be a reprehensible way to use it.

However, I am sure that there are those out there that have strayed from the teachings and abused their powers... My Master is a strict woman, so I never dared to consider taking advantage of others.

[ hm... ]

No, that isn't quite true. I've been tempted to wield my abilities to win silly games, though haven't tried.

[wheft]

I see... So you're that type of person, then.

[ wow. an actual morally upstanding person. there seems to be a lot of them in this resort, balancing out the more morally ambiguous ones somewhat. this already makes this place marginally better than the City, and that fact alone is already wild enough to think about.

instead, she will think about how trustworthy mona is. ]

I think if the odds are woefully against you, you can probably cheat a little as a last resort. I can't fault people for wanting to survive in a place like this, after all.

[astrolabium]

You understand me better, don't you?

And that is true. I wouldn't necessarily thwart someone, but if I can earn a slight advantage, it would be beneficial. I wouldn't go beyond that and divine the end result of the game.

There isn't anything wrong with gleaning a bit of information.

[wheft]

...Does that mean you already know too much about me, then?

[astrolabium]

Not 'too much', but enough.

I still enjoy hearing you reveal things about yourself rather than intuitively learning it through my magic.

[wheft]

[ hmm. ]

There's... nothing enjoyable about the things you'll soon find out about me.

[ ... ]

But if you ask the right question, I might just provide the answers you need. If you're that curious.

[astrolabium]

Then, there is one thing that I have been curious about. You are free to disregard this question if you'd like.

You are missing a possession, aren't you? Something you often wear.

I have never seen you without it in my visions.

[wheft]

[ visions... just how many did she see? is it possible for her to have taken a peek in the Mirror without said mirror in her grasp?

she'll address that some other time. mona's catlike curiosity is bound to kill her one day, and she'll only have herself to blame. ]

...Yes. It seems the House has taken my headband hostage. It's an important memento of mine.

[ her hand reaches to pat at her own head. even now she still feels naked without it. ]

Do they ever bring them back to you? Once you've played enough of their game?

[astrolabium]

[ mona's divination has led her down many paths. the amount of futures she has foreseen that end in tragedy are countless. as for the opposite, one's past...

those, too, can be just as devastating. ]

I see.

They can, yes. I'm not certain how they do it, but they can summon possessions from our original worlds and return them to us. We must exchange points for them, however.

Or I would say, that is how it goes a majority of the time...

They returned my Vision after I had made a wager with one of the dubious characters here. We played the game 'High or Low'. I bet 'high' and was correct. If I had lost, I would've become that man's pet.

Still, I would keep a lookout for opportunities like that should you seek alternatives.

[wheft]

[ those bets exist? no, of course they do. ishmael can't help but flash back to their botched casino mission at j corp, with rodion saving them by their skins with her sheer confidence than can render any wishpower useless. ]

I'll keep that in mind. I know this game we're playing come with rewards too, so all I have to do is to get lucky, I guess.

But it really is true. They're keeping certain things that belong to us to make us play their games as incentive. I can't even be mad because of how effective it is.

[ truly, the house always wins. ]