seasonsrpg | Event #3: Can't Defeat the Temple

Event #3: Can't Defeat the Temple

Can't Defeat the Temple
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Game Start

Part 1

A new message appears on everyone's smartphones. There's been a change in the Temple of Life: the door has finally opened! No one knows how or why, but the sensors left by quest goers alerted them to it suddenly being open. Preparations are made in each guild to finally explore what's inside it.

Those interested in helping are greeted by researchers in the guilds that will provide everyone with one single use item: Escape Rope: an item they found out about while investigating the temple. Should the Temple really prove to be a place "no one can return from" they should be able to use this rope to escape. It should teleport the person using it (just one) outside of the place they're in (can only be used indoors). Of course the rope can be saved for later use if it becomes unnecessary. Everyone also gets basic climbing and survival items, just in case. They have no idea what to expect inside, but better safe than sorry, right?

The new Teleport Crystal system will get you to the Temple of Life in a minute, but no one is forbidden to use a longer route if they want to travel rather than take the easy route. Once they get to the Temple (the teleport stones take them to the surroundings of the fountain in the courtyard) they will notice a lot of natives collecting various tropical fruits as the area is safe and the fruit are nice and nutritious. Anyone eating a fruit will notice a boost in stamina, too.

All that's left now is to climb the stairs and enter the Temple of Life.

Part 2

Inside the Temple of Life is a "lobby". It's actually just an empty room made with the same stone as the temple, but it has four different doors, each with a different symbol: lightning strike, snowflake, fire and a hurricane of sand.

Characters inside will notice that the door they walked in from is now gone (of course) and they may feel different as the temple has stripped them off of all their powers, including Seasonal ones. Instead they may feel like they're lighter (their jumping ability has increased to triple their normal one) and that they have three holographic hearts on top of their heads.

There's a holographic display near the doors and a shelf for laser guns. The display says the following:

This is the Gigaman simulator. Welcome, players. Each of you have been given three extra lives. Once all of your total of four lives have been used inside the levels you will get a Game Over. For native participants this unfortunately means you Die.

However, otherworlders! You are in luck. If you die four times inside the simulator you will be thrown out of the simulator, into the courtyard of the temple and you can try again! Dying is painless. Getting hit, unfortunately, is not. You have ten regular hits before you lose a life. Your lives are indicated by the hearts on top of your heads.

Things that will instantly kill you include: lava, falling into an endless pit and spikes.

Please take a laser gun and enter the level. You may bring any other items as well, but your powers will be gone and so will the special effects of the items. Except for the legendary "Escape Rope". That is something that can bypass our system. Keep the rope at hand if you get scared. If you lose your other items inside the levels, do not worry, they will appear outside. However, if you lose your laser gun it will reappear next to you.

Oh and you may keep the laser gun afterwards.

The question is: cAN yOu deFEAt [redacted]?

Well, the choice is yours. Do you enter one of the doors or use the escape rope to get out of the temple?

Part 3

All of the levels start with a normal room of just the environment of the level. But there, in the starting point of the place, there are natives of Ellipsa sitting around with a look of defeat and desperation on their faces. They're physically fine as the simulator grants you the ability to just ignore hunger and other basic needs, but they're also stuck here. It seems the simulator is just too hard for them to get past. Most of them have no holographic hearts over their head or just one: they're close to dying and don't want to take the risk.

Escape ropes are their only hope of getting out of the place and they promise anything if you give them the item and help them escape.

If you give away your Escape Rope, the only way to leave is to either Game Over or Finish the Level. Good luck, players.

(There are also some natives in various other parts of the game, too scared to go further or go back. They can also be saved by taking them with you to the end and defeating the boss monster together but if they die, they die, so there is a risk in that method.)

The Levels [ Click to Expand ]

All basic monsters and boss monsters are weak to the laser gun. Some can even be jumped on to decrease their health.

Electricity
Design: A factory with plenty of platforms and conveyor belts over bottomless pits (or spikes) that change directions occasionally. The main hazard of the level is the beams of electricity that will damage players. They can be switched around with buttons, but deactivating one beam will activate another.
Instant Deaths: Bottomless Pits, Spikes

Basic Monsters: Ufo Catcher (a claw with googly eyes that will try to drop characters into a pit or spikes), Small Robot (small robots that throw wrenches at players), Slinky (slinkys with googly eyes that won't stop for anything)

Final Boss: Squirmle: A slinky minion mass-producing machine (looks like one of those Worms on String with googly eyes, but mechanical). Occasionally fires electric shocks that stun players for 5 seconds while the minions attack them. Weak to Smokescreen as the sand jams its machinery and makes it temporarily lose the ability to produce minions.
Boss Loot: Laser Gun Upgrade: Electric Shock (damages and has a chance to stun the opponent)

Snowflake
Design: A snowy mountain cave with active waterfalls. The ground is slippery (ice physics!) and some of the platforms have a limit as to how many times you can jump/walk on them (they reappear after a time). Occasionally, while on a normal platform, a strong stream of water will fall on it, intending to push players into a bottomless pit (it can be predicted by a few drops of water before it).
Instant Deaths: Bottomless pits

Basic Monsters: Snowmen (throw very sharp carrots at players), Skeletal Fish (fish that appear from the waterfalls and spit out lasers), Yeti (a monster that will try to stomp on players)

Final Boss: Frosty: A bipedal monster made of spiky ice (doesn't have a distinct form to refer to, just looks like a giant block of animated ice) that breathes a frosty breathe that both damages and makes players go slower. Tries to stomp players by jumping high in the air. Weak to Fire Bullets, as they will melt it little by little.
Boss Loot: Laser Gun Upgrade: Ice Beam (damages and has a chance to slow down an opponent)

Flame
Design: Inside of a volcano where all bottomless pits are lava pits. Platforms are mostly normal, until a notorious section where the only way to get over a lava pit is to jump on disappearing blocks. Learn the pattern and follow it. Occasionally lava rocks will fall from the ceiling (but luckily not during the disappearing block section).
Instant Deaths: Lava

Basic Monsters: Demonic Fireballs (fireballs that jump around from spot a to spot b and hurt a lot when they hit), Lava Bomb (occasional lava rock with googly eyes that can move towards players like a homing missile), Fireman robot (a robot that will try to douse fires with scorching hot water).

Final Boss: Lavadoom: A volcano headed monster (a volcano with eyes, mouth, arms and legs) that shoots fire bullets and lava rocks at players. Occasionally makes part of the floor be literal lava that burns players health little by little. Weak to Electric Shock as it will stun the monster for long enough to turn off the volcano on its head and then you can jump on it.
Boss Loot: Laser Gun Upgrade: Fire Bullets (damages and has a chance to cause burn damage over time)

Sandstorm
Design: A desert area full of bottomless pits and rocks with spikes. The floor is mostly quicksand that can only be crossed if you stay constantly in movement. Late in the level massive sandstorms will block players' view and push them towards the pits and spiked rocks, making movement during it very dangerous.
Instant Deaths: Bottomless Pits, Spikes

Basic Monsters: Walking Cacti (cactus that shoot spikes at players), Angry Missiles (ride the sandstorms and try to hit players), Sandworms (appear from the sand and try to bite the player)

Final Boss: Hurrisand: A bipedal sand monster (looks a bit like a it could be a human, but at the same time has animal features, not to be mixed with a certain Looney Tunes character) that will turn into a literal sandy hurricane that makes it hard to see anything and makes bullets miss. Weak to Ice Beam because it slows it down so that it can't turn into a hurricane.
Boss Loot: Laser Gun Upgrade: Smokescreen (enables easier escape from situations)

You're free to challenge all of the levels and gain all of the upgrades to the laser gun, which you can then use outside the temple as a weapon. Even after all of the natives are rescued or all of the levels have been beaten, you can re-enter the levels and do them again. You won't get the boss loot again, however.

When Your Heart's Not Open

Part 1

Back in the city, the weather is strangely cold in every district (except the central one that's safe due to the artificial weather there). Even the hottest of them, Solarpeak, is advising people to wear long-sleeved shirts, just in case, even if the temperature only drops to +10 Celsius/50 degrees Fahrenheit at worst.

The reason for the unexpectedly cold weather is simple: a cold breeze travels through the whole city. Sometimes the wind even appears white, as if it's laced with snow and ice. It's easy to tell that this is not a normal sort of wind, but a very magical one.

The wind indeed has a special effect: there's a chance of the wind freezing someone's heart. This doesn't instantly kill anyone, but instead it starts to freeze people from inside out. This effect especially targets people who either have secrets or have feelings that they hide. The freezing is a slow and painful process, taking two weeks to completely encase someone in ice. Once that happen they will end up breaking into pieces and die.

Somehow this wind doesn't affect the plant life or animals at all.

Part 2

Scientists are quick at work to work on a cure. They have found that there are certain ingredients in all four of the Segments that when mixed together into a potion will undo a frozen heart. So, to help those affected, there are some options that you can do.

Stay in the City to take care of the affected. The key to healing a frozen heart is not only the potion that they will make but also affection. So those brave enough to touch someone who feels cold as ice to touch are encouraged to hug and cuddle, tell them positive things about them and making sure they're comfortable. This will ease the pain and slow the spreading down.

Head to one of the Segments to find the ingredients. The guilds are helping with the preparations to go outside and providing anyone interested clear instructions and maps on where to find them:

• Winter Segment: Bottom of the Unfrozen Lake, a coral that can survive in cold temperatures
• Spring Segment: Breeze Hills, the eggs of a monstrous Firebird (a bird that has wings made of fire that spits out fireballs, not to be confused with a phoenix)
• Summer Segment: Deserter's Desert, a special cactus flower that only blooms during a sandstorm
• Autumn Segment: Mushroom Sanctuary, a special mushroom that only grows on top of the mushrooms that are a size of a house

Once all the necessary ingredients have been found and delivered, people can also participate in potion making. The more people helping with making potions, the quicker everyone affected can get their potions and be cured. The potion is successful if it smell like a warm fireplace during a winter night.

The Towering Jenga Heights

Part 1

The VR Arcade of the Underground is holding a special event: they have managed to come up with a technology where you can minimize yourself and enter board games! They're looking for volunteers to test this new way of gaming.

For example, there are games like Jenga, Monopoly, Chess, Hungry Hungry Hippo, Checkers, Scrabble and many, many more! The games are made to fit the tiny people, but are also very realistic. Oh and Monopoly has an actual jail, but the money is as fake as can be.

It seems Jenga in particular is at its regular size and people will have to climb to push pieces out. That definitely seems like a fun challenge? Everyone gets a safety rope that's attached to poles around the Jenga towers, that will act as sort of a safety bungee jump rope.

Usually the minimized effect wears off once you end the game and leave the game board, but occasionally the technology glitches and leaves players small. The unexpected side effect wears off between 2 to 12 hours.

Anyone who did participate in the experiment will either get a month of free VR gaming time or a handheld gaming console with classic 8-bit games like Tetris.

Part 2

Those stuck in a tiny form longer than expected may discover jumping platforms to the fairy mall. It's located in the ceiling of the Underground Mall and is fit for small people like fairies. Here the fairies are all visible as they go about shopping and relaxing. They're all friendly and will make sure you have a lovely time relaxing in this small fairy oasis. Be warned, however, that the food here is strictly for fairies so if you eat it, you might end up sprouting fairy wings for a week. And not necessarily on your back.

Don't worry, you can't turn back to your regular size in the middle of the fairy mall. The magic there prevents that for the duration. Once you return by jumping onto one of the cushions left below the mall, you will return to regular size.

For souvenirs, why not buy a little bit of fairy dust? It's useful for potions, as it gives them stronger magical capabilities but used as is will make anyone be able to fly for 24 hours. The problem is you cannot use it on yourself or else it will horribly backfire and turn you into a talking frog for 24 hours.

OOC TIPS

• Ask event related questions here.

• Smut is not allowed on the event post, so if your thread is heading that way, please move it to a private entry of your own (your own entry or a new locked post on the comms).

• Remember to content and spoiler warn as necessary!

• All of the prompts happen around the same time but you can get affected by the frozen wind after visiting the Temple of Life or the other way around.

• All natives will be rescued by the end of the month, but the Temple can be accessed later just for fun.

• The frozen hearts potion will be done by the end of the month as well.

Temple of Life
• More Escape ropes can be picked up from the guilds to save more natives, but there's no way to tell there's someone trapped inside until someone goes in, so they'd have to get back after the first visit.
• Smartphones do not work inside the Temple of Life.
• You are very much allowed to work together inside the temple.
• The boss door will only open once the previous group of players has defeated it and have been transported out of the Temple. Then the boss will respawn.
• No one will have basic human needs inside the temple. It's basically a simulator so it doesn't matter how long you spend in there. Once you get out you might need to refuel on touch energy and food as soon as possible, but other than that all one needs to worry is surviving the temple.
• We admit the inspiration for this came from "I can't defeat Airman" without shame.

Frozen Hearts
• The event can affect anyone, not just those with secrets and hidden feelings.
• At the same time, the event can completely miss people as well.
• Samples of the wind can be collected and analyzed but it will turn out as a classic "it's magic" explanation.

• Reminder that this month is Activity Check-in month and check-in ends on July 31st, at 23:59 PST.

code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Oh, Cloud... You truly are silly if Ayaka will serve you a human-sized sandwich.

She prepares the bread and the pre-made chicken spread that's kept in the fridge. Since Cloud is the cutest tiny bean in the world, Ayaka gets this idea of making sandwiches for his size! And she prepares some of the nori punchers and the pressers they have when making bento and onigiri, setting them all up on the dining table so she can sit down and prepare it there.

Cloud eats a lot, so she imagines he'd probably want more than one... So she begins to cut out about ten small circles from a loaf of bread to be able to make five mini-sandwiches. It's about an inch in size in diameter, so Cloud can eat it easily. ]

I think I'd want to take a photo of these once they're done, hehe.

... ?

[ She hasn't responded yet... Did she hear him? ]

Ayaka?

[ But she's preparing the bread among other things! Now Mochi and Cloud both are watching her get everything together. ...and simultaneously tilt their heads without realizing it. Until she's brought it all over to the dining table and he realizes exactly what she's doing. But he can't really stop her. ... He doesn't want to stop her. Not when he hasn't seen her this happy in such a long time. She's having fun with this. And at his expense or not? Cloud's safe and sound with her. It's honestly...kind of cute. Which is why he can't help but sigh, shaking his head in defeat.

Bested by the Shirasagi Himegimi once more. He simple crosses his arms and waits patiently for her, unable to hide his smirk. Don't mind him, Ayaka. Cloud's just going to do his best to imprint the joy on your face into his thoughts for as long as he can. But also... ]

Really can't wait to grow up again...

[ "I think I'd want to take a photo of these once they're done, hehe." ]

You uh...need me in the shot for scale?

If you wanted to be in the picture. I do not want to make you uncomfortable.

[ More than he already is now! With the little round bread ready, she spreads a little bit of the chicken onto one slice, then puts another layer of bread on top. One sandwich done! And she's done once she's made five for Cloud.

... okay, maybe one more for Mochi. She did promise her a snack! ]

Is the size okay? [ She asks Cloud now when she's done... Oops? She should have asked sooner. ] Or would you like me to cut it in half?

It's no big deal.

[ He's in this deep. Short of muttering "Hell with it", he's gonna go along with it. Especially since Ayaka's going so far out of her way to accommodate him like this. Thinking of it in that light...he'd have started feeling bad if he just coldly brushed her off to sulk over his condition. It's far too soon for that. More than anything, Cloud's...actually impressed that Ayaka was capable of creating something that looked like a scaled sandwich! It's so miniaturized...and the bread is even thinner too.

He can't help but be impressed! An inch in size, but to his eyes, they're a premium sandwich. Would the flavor taste different too, now that he's having a chicken spread at this minute height? ]

Looks good to me... [ Cloud removes his gloves and places them in his pocket. Hopefully she won't mind that he hasn't washed his hands. They're not exactly dirty. Standing in front of the mini plate, as he blushes, he looks back up to the much larger Kamisato and gives her a little "Mm" and, ] Thank you.

[ But, he doesn't grab one to take a bite yet. She's got it all set up, right? ]

See how one of them looks halved.

[ Cloud, you're talking like you're not asking for yourself, and more if it'll look good in a picture for her... ]

I'm not sure what to use to give you a drink...

[ '-' Cloud's actually not a hamster, so giving him a bowl for water would not be good. She wants him to be at his most comfortable, because she knows he doesn't like the state he's in! If she can make things a little better for him, then she knows she did good.

Though right now, she looks a little troubled... She'll try to figure it out later, instead looking for a way to cut up the sandwich into smaller pieces first. If Cloud has any suggestions for what sort of glass he can use, that'd be great!

... A real knife would be too scary— it's too big to bring close to Cloud, and it's also too big for the miniature sandwiches! For a brief moment, her gaze meets Cloud's, and she looks absolutely apologetic. ]

I'm sorry.

[ Because she's bringing out his tiny ass Buster Sword, wiping the edges with a table napkin first, to cut up one of the sandwiches in half. 🥲 It certainly makes things easy!! ]

I'll manage. It's fine.

[ ... worse comes to worse, he'll just drink out of a spoon or something like it were a bowl. Though now Ayaka seems troubled. Up until the point where she suddenly reminds him that, oh yeah, he's been without the Buster Sword since he slipped from her shoulder. And now that she has it out? It looks like a comically small letter opener. One that she's taking good care in wiping with a table napkin first. ]

You're not...-

[ Oh she is. Cloud's more surprised that she went and did it! But he doesn't move to stop her either. He's cut far worse things with that weapon of his. It's a good thing he keeps his sword well-cleaned and polished up. It hasn't had to go through any violence of late. But as the sandwich is indeed sliced in half for him, she may hear little chirps- his squeaky equivalent of huffy laughs as he tries not to lose his composure too much.

First they get shrunk down for an oversized game of Jenga and sensual questions. Then he's stuck like this. Ayaka is his guardian, and provides the best cushioning a passenger could ever ask for. And now she's cutting little sandwiches for him using his own weapon. This wasn't going to be a day he'd so-easily forget. Sighing heavily, he looks amused as he sets his hands on his hips. ]

We just won't tell Zack about this.

[ ...or Angeal, if fate ever deigned him to come. ]

Edited 2023-08-01 06:40 (UTC)

It's so small. It's perfect for cutting sandwiches.

[ WHICH ACTUALLY GIVES HER AN IDEA??? What if they got bread knives that look like their weapons made? That'd be so cool!! Maybe she can get those for his birthday... :')

Now that the sandwiches are a bit more Cloud-friendly, she wipes the blade again and puts it away. Time to look around to see how she can get Cloud to drink. She can eat later, until she knows Cloud is okay. ]

Um, I'll be back. Please enjoy the sandwiches. I'll find a small glass for you.

Buster Knife...

[ To her, anyway, dork. ]

Huh? Do we even have anything small enough?

[ But she's excusing herself now. So...he'll simply pretend that he's a regular-sized human being again and that these sandwiches are now proportionate to him.

Just in time for Cloud to spot Mochi, who has decided to stay by the table. She's a behaved puppy! But there's also food. Itty-bitty little pieces of food. And they're being guarded by a miniature Cloud Strife, who she now sees. ]

Sorry. [ Takes a bite in front of the doggo. Swallows. ] My sandwich.

[ Cloud can enjoy his little snack while Ayaka looks around the kitchen for what she can use. All the cups are all very big, with the smallest one about as tall as Cloud! She then spots a small one, which she thinks is used for medicine... either way, she fills it up with some water (because tea would be hot and he would not be able to drink tea from a plastic cup). ]

Here you go. I can help lift it, too.

[ AYAYA SUPPORT!!!! 'u' Mochi gets a pat on the head when she sits down. While the puppy does not cry, because she is a good girl, Ayaka does understand that she should give her more treats. ]

Hehe, alright, alright. You can have something, too.

[ Maybe not more chicken sandwiches, though. She's not sure if dogs can have more of those, but she gets back up to look for where Ayato keeps Mochi's treats. Just a few of the milk-flavoured biscuits. 'u' She'll tell Ayato about it later, in case he overfeeds her with treats. ]

[ Had Ayaka taken any longer going about the kitchen, Cloud would have probably snuck in the last of his sandwiches over to Mochi. By the second half of his first sandwich, the puppy was looking extra sulky despite being a patient girl. Sure enough, however, Ayaka has already made her return with a cup that's still considerately tall for his size! But it's still good enough. And he can pick it up without looking too awkward as he drinks from it! ]

Thank you.

[ AYAYA SUPPORT IS BEST SUPPORT!! ... he kind of looks like a kid drinking out of an oversized sippy cup, though he's strong enough to control how fast the water is getting poured so he doesn't accidentally waterboard himself. Though Ayaka is a big help in helping him lift and keep it steady with him. He can get over himself and feeling embarrassed. It's satisfying, not realizing just how thirsty he was until he was already eating. ]

If you ever get shrunk down or, uh...turned into a kitty again, I'm gonna hafta do better than eggs and tuna next time.

[ Because right now he's feeling kind of spoiled. ]

[ Her beau always deserves to be spoiled. Ayaka's glad she's able to make things convenient for him in some ways, and she merely gives him a smile when he says that.

Hopefully she doesn't turn into a tiny bean like him, or a cat or some other critter, but it's good to know that he'll be there for her if she does. ]

But what if I want eggs and tuna?

[ She settles back down, though instead of sitting prim and proper, she relaxes some more. Resting her elbows on the table and crossing her arms, and then her chin over it, she sighs. ]

I wish I could hold your hand again.

[ He can't help but smile again when she asks that. The answer is simple, joking or not. ]

Then... I'll just make 'em better than last time.

[ Ayaka settles down in front of him, as he finishes another one of his miniature chicken sandwiches she's made for him. This was only temporary. So this wasn't so disheartening. But hearing her wish...and how now more than ever she wants to hold his hand again, he finishes his food and looks down at his own two hands. So small. So teensy that they could barely wrap around a single slender digit of hers like this.

Cloud wasn't a stranger to taking somebody's hand for the sake of protection. And he never put much thought into the whole exchange back then. Not since meeting Ayaka, and just how pleasant it felt to let himself...be free. Loosen up. Don't be afraid. Public displays of affection were still something he wasn't exactly overtly fond of, to a certain extent. But for her?

He'd never leave her in the dark. Whichever one was guiding the other, he wouldn't want it any other way than it being hand-in-hand. ]

...

[ So, ]

[ Sitting cross-legged by one of her hands, Ayaka would feel something small resting overtop of one of her fingers. Even giving a little squeeze as he looks up at her ~~like the hamster he is~~. ]

Close enough? For now.

[ Ayaka's never demanded anything from Cloud. Anything he can give is more than enough, more than what she deserves. He's given her so much happiness already, expanded her world and showed her the kind of love that she's been yearning all these years. That is more than enough, and anything more that he gives her is a bonus. So eggs and tuna? Ayaka could never ask for more. It is a simple meal, but knowing it was prepared for her by someone she loves makes it all the more special.

Just thinking about another meal prepared by Cloud puts a smile to her face. If she does turn into another animal again, then she is in good hands.

She watches her beau as he eats, nothing but admiration in her eyes. She truly hopes he'll be back to normal soon, not just for her sake, but so he isn't inconvenienced any further. She may have to make a little bed for him so he can sleep well tonight if this takes any longer... These thoughts keep her momentarily distracted, more focused on her beau than things she wants and needs. So much so that she gets surprised when she feels his touch. ]

Hm? [ It is not the same thing, but somehow, it has the same effect. It makes her feel better, that she has nothing to worry about.

She smiles as she faces him, still resting her cheek on her arm. ]

You truly are so sweet, Cloud. Please, there's no need to worry about me for now.

Maybe not "worry" but... I miss doing this too.

[ And it hasn't even been a full day. But, as he holds her, he has another thought that crosses his mind. ]

When you turned into a cat...there was a theory that you turned back because of the level of Kizuna between us, right?

[ And how it got so strong in a peculiar moment that they ended up in a rather awkward predicament but AHEM 💦 ]

But it was also because of our bond that I turned into a cat to begin with.

[ Right... She never did say why she woke up as a cat. May Cloud never know that she had a sexy dream with him in it that night. ]

[ He's just going to stay blissfully unaware and imagine it was just the strength of their bond to begin with. asjkdflg That's one secret that he won't feel offended by her not revealing.

All that being said, he has a theory. ]

And? This world runs on physical contact. [ A light shrug of his shoulders as he remains sitting by her side, hand atop her finger. ] It does for us outsiders, at least.

Maybe staying in touch with you'll speed things up. And I'll pop back to normal.

[ Well, it's not a bad idea. And definitely worth a shot, if it means speeding up the process of getting Cloud back to normal. ]

Then... shall we stay like this a little longer?

Well...what'd you plan on doing after I was done eating?

Nothing, really.

[ ... she was more thinking of asking Cloud what he wanted to do, so she could try to work around that. ]

Though, I suppose I should clean up and rest for a little while.

[ Well, if they want to hotshot this attempt to get him back to normal...! ]

Then I'll stay with you. Can't do much else like this, and I wanna hold you back.

[ No hesitation in his words. If it means riding her shoulder or sleeping on her stomach or against her side, it mattered little. As long as he was in contact with her so that the physical contact hopefully accelerated his recovery, the better. ]

... Might be little, but I'm still plenty strong. [ A beat. ] Y'know. In case you want help cleaning too.

A- Ah, well...

[ Ayaka looks away, her cheeks so red, they may as well be tomatoes. Put them on the tiny sandwiches for Cloud, too... ]

Um, I was... thinking of tidying the kitchen. And then... taking a bath.

[ That's what she meant by "clean up" before resting .-. If Cloud came with her though, then he wouldn't have a fresh change of clothes... Hmmmm... ]

W- We could handwash the clothes you have on, and it should be dry quickly. If- if you wanted a bath, too.

...

[ He's thinking of the logistics of this all. And ultimately? There's no one else to see him at his most vulnerable. What was he going to do? Stubbornly stand there and do nothing? No. And besides, he may not be a proper mindreader, but Cloud knew that letting her help him was fulfilling in a way.

Even if the notion of what was to come seemed embarrassing. Taking a deep breath through those teeny-tiny lungs of his, he huffs a higher-pitched sigh before pushing himself to his feet, looking to her with a more confident nod. ]

Might as well take advantage of my size. Let's do it.

[ Ayaka gives her tiny hamster boyfriend another pat on the head before she sits up. Mochi also gets a pat on the head before Ayaka gets up, too, and she's told to go back to her bed since she and Cloud will be leaving the kitchen soon.

Fortunately for them, there isn't much to clean up in the kitchen! Ayaka tells Cloud to put the salt and pepper shakers back on the stand where the other condiments are kept on the table, and she takes care of the bigger items that need to be washed.

When it's time to go to her room that's only ever used when Cloud isn't around so that she can get a fresh change of clothes, she invites Cloud to hop onto her hand again so she can place him on her shoulder. Or... on her chest. Wherever... he wants................... When that's done, she takes them to the bathroom! One of the bathrooms so she can draw the bath... ~~this house is big~~

Cloud's set down on the sink first, so the two of them can wash his itty-bitty clothes. Since he'll be naked for it, Ayaka supplies him with a square of tissue paper to use as a towel FSADGDHF ]

We can just use the hairdryer to dry your clothes later.

[ Salt and pepper shakers? Nothing! Like lifting thick logs that can spill out the top. So...no hauling them over his shoulder this time. lkadjfs Instead, he makes sure that they're secured in their stand on the countertop. Close to the soy sauce that's not kept in the fridge. When it's time to retreat to her room, Cloud doesn't hesitate to hop onto her hand again. Now more comfortable than before, he does stick to her shoulder. Only this time, he's sitting down comfortably, legs dangling from the front of her shoulder as he leans back on his hands.

Looking to her with a confident look in his eyes, he nods, reassuring her that things are going to turn out fine, and that he'll be fine in the process also.

Perched down on the sink, he turns around to look up at her as she supplies him with the tissue paper. At first, he's confused, but then realizes that due to his size, there's...really no actual towels that would be best for him. He'd wind up lost in one at his current stature. Carefully setting it down beside him for the moment, he starts by removing what little pieces of armor he has on his person. Which is his pauldron and the straps that hold his gear up. ]

That's convenient. [ Though now as he strips down (he'll cover up when he gets to the bottoms! he promises!), he thinks and remembers... ] Best not try it on me directly.

Last time I walked in front of something big that blew, Barret was worried I'd get flown over the side.

[ Or so he says... He was totally chickening out. And Cloud omits the part where he gets called a "bony ass". ]

Edited 2023-08-10 06:25 (UTC)

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