A mess of universes

Various stories and universes tangled up into a giant beautiful mess.

[the-graves-family]

Reddi.

Reddi seems small, and loud, and energetic. But he hasn't done anything to hurt him yet, which makes him better than most people Ace meets nowadays.

He shrinks back a little when more questions are asked, heart racing as he wonders how the hell is he gonna answer. Obviously, he has to lie. But he's no good at lying. And he can't come up with anything that would make sense. Even if he had been accidentally locked in, a normal person would have been able to call for help.

Not Ace.

"I'm f-fine," is all he manages to say, and it sounds pathetic even to his own ears. Real convincing. So the slight change in line of questioning is very welcome. "I think so. I c-couldn't—don't remember the number."

How had Reddi just... appeared? It doesn't make sense. But at the same time, Ace had heard it happen. There'd been nothing, and then there'd been... Reddi. There.

[asktheothers]

Reddi looks back over his shoulder. Back to pulling teeth then? But that moves a bit too slow for his taste.

He turns on the lights (it had been dark the entire time after all, he realizes belatedly) and points at the clothes.

"That's your blood, right? Do you-"

He stops himself. Reminder to self: Most people don't like putting themselves in situations that might end up in them bleeding. So really, all of this is pointing towards one conclusion only.

"So let me see if I understand this right: You're kept here by your roommate and he locks you in, and you're scared of him." Reddi says, his tone more pondering than concerned as he's observing Ace. He looks rough, but it's nothing Reddi hasn't seen before. "And that's why you don't leave and you're always quiet and you don't want to talk. And you can't really try to run and hide either, since you can't get far on a ship, and, well. You can't really run from what it looks like. Did I get it all? Yes or No is enough."

[the-graves-family]

Roomate.

Sure.

Ace peeks at the stranger, though the darkness coupled with his already shitty vision doesn't really make anything clearer. He can see the vague silhouette of them, but nothing like details. Just that they seem smaller than him. Which means absolutely nothing to a man missing half his limbs.

"I-I don't have the keys," he mumbles, hoping he won't get in trouble for it. How is he supposed to lie about it, anyways? If Aaron were to come back right now...

Don't think about it.

Taking a shaky breath, he uncurls slightly, hoping he won't pay for it later. "I'm A—Ace."

'This is my brother's room and I can't leave, and if you don't find a way to leave he'll kill you' doesn't seem like a proper way to start a conversation. Not that Ace is an expert at social interaction, but still.

"How did you get in?"

[asktheothers]

Finally! Contact was made! His leg calms down.

"Ace! Got it. Wait, did I mention my name? I'm Reddi."

He leans back a bit, looking at the ceiling and pondering with a quiet hum.

"Good question. I was just suddenly here? It's a little weird to be honest." He sighs. "No keys though, huh... so, you got locked in here on accident?" That one was unlikely. "Or do you just not want to go outside? Or are you kept here?" Those were a lot more likely. Judging by the blood splatters on the clothes he previously noticed, it's presumably the latter. But it could just as well be that this guy just doesn't want to show himself to others. Sure seems like it, at least, judging by how Reddi has to fight for answers. But it's a relief that this guy has at least started to open up a bit. Physically, that is.

Waiting for the answer, he strolls towards the door and examines the lock. Well, he could just pick it. Or kick it in. It's not impossible to get out of these rooms after all, if you wanted to.

"Oh, and this is room 1272, right?" He asks again. After all, he'll find a way to get out, but his curiosity really needs to get sated first.

[ouroboros-online]

Excuse me!

You're staff on this ship, yes? Sorry to bother you while cleaning, but you really remind me of two friends of mine, so would it be okay if I took a picture with you? I promise I won't publish it anywhere, but of course I'd understand if it made you uncomfortable regardless, so I wanted to ask first.

Setting: Anchors Aweigh! Where: Ship hallways, somewhere in the vicinity of the Observation Lounge When: Day 121, 7:30AM Who: Lavender Hillingdon, The Cleaner (Artem Elegy)

The Cleaner works from midnight to 8AM on average, so they’re just about finished with their shift when Lavender approaches. They raise their head from their task—polishing the tile floor of a high-traffic walkway—as she addresses them.

They loom over her as they turn, dwarfing Lavender by nearly a foot. Their eyes narrow into smiling crescents as their gaze meanders from the girl’s face to her phone and back again. Without speaking, they nod and gesture for her to come closer.

[asktheothers]

"There we go, thank you so much! Wow, I had to go really low angle there because I'm so small compared to you haha, let me just see how it turned out..."

It'd be rude, right...plus they're at work, I can't just take endless pictures. Hm...Haah I'll just be polite about it...

"Uhm, sorry, I didn't really take that right, could I bother you for another? I'm really sorry, I know you're at work, if you're too busy then I totally understand!"

[the-graves-family]

This is not a hallucination.

Hallucinations are rarely this coherent, rarely this clear, rarely this loud. And they never, ever touch him.

When the (loud, so loud) stranger nudges him, Ace yelps and flinches away, bracing for something far worse than a simple touch. After all, it's been years since he's interacted with anyone but Aaron and his... friends.

So many questions, one after another, even if Ace had been able to speak properly, he wouldn't have been able to get a word in.

"S-Stop," he mumbles, shying away harder, pressing up against the wall. "You have to—you have to leave." If Aaron comes back and finds someone here, he's going to kill them. That's not a hypothetical, his brother will kill this stranger and make Ace watch and he doesn't want to go through that again.

"Leave before h-he comes back."

It doesn't dawn on him that the door is locked. Ace doesn't have the key. He just assumes the stranger accidentally opened the door to the wrong cabin.

[asktheothers]

Oh. Somebody flinching away from his touch brings back memories. So this guy was also-

"He?" Reddi asks, looking around the room. "Your roommate? I didn't touch anything though."

Then he points at the door. "Anyway, I can't really leave while it's locked. You have keys, right?" and one more time he asks, "What's your name?"

Waiting for an answer, his eyes dart over the figure. Interesting guy, lots to note. The limbs, cuts and bruises were already filed away, they're hard to miss. Reddi's eyes instinctively draw away from the burn scars, but they're there. It's fine. It's fine. They're on water after all.

The guy is skinny, too. But most importantly, he keeps flattening against the wall like a prey animal. For just a moment, Reddi's eyes narrow. It does remind him of his friend. But Minte wasn't quite so...

Yeah. This guy is pretty weak.

He decides to shift gears a bit and raises his hands, keeping them in sight of the guy, and tries again.

"I just can't get out without the keys. What's your name?"

One of his feet start to wiggle a bit.

[the-graves-family]

Ace's days are mostly the same.

Aaron wakes him up. Sometimes he manages to sleep afterwards, sometimes not. Some days he gets to eat, some days he doesn't. It all depends on his twin's mood. There isn't much to do in the cabin itself. He doesn't have a phone, and Aaron hadn't exactly brought any books.

The cabin has to be exactly the way Aaron left it. If the windows were closed, they had to stay closed, leaving Ace in darkness the entire day. Walking over to the light switch is too much effort on a normal day. Besides, Aaron doesn't always come back at the same hour every day, and it's not like Ace can rush to turn the lights off. He doesn't even bother getting his leg on most days.

What's the point?

What does not happen, ever, is someone else just... appearing inside the cabin.

Ace wonders if he's hallucinating again. It's dark, after all, and he can't remember the last time he's eaten. He could just be imagining things. Voices and moving shadows aren't that farfetched.

Best not to engage, then. If he doesn't acknowledge it, it'll go away quicker. Ace curls up on the bottom bunk against the wall, as much as he can, and stares at the wall, trying to inch away from the voice.

[asktheothers]

The lack of reaction leaves Reddi puzzled. It feels rude, he was just asking a question after all! So he tries again.

"Hello?"

Still nothing. He shrugs and gets up, stretching a bit as he looks around the cabin. Yeah this was a normal room, a bit empty maybe. Some clothes strewn around, some of them splattered with small drops of blood. Probably that person's, they had a few cuts and bruises, but these didn't look like their own clothes. Of a roommate then, presumably. Why was it dark in here mid-day? Oh! That person was curled up in bed, so Reddi was probably interrupting their nap? The rude one had been him all along! He tries to open the door to leave, but it's locked tight.

"Sorry, I'll be right out! Can you just unlock the door real quick?"

Again, nothing. Reddi's getting very confused. Then it starts to dawn on him: a quiet person, curled up, shuffling slightly, not talking, and he hasn't seen anybody like this with half their limbs missing among the crowd. He would have noticed. Which meant-

"Wait! Is this room 1272?! Are you the one who doesn't leave?!"

He hops over and nudges the person a few times as he speaks, trying harder to get their attention.

"That's the room, right?! I kept wondering who was in here, it was driving me nuts! I don't know how I got in here, but lucky! What's your name? I'm trying to get a clear picture of who's on this cruise! Hey! You're awake, right? I'll be right out but I'm so curious!"

[asktheothers]

[CLOSED] Creature Feature II [CSH]

Where: (around) Aaron's and Ace's room When: Day 128 Who: Reddi, Ace Graves @the-graves-family

While sitting on one of the benches scattered around, his legs pulled up and crossed, Reddi was pointing at some of the cabin doors in front of him, muttering to himself.

"Anderson couple. Guy with the beard. Empty. Hm..."

Right after coming on board, he'd gone straight to the front desk to ask for a map of the ship layout. What they provided him with was the rudimentary map for guests, outlining the most important locations they would frequent. This was a fine start, but it didn't list cabin details, staff rooms, what to find behind which door.

So Reddi had been doing that work himself to be in the know of what exactly the ship carried in its innards. He'd wandered the engine rooms (they were SO loud), he'd gotten lucky and been given a tour through the bridge, checked a few rooms that were unlocked, some that were locked but not tightly. No big deal. He just wanted to look.

By now, he had also gotten a good grasp of which cabin belonged to which guest. A chunk of that detail had already been pushed from his memory - it simply wasn't important to keep all of that in mind - but no matter, his curiosity had already been sated so the info could fly wherever it wanted for all he cared. A few rooms, however, kept him coming back. This was one of them.

He knew somebody was in there. He could hear shuffling, breathing and a heartbeat, yet no talking or the kind of noises that would usually come from an occupied cabin. Nobody exited during meal times, events, times when guests were likely to come in and out and where he'd been able to catch most other people. The temptation to just unlock the door like a bunch of the others was immense, but he'd already been chased from at least two rooms and any more transgressions would surely get him kicked off at the next harbour.

And suddenly he was sitting in darkness. Not that it mattered, he saw everything regardless - but that was strange. He blinked and looked around, noticing the by now familiar interior of a cabin, concluding that he was still on the ship. It wasn't his own room though. Weird. Did he teleport? Had he been able to do that the whole time and just didn't know? Something to figure out later.

That's when his attention finally turned to the person with the thumping heartbeat in front of him.

"Hi! Which room is this?"

[asktheothers]

Reddi! How are you? :3

Reddi: I’m actually planning to go on a cruise soon! I’m pumped!

[asktheothers]

[CSH] Does Lavender have any dating horror stories?

I mean, who doesn't have one of those? But what I call my worst one is still so embarrassing to me...there was one guy I'd been dating for a few weeks and at some point we got into an ugly fight. Listen, I don't take kindly to boyfriends who picks fights or try to irritate me, it's the quickest way to lose me. I don't have time for drama like that. But that one was so much my type that I still reached out to him a day later just to see if he'll apologize, and guess what? I got ghosted! I even went to his place to confront him and he wasn't there! Was I worried at first? Yes, absolutely. But then I was told he didn't even live there anymore! It was like somebody snapped their fingers and made him disappear, he must have suddenly moved or something, I don't know. Either way, that was humiliating! The one time I reach out to a guy and he ghosts me and runs away! I'll never do that again. Maybe it was divine intervention to teach me a lesson not to crawl back to worthless men.

[asktheothers]

[CLOSED] Creature Feature [CSH]

Where: Presidential Suite When: Day 128 Who: Finney, Senna, Madeleine @finneyandsenna

Today's the day.

Somehow, unexpectedly, her vacation has left Madeleine simply too busy. It seemed like a great idea back then - prior to coming on board, she'd signed up for a bunch of activities, frontloaded into her first few days on the ship. After all, the cruise had been well into its journey by the time of her coming on board, and it followed that a lot of the people would have become acquainted with each other in some way. It had felt like a no-brainer to make an effort trying to get to know a bunch of people right away, which in turn would give her the opportunity to find somebody to talk to for the rest of the time. And it wasn't like it hadn't worked. After all, by now she had gotten an invite to meet a guy at the night club (although that was because she had approached somebody and not thanks to the activities themselves... but who's keeping track?). As a consequence, however, Madeleine has simply not found the time to buy an outfit for the occasion yet.

But today's the day!

She gives herself one last glance in her mirror, checking to see if she looks presentable. One last fluff of her hair. A determined nod, and a quick point of her fingers at herself. Then she opens the door and steps out into the hallway.

Her foot lands on soft carpet.

It takes a moment for her eyes (pointed downwards focusing on the room card in her hand to confirm that it was definitely there and she didn't forget it) to wander to the floor. Did they redecorate last night? But she didn't hear any-

A shock bolts through her body when she lifts her head. Where- what just-?! This certainly isn't the hallway outside of her door, and worse - there are two people standing a few steps away, all of them standing in what has to be their private room. Madeleine scrambles backwards. Somehow, she's neither stumbling back into her own room nor into a wall.

"O-Oh my g- S-Sorry, I, uhm, I don't know how I got here?! Sorry, sorry sorry, I'll be- I'll get out, uhm, I-I don't know what happened- I'm- so sorry, how did- this is- wh- where's the door, I'm terribly-"

The more she speaks, the more frantic her words become, and the higher her pitch goes. Did she somehow manage to accidentally break into this place and become an intruder? How did she get here? Has she been hypnotized? Did these people- No, definitely not, what reason would a little girl and an old man have to bring her here? Either way, she needs to get out of their room now. Right now! Why is this room so big?! Where's the door??!

[asktheothers]

(CSH) So Lavender rated the eligible bachelors on the ship, but how about Maddie? Any guys or gals that catch her eye?

Oh! Also, the new girl seems nice, what was it- Dakota? I'd like to talk to her someday!

[the-graves-family]

She's sweet, in the way baby animals are. Cute. Innocent.

Fragile.

Aaron's grin softens into a smile and he hums. "I'm at the club most days after 10pm," he tells the guest, shrugging a little. Provided he doesn't get extra hours courtesy of someone eating everything. "By the bar, usually."

Unlike his brother, Aaron can perfectly imitate social graces as long as it gets him something he wants. He runs his fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his face and tilts his head back just a little. There's a scar running across his throat, but he's counting on people not bothering to notice.

"I'm Aaron, by the way. Nice to meet you."

This could be a nice distraction for a night or two. He wonders if she has friends. Family.

He wonders if anyone will miss her.

[asktheothers]

"Nice to meet you too!" she says, beaming at him.

In the back of her mind she's thinking about how, upon hearing that this had turned into a solo-trip, she'd ended up leaving the clothes suited for a nightclub at home. Very stupid choice, in hindsight - she'd figured that without her friends she probably wouldn't have had an incentive to go there, but she hadn't thought about how it'd be a perfect spot to meet people. It's fine - she'll just have to make an emergency trip to the shopping plaza.

"That's good to know! I'll see when I can visit and find you then for sure!"

She's quite giddy now at the prospect of getting to talk more to a charming guy. Doesn't hurt that he works out too...

Her eyes fall on the can on his hand and she quickly takes a step back.

"Oh! Sorry, I-I don't want to keep you from your break, I promise. Just, love your desserts! Can't wait to try more of them! And I'll be seeing you!" she chirps, a giggle colouring the last few words before she hurries away.

[the-graves-family]

[CSH | Madeleine] S-Sorry, uhm, hi, I'm very sorry for bothering you on your break, uhm...I was pointed to you when I asked who made the little fruit tarts, because I really really wanted to say how delicious they were! Some of the best I have ever eaten! I-I've seen you at the gym too, so I wanted to add that think it's really cool that you managed to make these delicate decorations on them when you're so strong, that must take so much control and precision. So, yes, thank you for these tasty tarts, and keep up the great work, I'm a fan! Uhm, okay, gosh, sorry for talking your ear off, I'm sure you just want to relax and unwind on your break, sorry sorry! I'll be out of your hair now.

Aaron stops with his energy drink halfway to his mouth, blinking at the girl that just dumps about twenty sentences on his lap before he can even process the first word.

"Huh..."

Yeah, eloquence isn't exactly what he's known for. Ideally, he's not known for anything while he's at this job. Wasn't the original point to lay low? Things get weird after... how much time has it been at sea? The days all blur together.

Put your human face on, Aaron, before they realize what you are,

A smile stretches his lips, almost a sneer at first before it smooths out into a genuine-looking thing. "That's nice of you," he tells the guest, voice low, almost ending in a purr. "Thanks."

The compliments make him preen a little and his chest puffs out a bit, like a bird feeling particularly proud of itself. He gives the guest and discreet onceover. Cute enough. She looks like she'd break in about two minutes under his... care.

Then, he thinks about being bored, and the smile stretches into a grin. Something that looks nice on the surface but is devoid of any joy underneath. "Why don't you come find me in the club, one of these days? Some company would be nice."

[asktheothers]

It takes him a moment to react, and her heart starts to sink. Oh god. Oh god, oh god. She did disturb his break with that. Of course she did! Stupid! Who just walks up to a chef on break, of course they don’t want to talk then. She should have done it after his shift, or maybe when he's in the gym again. Right now, she should really leave him alone fast.

She starts to take a step back, when he straightens up and starts smiling at her.

"That's nice of you, Thanks."

A wave of relief washes over her when she hears his warm tone. Thank god - for a minute she was very worried that he might ban her from eating the tarts again.

"Why don't you come find me in the club, one of these days? Some company would be nice."

It's her turn for a delayed reaction, not expecting a handsome guy to suddenly ask her to meet her in the club. She can't help feeling a little flattered, and her face starts to heat up.

“Ah- Y-Yeah, that sounds fun! Uhm, I don’t- I don’t really have a schedule or anything yet, when are you usually there? I’ll try to be there then!

[asktheothers]

[CSH] Is Madeleine upset about her friends dropping out?

I-It's fine though...there's lots of things to do and lots of people around so I'll make the most of it!

[mihlen-rp]

[CLOSED] "Most Romantic Spot On the Cruise?" [CSH]

Where: Observation Lounge When: Day 120, Morning Who: Minkyu Han, Lavender Hillingdon How: Script, Art, Prose

Minkyu interviews Lavender for his vlog. Starter posts here!

Oh? For once a worthwhile response! Minkyu's grateful for it, because it means he has valid reason to keep the conversation going while he tries to figure out what on earth is going on with this girl.

He brandishes his phone, smiling warmly, every inch the upbeat vlogger, and when he blinks the magic into his eyes, there's no glow or telltale sign—the only thing his eyes are bright with is attention.

"Thank you! And wow~ you really know your stuff," he says, marveling indulgently. It's played up a little, sure, but he means it. "Have the whole date course planned out, huh? That's admirable, really!"

She's not a supernatural, not innately. She's not cursed, at least not typically. But then what's this unsettling vibe he's getting from her? Something intrinsically off…

"Say, what's your name?" he asks, because his viewers would want to know, (and if it rings bells for him, that's a bonus).

(Reply to @asktheothers)

[mihlen-rp]

"Gigglemug" is a new one to him—easy enough to understand, but still, odd! He'd think it's British, but he's grown pretty familiar over the years. It's too particular to be a literal translation of something else. Dated? he thinks, but files it away to look up later.

Instead, he does a last-minute edit of his answer from before, keeping the tone more lowkey.

"So why do you consider the spa the most romantic spot?"

Of course there's the obvious answers like couple spa packages, but Minkyu hadn't spent the first month ferreting out the cruise's secret menus to be conventional.

"Because—and this is a well-kept secret," he says, "they rent out materials. Aromatherapy oils, facial packs, foot soaks, pre-heated stones, even manicures and stuff like that. They have a few rooms for private bookings, and if you want to get pampered by your partner, sure you could do it in the cabin, but there's only so much you can do there, right?"

When he smiles, it's not as sunny as before, still more mellow. "And the ambience is nice. Dim, candle-lit. I don't think you're supposed to but you can sneak in a cheese platter, some wine. Though, like you said, not exactly a first date."

Funny thing about biases, he thinks. Turns out, he'd been dating Dima so long that he'd automatically been thinking from someone who'd been dating for a long while—a long while?

Huh. Someone who'd been around a while would use dated language. (If he googles this later and it turned out to be Australian slang, he's going to feel real stupid though.)

(start | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | here)

[asktheothers]

Lavender needs to do a bit too much work to tame down that ick welling up inside her stomach, but she mostly manages. He seemed genuine as he spoke, and based on their interaction so far she can definitely imagine him enjoying a spa afternoon like that with his partner.

And yet she can't help but think that Minkyu Han is really not her kind of person after all.

Too sensual, too physical, it would follow that he's likely shallow. In her experience, guys like that are a nuisance, they tend to be demanding and needy. Makes sense that he's an influencer, she thinks.

But for the benefit of doubt she places herself in the scene he described with Prestige, and it helps. Prestige has been her boyfriend for a while now and sharing an experience like that with him wouldn't feel off. It still wouldn't be her first pick for a date - she prefers a fun or more sophisticated time together - but such is the way humans differ from each other.

"That does sound quite nice." she concedes. Said perhaps a little more enthusiastically than she means it, but he doesn't need to know that.

However, there was one little pearl of a word that she couldn't help but pick up on, so she leans in a little.

"It's a secret you say? Well-kept even? Do tell, how does one find out about those secret services on the ship? I'd assume there have to be a bunch."

After all, knowing about these details would be handy for a long stay. Perhaps she shouldn't write this guy off just yet.

[asktheothers]

(CSH) What are the girls' favorite cocktails?

← Mojito | Aperol Spritz →

[asktheothers]

(csh) Lavender, what has been your favorite cruise offer so far?

The offers on board are great, but I'll be honest...what I've been enjoying most so far is simply relaxing, finding a free place to sit on one of the more quiet decks and letting the breeze surround me. It's nice, it reminds me of the beach near our summer residence my parents used to take me to. The salty air does my lungs some good and I can just lean back and think about nothing. Once in a while I get up early for a slow start in the day, when a lot of people are still asleep and it's especially peaceful, or I grab a book from the library and just sit down for a bit. ... I suppose it doesn't strictly count as an offer, so if you really want to know about those... I've been really enjoying the Seawalk, and Swallowtail Tea, of course.

[mihlen-rp]

[CLOSED] "Most Romantic Spot On the Cruise?" [CSH]

Where: Observation Lounge When: Day 120, Morning Who: Minkyu Han, Lavender Hillingdon How: Script, Art, Prose

Minkyu interviews Lavender for his vlog. Starter posts here!

Oh? For once a worthwhile response! Minkyu's grateful for it, because it means he has valid reason to keep the conversation going while he tries to figure out what on earth is going on with this girl.

He brandishes his phone, smiling warmly, every inch the upbeat vlogger, and when he blinks the magic into his eyes, there's no glow or telltale sign—the only thing his eyes are bright with is attention.

"Thank you! And wow~ you really know your stuff," he says, marveling indulgently. It's played up a little, sure, but he means it. "Have the whole date course planned out, huh? That's admirable, really!"

She's not a supernatural, not innately. She's not cursed, at least not typically. But then what's this unsettling vibe he's getting from her? Something intrinsically off…

"Say, what's your name?" he asks, because his viewers would want to know, (and if it rings bells for him, that's a bonus).

(Reply to @asktheothers)

[mihlen-rp]

“That is also an option, yes. Though it would not be my choice for a first date I’ll say.”

"Ah, but first date wasn't the question!" he points out in good humor, but it's easy to see that he's losing her—not that Minkyu cares all too much about salvaging his character in her eyes. Still, it's a good practice to try and puzzle these sort of things out.

Now, what could it have been? Where had he lost her? Safe bet (wordplay intended) would be the gambling—like liquor or cheating, everyone either had a bad experience with it or knew someone who did. Still, the timing of her pushback, it was more likely to be the spa, wasn't it? That one's harder to wrap his head around.

Cultural difference, maybe? he wonders idly, but mentally washes his hands of the topic. He can boast about his knowledge of the cruise spa's secret rentals and packages another day. Instead, he lets the conversation lapse, giving the girl time to form her next question, which does come as he expects:

“So… I’m curious, do you take all these interviews for yourself or are they for official promotion?”

Though, the question itself is a surprise. Ahhh, he thinks he gets it now. He smiles. "No promos here! Just for me," he says, in that same enthused tone. "It's one of the ways I have fun when I'm somewhere new~"

And then, just as abruptly, he dials it down, letting his tension drop and his assertive cheer take a step back. "But you know, you're the authentic type, huh?" he says, breezier less performatively casual. "Most people find the… What is it in English, 'mood-maker'? Most people find it fun."

Of course, throughout this, he's not forgetting what caught his eye about the girl in the first place—it's been a while since he's seen a life force so ensnarled.

[asktheothers]

Well, she will give him that - it makes sense he'd take on a more exaggerated and fun air, especially if he's filming people. One would need to be an animator to a certain degree to spread the energy to the other person and make it fun to view later. If it's how he makes a living, performing is basically part of the job description, and he seems to be aware of it at least. All that considered, she should probably give him the benefit of doubt.

"Makes sense." she says out loud too.

... but how fast he switched to a more casual tone is noteworthy, isn't it...

She closes her eyes at herself for a moment. Don't be so suspicious, she thinks. Not everybody I meet has to be a serial killer or terrorist or manmade horror. That's not even statistically possible.

Minkyu Han is clearly an extrovert, probably just dramatic. Not really her type of person, but they only just met - maybe he'll surprise her.

She continues: "Being a gigglemug must make filming a lot easier, I imagine. But since we're off-camera - we are off-camera, right? - I think you can relax."

A change of topic to something lighthearted would be ideal, but she can't think of any decent questions right now. Honestly, the only thing she'd like to ask is if she's seen it right that he has company with him, but that would be inappropriate. Perhaps she does need to swerve back to the previous talking point. Who knows, maybe his answer will be full of depth and love, proving her initial reaction wrong?

"So why do you consider the spa the most romantic spot?"