You return to the living room. Walk hesitantly. Three girls sit on a couch, giggling at you. Sasha holds the clicker. The table hosts a feast of backpack, empty cans, a hollowed-out book, and a paper towel rack. You hope it doesn't involve paper towels again. Nothing looks different.
You reach towards the table. Probing. No clicks. Possibly waiting for more, but Sasha's not the kind to wait. Clear indicator, it's about communication. You take a step back. Turn around and reach towards the television set. Black rectangle surrounded by colorful plastic supplicants with secret metal circles. Click! There. Good. Great. The first one is hard. You know where to go now.
The crowd of three watches you in anticipation. They all know how the game is played, and all three agreed on the objective. Though, only Sasha really has any control. They're smiling at you. Grins and giggles and gripped drinks. It's your second time going, last in the round.
Return to the tv set. Reach towards it. Nothing. Reach towards the DVDs. The Matrix and People's Joker and everything between betrays you. Reach towards the plushies all strewn about beneath. Estradiol the axolotl looks at you sadly as you skip out on picking her up.
When it was your turn, you forced Sam to sit still on the floor at your feet for thirty seconds. The harder part was just getting her to your feet. Once she was there it was just a matter of getting her to stop trying to leave. She got the lesson fairly quickly. She looks at you hungrily from her seat. There's a chance this one is a kind of revenge.
Reconsider. Maybe it wasn't the tv set? Turn back around, slowly. Click! Everyone's giggling at you again. Is it the turning? She motions for another reset, that should be the last full one unless she requests more.
Reset. Back to the front, off to the side, like you're entering the room again.
Stand up in front of them for a few seconds. Think. Stare Sasha down. Eyes on the clicker. Stare harder. This does not make her click it. Tilt your head to the side. Still no click. Tap your feet. No click. Then, turn around. Click! So it's the turning around. Probably. They're giggling again. You like when they giggle. A pretty chorus of chimes.
On the other hand, Sasha's not the type to enable revenge. She likes a challenge, but she likes a challenge for her. Not for you, and not for someone else. She went first last round, which limited her. She made Claire put the dishes away in the dishwasher. When it was her turn as the animal, she was made to take her shirt off. It's still off.
No reset, just continuing. Turn around faster. No. Turn around slower? Still no Click. It's definitely the turning. Maybe something after? Look around the room for inspiration. The closet is open and hosts cleaning supplies, paper towels, and toilet paper. There's an Evangelion poster on the wall. The side chair has a hole in it.
Turn around then reach for the tv. No. Turn around then jump. No. Sasha wouldn't repeat from a prior time, so couldn't have been that. Turn around then reach down to pick up Estradiol. Click! Ok, so you will get to hold her.
Soft reset. Put her down, return to standing. Stretch your arms out then let them rest. Then, turn around again.
You're beginning to feel dizzy. Ears sloshing back and forth. Not so much hard to focus as just a distraction. Another point of awareness. Reach down to pick up Estradiol. No click?
Holding onto her, you look back over at Sasha. Confused, is she waiting for something more? Sasha's just grinning at you. Occasionally covering her lips with her hand. No poker face for you. You consider saying something. It wouldn't be cheating, just distracting.
You do another spin with Estradiol in hand. Nothing. Put her down. Click! Is it about Estradiol on the ground?
Claire has an actual poker face. She giggles when the rest do, but her default expression is expressionless. She can do an angry resting face, too, but she turns that off at parties. She's cute, though. Looking at her is pointless for the game.
Another spin, then pick her up. No click. Another spin, then reach down and poke her. No click. Another spin, then squat down towards her. Click!
Maybe it's not Estradiol, then. Rest in peace your favorite axolotl. Take a pause. Catch your breath. Let the world stop spinning. Think things through.
Thematically, what could follow a spin? What would Sasha like? A twirl? You are wearing a skirt. Skirt go skinny? Then what? In retrospect, twirl then double piece ahegao could be cute. Actually, ahegao would make a good prompt on its own. No distractions, focus.
Back at it. Twirl, then touch your skirt. Click! The crowd is getting excited. You're getting close, then. This is a pretty good round, too, if you get it here. Focus. How about…?
Stand up, place feet on the ground and pivot upon them, twisting yourself around. Centripetal force echoes through your body, ears complain lightly, then strand still. Reach down, hands on skirt, and bend down slightly. Hold ends of skirt, kneel, and curtsy. Click! Click! Click!
“There! Good job! That was a fast one, Tina!” Sasha says. “I thought you'd get stuck on the plushie longer than that.”
“Estradiol would never betray me by misleading me like that,” you say. “And also your click timing was pretty good.
“Thanks! Oh, let me scoot over, you look like you want couch time.”
“Mhmm. And, if I remember right, it's your turn now. I've got a few ideas.”
Another week, another formerly patreon exclusive piece posted to tumblr. Though next week is my break week so won't be any then. I wanted to try to like depict what the 'training game' is like to actually play. Fun to write.
