Audience: Aoi Mukou

[probe]

Comments

[gamerbrain]

Aoi can handle it... But Aoi feels bad for everyone else... They're trying so hard because they have a wish that they want.

[probe]

[... as they're baking:]

Yeah. Yeah, it, um. [a little sigh.] It sucks, to see people lose out.

[gamerbrain]

[ she is mostly just watching attentively because she fears if she tries to help she'll mess it up. ]

Could Aoi wish for everyone to get their wish?

[probe]

[occasionally wrath has her hold a thing for them as they mix! helping.]

Maybe? I don't actually know how it's going to work out, babe. I've never seen the desire thing in action.

[gamerbrain]

[ nice ]

Even the NPCs don't know how it works?

[probe]

Nope. Spoilers, right?

[gamerbrain]

Aoi usually knows spoilers.

[probe]

Which makes Aoi a lucky girl. [they boop her on the nose.] I can't break the fourth wall like you.

[gamerbrain]

Lucky...?

[ a boop. she just goes cross-eyed looking at their finger. ]

It's easy, once you get used to it. Once you realize how much exists outside of the fake world. But... Not everyone is from a fake world like Aoi to begin with.

[probe]

They aren't, no. [they tuck aoi's hair back behind her ear.]

Sometimes I wish I was, though. I feel like it'd make things easier in some respects.

[gamerbrain]

Like what?

[probe]

Like... figuring out how to make this all work the way I want it to, I guess. If you can save and then reload, it's not so bad.

[gamerbrain]

Yup. You can really swing things in your favor like that. If you say the wrong thing you can try again. If you hurt someone, you can undo it.

It's a lot nicer. You can even do it through trial and error.

[probe]

Yeah, see? I wish I could do that.

[they put the brownie batter in a pan.] I feel like I uh, I probably say the wrong thing more than I mean to. It's never bothered me before, but.

[gamerbrain]

Aoi's been feeling that way, too...

Since coming here? Or did it start to bother you before?

[probe]

It bothered me before, I think, but not as much as it does here.

I like you guys a lot. It's bummer when I upset any of you. Except for Vlad. And like, Childe. [wrath,]

[gamerbrain]

You can't make everyone happy...!

[ ... she doesn't know vlad or childe enough to care that much if they get upset. ]

... But Aoi thinks there's something good about not just resetting your progress when you mess up. Since it's not a game, there's more than just a Bad End or a Good End. You get more chances to say the right thing.

Aoi's not any good at it. But you can make up for saying the wrong thing, later.

... Aoi thinks you can, anyway.

[probe]

[hmmm. they pause in baking, and then they lean over and press a kiss to aoi's forehead. their lips are very warm.]

I think that's really good advice, actually. You're right, it's more real to try and get to the right thing yourself.

[gamerbrain]

[ wehehe ]

Yup. And you're not stuck with pre-written branching dialogue options. You can say all kinds of stuff.

[probe]

[they laugh.]

Oh, boy, and do I say all kinds of stuff! Saying stuff is my favorite thing.

[they hand her a glass pan of brownie mix.] Carry this for me, don't trip.

[gamerbrain]

[ she doesn't trip. somehow. ]

Like what?

[probe]

People like to tell me I talk a lot, and that they don't understand a ding dang word I say, but I think I'm perfectly understandable.

[they open the oven, and gesture. put in!!]

[gamerbrain]

[ aoi slides it in very very cautiously, like she's worried she might some how ruin it at this stage. ]

Aoi understands you just fine. Besides, Aoi thinks talkative people are better, especially when Aoi can't read their internal monologue.

[probe]

[she manages! wrath closes the oven, turning the temperature up, and then looks back to aoi.]

Fair enough, yeah. Hey, good job, by the way. Now all we have to do is wait for the brownies to bake. [high five?]

[gamerbrain]

[ high five! ]

Good job...! You don't need to learn to bake at all.