[ Not as bad as she could be really. Close enough to the center of the target, like three to five rings away from it with consecutive shots. She'll rack up enough points to win this handsome gentleman but in the back of her mind, she really did want the giant whale.
The fact that she gave it a good go seems to lighten her up or at least not as riled up as Abel made her. ]
[ normally, Abel would be all about finding new and exciting ways of failing this task miserably to the most comical effect possible. however, considering there is a prize to be won in the name of satisfying one Miss Monts' wayward eye... he is feeling a little motivated to actually do the thing,
thus!! it's quite astounding, his luck, you see. just beginners luck that also just so happened to net him precisely the number of points required to get her whale friend...
...which he is reaching his hand out at maximum length to retrieve from the Clown attendee (DO NOT APPROACH HIM), before thrusting it out awkwardly and nearly bopping Monts in the face with its plushy side. EXCITEDLY: ]
--Ah! Would you look at that...? I'm a natural, Miss Monts...!!
[ She half-expected the pistol to have its harmless ammo ricochet out of its barrel and into his glasses. Not because she wanted that to happen, it just seemed like something that would happen to him.
But it doesn't. And it explains his overly confident attitude in regards to the shooting range because he got a LOT of points. That is not a coincidence and Monts is right about her initial suspicions that Father Abel is one weirdo of a priest.
The large side of the whale plush squishes against her face, but she's too busy looking at him with a neutral expression. ]
... Naturally good at something you've obviously done before.
Congrats on your win though. I'm sure you can annoy the whale plushie out of your home knowing how skilled you are.
[ 'one weirdo of a priest' is probably the gentlest description for this idiot; Monts is terribly kind, isn't she...? he, meanwhile, is still occupied beaming pleasantly into her (c-cute, squished) face as she :|'s at him ]
What? --Oh, don't be silly. This isn't for me, of course. [ prodding it... against her face.......... ] Here~! He looks like he'd be much happier going home with you.
[ Monts looks surprised when he offers the whale to her. She hesitantly reaches out to wrap her arms around it?
And it's a good thing he can't see her face now because she looks uncertain and unsure. Why is he like this? ]
...
[ She's hugging it tightly now and it's easy to tell with how squished the whale was becoming. The smaller shark plush sits near her legs since she can't hold both. ]
Thank you.
[ It's muffled, but it's a thank you. For an instant, it's like she is 10 years old, enjoying the toy that was gifted to her. ]
[ --Abel is turning, clearing his throat and looking out toward the row of stalls ahead of them. y-yes, yes, it's fine, of course, she's... she's silly, isn't she? ]
Hey, you're not going to complain about having to carry that around all night, are you...? We're not going home early because of it, just so you know... --Ooh, do you think they have one of those cheesy fortune telling machines? Do you believe in that stuff, Miss Monts?
[ With her face pressed against the whale, she takes a deep breath to regain her composure before peeking behind the giant plush with a cheerful smile on her face. ]
Those all sound fine.
... But I did just realize that I could use this to whack you with it like a pillow.
[ he'll just pretend he didn't notice her c-cutely burying her face in Mr. Whale's soft body okay, ]
...Really? Here I am, kindly gifting you sea friends and your first thought is to use them for violence? Are there any animal rights activists in Fogtown...? Maybe I should ask Admin, hm. For shame, for shame...!
Mm, they're a little unwieldy to carry around with you. Just don't forget where you stick it, alright?
[ speaking of clowns, Abel will just continue to eye up the one behind the nearest booth as if he's half afraid the man is about to clamor over the stall and strangle him to death any second now,
....it's a valid concern, ]
Why did it have to be clowns... Who likes clowns?? Why...? I have so many burning questions.
Do you have a grudge against clowns that I should be aware of?
[ It's not like she doesn't think they're disconcerting, but perhaps she is just mentally tougher in this case. The staff is going about their business, cleaning up any trash, keeping an eye on their stalls. It should be noted that despite how explosively bright their face paint and outfits are, they don't speak much causing things to be eerier than they should be at this carnival.
There's a nearby table with a sign indicating to leave belongings on top so Monts does just that. ]
Alright... So you wanted fortune telling first? I'm game.
Grudge...? No, I wouldn't say that. 'Deathly allergic revulsion' is probably a more apt descriptor... I-I'm a very sensitive man, you see--? And they're terrifying, Miss Monts...! Surely you agree...
[ he's looking at her expectantly for validation, here, as she sets the spoils of their pistol-ing upon the table. ]
--Oh! Oh, right right! Fortune telling, definitely~! Have you had your fortune told before? I'm a little excited, to be honest... Don't they tell you about your love life sometimes too? O-oohhh, what if it's scandalous...?!
[ he's ambling off (and rambling off) in the direction he'd seen the sign-- come along, Monts, what could go wrong with a harmless peek into your future...?! ]
Yes, yes, you're a sensitive 6-foot giant priest who's intimated by clowns and has an equally sensitive stomach to boot.
[ there's your validation Father... ]
Not exactly my fortune, but I've had someone see into a part of my future.
[ Psychics of varying skill were their most common customers at the cafe after all. Monts takes a leisurely pace on their way to the fortune-telling tent. ]
One of our customers is this little girl who has precognitive powers. It's not so much looking into a determined future, but more like a future possibility if that makes sense?
...Wait, really? [ oh, heβs nudging at his glasses as they walk, eyes alight with curiosity. ] So, did whatever she saw come true then? Or did it not end up happening...?
[ kind of wants to ask what it was......
...but, he canβt tell if itβs too private a matter to pry into hm π€ ]
[ even after all the odd and seemingly inexplicable events of Fogtown, sometimes it was still hard to believe things so far outside his own experience. but this is much easier to swallow as fact than it would have been months ago; heβs adjusting, little by little. to truly be able to see the future... even if it wasnβt set in stone?
...Abel hesitates, before he tilts his head ever so slightly in quiet inquiry. ]
[ Monts sighs as she recalls the exact event. It wasn't even that long ago, just a month or two into her foray at the Midnight Grind. ]
Well, she looked me right in the eye one evening and told me that someone was going to kill me; no exact date or time was given, just that it was going to happen. Iona was so frazzled she told me to stay home and take a night off work, but I wasn't really too concerned? Because you know, I heal up and all. And at that point, I wasn't taking it too seriously because seeing the future can be such a vague thing you know?
[ There is a dramatic pause and she continues blithely. ]
Turns out, the little girl was right. A customer came in during my shift one evening, he was extremely unsettled and freaked out by my presence... Aaaaannnd I got stabbed.
[ Who knew being a barista was so dangerous?? But Monts? Is taking this very lightly? Sure she's still alive and can't be killed easily BUT MONTS??? ]
there had been some Subtle Concern at the beginning of this tale, without a doubt - and it had only slowly grown as she had gotten closer and closer to the inevitable βhook,β so to speak. βshe really, with such a cavalier indifference....
he knew she didnβt feel pain, knew she was strong and could recover, but even soβ
this kind of callous disregard to her own well-being said a great deal, didnβt it? thereβs a flash of disquiet in his eyes, and even if heβs putting on the usual facade, itβs... a little hard to bury the sincerity beneath it. ]
...Y-youβre telling me she told you that you were going to get murdered, and you set yourself up like one of those cheesy horror films where the audience is screaming for the protagonist not to go inside the whole time...?? M-Miss Monts...?? Iβ
[ MONts........ he needs to chip her or get her a life alert or something he is now going to be constantly worried about this woMAN, ]
βSo what happened?! With the... the stabby guy...?! Did you have him arrested, o-or... I mean - why was he even there in the first place? Were you okay...?!
(Compared to that one time it wasn't as horrifying or set off her potent rage that lies underneath.) ]
To be fair Father Abel, she didn't know I would heal immediately. Whatever she saw, it definitely looked like I was being murdered. But I was kind of in a daze when it happened. When he saw that I didn't go down for the count, he tried to get another hit in, but Oren and my friend intervened.
[ She turns to him and gives him a 'V' for victory sign. ]
And now he's one of my favorite customers!
[ yes, there is a huge chunk missing in between, it's for dark comedic effect ok, ok ]
his expression is briefly strangled, before heβs heaving a WEARIED, heavy sigh and pinching the bridge of his nose, plucking off his glssses to rub. ]
Ah~! Naturally. Your favorite customer! Who doesnβt bond over a good stabbing...? Thatβs what Iβve always said!
[ Monts crosses her arms chuckling at Abel's reaction. ]
Listen, it was kind of a misunderstanding of sorts? He was new at the time you see. And people who are particularly sensitive tend to feel uneasy around me. It's a wonder I've become a popular barista knowing what I have under the skin.
[ Is being lighthearted her way of coping? Yes. But the coping mechanism has intertwined with her usual personality that was breezy and casual, to begin with. ]
If I got to choose, of course, I prefer not to get stabbed at a first meeting.
But you know, you're not one to talk. You dragged me into your house, got me to watch anime way too late at night, and put your hands around my neck. My regular hasn't tried that last one yet I'll have you know.
the pieces come together for him, and something a little softly sympathetic, a little worried for her manages to worm its way into blue eyes. but the more sober expression is short-lived, buried and plastered over quickly enough as the subject meanders along to more...
comical matters- his face is abruptly going a deep shade of red, ]
Sβ stop, I did not wring your neck or anything, donβt make it sound like that....!! [ look he thought there was a bug, okay?? a bug. A BUG, it was SO innocent, ] Y-you didnβt tell anyone about this, did you...? βPlease tell me you didnβt. I will die. I will DIE, expire right here on the spotβ
[ ok he might be swept up in melodrama but heβs like an elephant
and these details have been catalogued... at this rate Monts is going to be doomed tbh π ]
[ Monts is thinking that it's kind of fun when she's finally able to get the one-up over him. In these instances him being a priest is sort of a waste.
She rests her cheek in one hand, overacting her contemplation at his melodrama as they approach the entrance of the fortune-telling tent. ]
I thought about it Father Abel, I really did. Fortunately for you, I wasn't able to start my smear campaign so your good image has been maintained.
[ you know, now she wonders what kind of face her other friends would have made if they had found out, but she imagines it would have turned out fine if she also told them she threw the priest into the DVD cases; equivalent exchange and all. ]
[ that face of hers... he's pouting, another quiet and petulant huff exhaled as he holds the flap of the tent aside for her to enter, as if abruptly remembering he is occasionally possessed of manners. ]
Oh, what a relief...! You didn't smear my good name all over God knows where with your slander about choking you like I'm some kind of degenerate...
[ but not too well-mannered, of course.
the interior of the tent is low-lit and ~atmospheric,~ naturally - there's lots of beads and dramatic candlelight. i-it's a little...
creepy....
Abel might be hovering close behind Monts' shoulder. just a bit, for ah. you know. protection in numbers, you see. ]
Y-you're going first, since, you know. You have experience, and ah...
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The fact that she gave it a good go seems to lighten her up or at least not as riled up as Abel made her. ]
Oh. I guess anything's possible if you try.
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thus!! it's quite astounding, his luck, you see. just beginners luck that also just so happened to net him precisely the number of points required to get her whale friend...
...which he is reaching his hand out at maximum length to retrieve from the Clown attendee (DO NOT APPROACH HIM), before thrusting it out awkwardly and nearly bopping Monts in the face with its plushy side. EXCITEDLY: ]
--Ah! Would you look at that...? I'm a natural, Miss Monts...!!
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But it doesn't. And it explains his overly confident attitude in regards to the shooting range because he got a LOT of points. That is not a coincidence and Monts is right about her initial suspicions that Father Abel is one weirdo of a priest.
The large side of the whale plush squishes against her face, but she's too busy looking at him with a neutral expression. ]
... Naturally good at something you've obviously done before.
Congrats on your win though. I'm sure you can annoy the whale plushie out of your home knowing how skilled you are.
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What? --Oh, don't be silly. This isn't for me, of course. [ prodding it... against her face.......... ] Here~! He looks like he'd be much happier going home with you.
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And it's a good thing he can't see her face now because she looks uncertain and unsure. Why is he like this? ]
...
[ She's hugging it tightly now and it's easy to tell with how squished the whale was becoming. The smaller shark plush sits near her legs since she can't hold both. ]
Thank you.
[ It's muffled, but it's a thank you. For an instant, it's like she is 10 years old, enjoying the toy that was gifted to her. ]
1/2
the 'thank you' that follows is a little soft, too. a-ah. Monts...? ]
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Hey, you're not going to complain about having to carry that around all night, are you...? We're not going home early because of it, just so you know... --Ooh, do you think they have one of those cheesy fortune telling machines? Do you believe in that stuff, Miss Monts?
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Those all sound fine.
... But I did just realize that I could use this to whack you with it like a pillow.
[ oh no ]
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...Really? Here I am, kindly gifting you sea friends and your first thought is to use them for violence? Are there any animal rights activists in Fogtown...? Maybe I should ask Admin, hm. For shame, for shame...!
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[ At least she doesn't seem totally averse to it now even if there are way Too Many Clowns. ]
Let me just set it down and we can continue on our way.
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[ speaking of clowns, Abel will just continue to eye up the one behind the nearest booth as if he's half afraid the man is about to clamor over the stall and strangle him to death any second now,
....it's a valid concern, ]
Why did it have to be clowns... Who likes clowns?? Why...? I have so many burning questions.
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[ It's not like she doesn't think they're disconcerting, but perhaps she is just mentally tougher in this case. The staff is going about their business, cleaning up any trash, keeping an eye on their stalls. It should be noted that despite how explosively bright their face paint and outfits are, they don't speak much causing things to be eerier than they should be at this carnival.
There's a nearby table with a sign indicating to leave belongings on top so Monts does just that. ]
Alright... So you wanted fortune telling first? I'm game.
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[ he's looking at her expectantly for validation, here, as she sets the spoils of their pistol-ing upon the table. ]
--Oh! Oh, right right! Fortune telling, definitely~! Have you had your fortune told before? I'm a little excited, to be honest... Don't they tell you about your love life sometimes too? O-oohhh, what if it's scandalous...?!
[ he's ambling off (and rambling off) in the direction he'd seen the sign-- come along, Monts, what could go wrong with a harmless peek into your future...?! ]
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[ there's your validation Father... ]
Not exactly my fortune, but I've had someone see into a part of my future.
[ Psychics of varying skill were their most common customers at the cafe after all. Monts takes a leisurely pace on their way to the fortune-telling tent. ]
One of our customers is this little girl who has precognitive powers. It's not so much looking into a determined future, but more like a future possibility if that makes sense?
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[ kind of wants to ask what it was......
...but, he canβt tell if itβs too private a matter to pry into hm π€ ]
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There was one time she told me about something she saw and it ended up coming true. Very odd outcome after that though.
[ Monts seems to be in a decent enough mood to confide in Abel about the things that have happened to her at least outside of her unusual condition. ]
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...Abel hesitates, before he tilts his head ever so slightly in quiet inquiry. ]
What do you mean...? Did something happen?
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Well, she looked me right in the eye one evening and told me that someone was going to kill me; no exact date or time was given, just that it was going to happen. Iona was so frazzled she told me to stay home and take a night off work, but I wasn't really too concerned? Because you know, I heal up and all. And at that point, I wasn't taking it too seriously because seeing the future can be such a vague thing you know?
[ There is a
dramaticpause and she continues blithely. ]Turns out, the little girl was right. A customer came in during my shift one evening, he was extremely unsettled and freaked out by my presence... Aaaaannnd I got stabbed.
[ Who knew being a barista was so dangerous?? But Monts? Is taking this very lightly? Sure she's still alive and can't be killed easily BUT MONTS??? ]
no subject
there had been some Subtle Concern at the beginning of this tale, without a doubt - and it had only slowly grown as she had gotten closer and closer to the inevitable βhook,β so to speak. βshe really, with such a cavalier indifference....
he knew she didnβt feel pain, knew she was strong and could recover, but even soβ
this kind of callous disregard to her own well-being said a great deal, didnβt it? thereβs a flash of disquiet in his eyes, and even if heβs putting on the usual facade, itβs... a little hard to bury the sincerity beneath it. ]
...Y-youβre telling me she told you that you were going to get murdered, and you set yourself up like one of those cheesy horror films where the audience is screaming for the protagonist not to go inside the whole time...?? M-Miss Monts...?? Iβ
[ MONts........ he needs to chip her or get her a life alert or something he is now going to be constantly worried about this woMAN, ]
βSo what happened?! With the... the stabby guy...?! Did you have him arrested, o-or... I mean - why was he even there in the first place? Were you okay...?!
[ he has a lot of questions???? ]
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(Compared to that one time it wasn't as horrifying or set off her potent rage that lies underneath.) ]
To be fair Father Abel, she didn't know I would heal immediately. Whatever she saw, it definitely looked like I was being murdered. But I was kind of in a daze when it happened. When he saw that I didn't go down for the count, he tried to get another hit in, but Oren and my friend intervened.
[ She turns to him and gives him a 'V' for victory sign. ]
And now he's one of my favorite customers!
[ yes, there is a huge chunk missing in between, it's for dark comedic effect ok, ok ]
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his expression is briefly strangled, before heβs heaving a WEARIED, heavy sigh and pinching the bridge of his nose, plucking off his glssses to rub. ]
Ah~! Naturally. Your favorite customer! Who doesnβt bond over a good stabbing...? Thatβs what Iβve always said!
[ the sarcasm. itβs palpable. ]
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Listen, it was kind of a misunderstanding of sorts? He was new at the time you see. And people who are particularly sensitive tend to feel uneasy around me. It's a wonder I've become a popular barista knowing what I have under the skin.
[ Is being lighthearted her way of coping? Yes. But the coping mechanism has intertwined with her usual personality that was breezy and casual, to begin with. ]
If I got to choose, of course, I prefer not to get stabbed at a first meeting.
But you know, you're not one to talk. You dragged me into your house, got me to watch anime way too late at night, and put your hands around my neck. My regular hasn't tried that last one yet I'll have you know.
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the pieces come together for him, and something a little softly sympathetic, a little worried for her manages to worm its way into blue eyes. but the more sober expression is short-lived, buried and plastered over quickly enough as the subject meanders along to more...
comical matters- his face is abruptly going a deep shade of red, ]
Sβ stop, I did not wring your neck or anything, donβt make it sound like that....!! [ look he thought there was a bug, okay?? a bug. A BUG, it was SO innocent, ] Y-you didnβt tell anyone about this, did you...? βPlease tell me you didnβt. I will die. I will DIE, expire right here on the spotβ
[ ok he might be swept up in melodrama but heβs like an elephant
and these details have been catalogued... at this rate Monts is going to be doomed tbh π ]
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She rests her cheek in one hand, overacting her contemplation at his melodrama as they approach the entrance of the fortune-telling tent. ]
I thought about it Father Abel, I really did. Fortunately for you, I wasn't able to start my smear campaign so your good image has been maintained.
[ you know, now she wonders what kind of face her other friends would have made if they had found out, but she imagines it would have turned out fine if she also told them she threw the priest into the DVD cases; equivalent exchange and all. ]
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Oh, what a relief...! You didn't smear my good name all over God knows where with your slander about choking you like I'm some kind of degenerate...
[ but not too well-mannered, of course.
the interior of the tent is low-lit and ~atmospheric,~ naturally - there's lots of beads and dramatic candlelight. i-it's a little...
creepy....
Abel might be hovering close behind Monts' shoulder. just a bit, for ah. you know. protection in numbers, you see. ]
Y-you're going first, since, you know. You have experience, and ah...
[ GUINEA PIG, ]
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