avalononline | video; un: lilmonix3 || #MerlinQuest

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video; un: lilmonix3 || #MerlinQuest

[ Monika started the video feed on an impulse. She'd been spending hours trying to work up the courage to post the quest in text form, but to no avail. Best way was to get rid of it without thinking. ]

Hey everyone! So um, I'm here about that quest from Merlin. [Okay, she needed to clear a misconception first:] It's not like I need it or anything, but I kind of get completionist instincts when I see a time-limited quest reward. [There.] And besides it could theoretically be very useful if you had a crush on someone and didn't know how they'd react to your confession... If that spell worked on them, that'd mean they're also attracted to you, right? N-Not that I have anyone like that yet, but you never know... A-Ahaha...

[ Gosh. Why couldn't she have shut it up after she mentioned the completionist thing? ]

Um... Anyway, that's a pick up line first, right? [She cleared her throat.] Well, u-um... Are you an overdue book? Because you have fine written all over you!

[ With that said, she marked a pause and looked away, her face red as a tomato. That was the best she'd been able to come up with... Thankfully, her best was incredibly lame. Surprisingly, it was more embarrassing to say stuff like that to an open audience than to a single invisible player. ]

As for a line that'd work on me... When I look into your eyes, nothing exists for me anymore because I lose myself in them. [An agonizing pause. If lameness could kill, she'd be dead.] I-It's pretty good, right?

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Hold on just a second!

[ This is way too dramatic of a reply to something like this, yes. Minako may even be slamming the table or something like that as she replies, just for the extra layer of dramatic effect.

But she just can't help it. This is so important to her. ]

We can exchange lines in a moment, but.. are you sure this crush thing is totally hypothetical?! [ Minako, please, stop fishing for the details of everyone's love life. ]

What the heck?

[ Oh dear. Monika couldn't imagine just going up to someone and being like "anyway, how's your love life?" And yet that was pretty much what that girl just did. ]

Um, yes it is. [A very awkward pause.] If I had a crush I'd be like, too embarrassed at the idea they could see that.

[ Well, there's the player, but she's trying to get over that one. ]

Well.. if you're sure.

[ At least Minako seems satisfied enough with that answer. After all, she doesn't even know Monika, so it's not like she can tell when the other girl is lying or not. ]

I'm just saying.. there's a lot of cute guys around in this place, you know! And a girl who looks as cute as you do.. I'm sure you'd immediately have a few crushing on you by saying pickup lines like that on here!

Heh? Well, nobody's crushed on me yet, I assure you.

[ Except Ser Gawain while he was drunk out of his mind, but she doesn't count that one. Still, that comment alerts her a bit. She'd not been in a hurry to find love in this world... But was she really supposed to be drowning in potential boyfriends already? So why had no one even shown a shred of interest in her? Was she unlikable or something?

Now she was getting worried. ]

Um, I guess it may be because I don't say pickup lines like that usually...

[ It seems that the other girl's worry is going about five miles right over Minako's head, since she just hums as if she's thinking more about the last thing the other girl says than anything else. ]

Maybe we just need to find some then that feel natural to you?

[ There's so many pickup lines out there, after all! Some have to feel right for Monika! ]

Are you more into the corny stuff, or the genuinely sweet stuff? Or maybe a little bit of both? I thought the one you brought up at the end there was leaning super towards the sweet side!

[ Oh gosh, should she really be receiving advice on how to... Flirt with someone. That was a bit embarrassing. Not to mention a little more than pathetic. Still... She was desperate for a boyfriend or girlfriend. And her last attempt at getting one proved she went about it really horribly. ]

Um, I'd say the genuinely sweet stuff.

[ Gosh, that was so embarrassing, she was dying a bit inside. But if it could help her... ]

The first one was just the lamest thing I could imagine... [Well it was her best actually, but details.] The one at the end is like, more what I'd like to hear.

[ She could see saying stuff like that more easily... But were pickup lines really the way? Trope-wise, they had a really low success rate. ]

Hmm, I figured as much! [ Minako adds with a nod. Granted, that's mostly due to what Monika herself said. It's not like Minako knows the other well enough at all to be able to tell otherwise.

But it does give her a good starting off point. ]

In that case, maybe you'd like to hear something like..

[ Her voice trails off, thinking, but then Minako smiles sweetly when she speaks up again, putting some charm into her voice. ]

I think the gaps between my fingers.. were meant for yours.

[ She blushed and raised a finger. Gosh, she knew the girl was just acting but it really was the stuff that'd make her melt if someone told her those words genuinely. Was she really that "moe" as that other person had told her, or was it inherent to being a character created for a cheesy romantic visual novel? ]

Ahaha, yeah.

[ Though... If a random guy told her something like that... She may be embarrassed, but she would be more weirded out than embarrassed. The context and the person saying it probably mattered a lot more than she'd imagined. Here it was more effective because she knew the girl wasn't someone desperate hitting on everything that moves. ]

How do you do it? [She knew she could it, but with a lot of preparation.] I can't imagine myself saying that on the fly and remaining confident.

[ Minako laughs, though it's in a warm way, rather than any way that makes fun of the other girl. This is exactly the sort of stuff she loves talking about. She was born for this. ]

It all starts with self-confidence, you know? [ She nods to herself as she says it. ] You really have to believe in yourself, and believe in what you're saying! Otherwise it's never going to fully come across to the other person. Otherwise, it just.. hmmm, I guess it'd just sound like you were reading a line from a book or something, you know?

[ And she's pretty sure that's not attractive to anyone out there. ]

[ Self-confidence, heh? That girl certainly didn't seem lacking when it came to that. ]

It always comes back to this, huh...

[ Well, she was slowly getting there. She wasn't as much of a pushover as she used to be. Existential dread helped, somehow. ]

I'm pretty good at projecting confidence. Especially when I'm well prepared. But I don't deal too well with the unexpected... Like right now, I didn't really expect those kind of replies so I'm taken aback a bit. [Considering then, she would know what to expect.] But next time we speak I'll be like, totally different, ahaha!

[ In the context of romance... That meant she should really know the person she's talking to in and out. But if you're approaching them for something like that, it's impossible to know their reaction ahead of time... Bleh, that's a headache and a half. ]

Well..

[ Minako starts, but then seems to think for a moment. When she continues, her voice is a little less powerful and ditzy, but it's still genuine - just in a very different way. ]

There's still a difference between projecting confidence and feeling it yourself, you know..? [ Minako could know. Sure, most of the time she really is this confident, but she sure knows a thing or two about trying to look confident, even when you don't feel like it at all on the inside. ]

I think that when it comes to love, a lot of people see right through someone showing confidence if it's fake. Um.. maybe it's something that's a little like needing to have faith in yourself first, before someone else can?

[ .. She pauses, and then laughs. ]

Sorry, sorry! I know I'm being way too serious about this, when all you needed was some help with that pickup lines quest!

Yeah... [She sighed and closed her eyes.] I'm really nervous under my facade. I think timid would be the right word. I manage to hide it well enough most of the time, and I think I've done some serious progress towards actually being confident... I'm just not quite there yet.

[ Small steps. "Fake it till you make it" was working really well so far. The responsible thing to do would be to work on all of her issues and then, only then, look for love. It wouldn't be fair to burden her partner with all the trauma she was carrying. Even so... ]

But I don't think I have it in me to postpone my dreams, you know? [She looked a bit embarrassed while saying the next part.] In fact, I think it'd be really romantic if I found someone who helped me build confidence, while I help them with their own struggle.

[ Or perhaps she was just too selfish to put herself together before looking for love. Still, she shook her head. She'd noticed the girl had changed— The topic had probably gotten more personal for her, too. ]

Ahaha, don't worry. It is a pretty nice chat. I don't get to discuss that stuff usually.

.. uwaaah..

[ Minako can't help but let out that small sound while listening to the other. It's just nice to hear someone say it - especially since it sounds like something that'd come right out of a shoujo manga! It happens all the time in those, right? People helping each other overcome their weaknesses.. ]

Having someone like that.. It sure would be nice, huh? [ Minako smiles. ] Who knows, maybe you'll be able to find someone like that in this place! I'm not sure if you've noticed yet, but there's so many cute guys around here! That means you just have to find one whose personality matches his looks! [ She nods. ] A cute, understanding guy!

Mhm.

[ She'd noticed that. She even had had the dokis for a couple people... But nothing more so far. Well, she could also go for a girl, she really didn't mind if her love was a boy or a girl. But she opted not to mention it now lest it'd cause a misunderstanding. ]

Though, I think I could even skip the cute part. So long as they're a really wonderful person who loves me, I'd be happy.

[ Of course, if they could be cute that'd be a really nice bonus. But having fallen in love for a player you could never see and had no idea what they looked like? That tends to change your perspective on things. ]

Really?! Now that's some true dedication!

[ Because Minako definitely hopes for the 'cute' part to be a big part of it. Why bother going after a guy if you can't even get the best of the best? But it's not like Monika's attitude is totally incomprehensible to her - especially since Minako still smiles, even in the middle of all the surprise on her face. ]

You shouldn't sell yourself short though, you know? Make sure they really are a wonderful person before getting involved with them like that! You never know who's secretly a scumbag deep down.

That's true...

[ She looked visibly uncomfortable. That reminded her of the discussion she'd had with Kotarou. How she could potentially accept someone with terrible intentions, so long as they promised to love her... The player had been just that in a way. He hadn't hesitated to delete her to "complete" the game. She didn't want it, but she was so desperate for love, it left her vulnerable. She hated it. ]

But sometimes I wonder... Like what if you can't find anyone except... Well... [She shook her head and immediately smiled apologetically. She didn't want to show herself as that desperate and vulnerable.] I mean, you're totally right. Sorry, sometimes I tend to overthink things, ahaha!

...

[ Minako is quiet for a moment. There's a hint of concern that flashes in her eyes, but then she just returns to that gentle smile as she shakes her head - as if to shake off the concerns. ]

It's okay! I think sometimes everyone is a little worried that they'll never find the one person who's right for them, and that they'll just have to settle for what they can get, if they can get anything at all.. But the most important part is to never give up at that moment! [ There's definitely a bit of determination in her voice at that. ]

I just know you'll find the perfect person for you one day! And if you ever get worried or discouraged in the meantime.. just look for me, okay? I don't have a boyfriend yet either, so we can share our concerns and cheer each other on!

Thanks, um... [She didn't know her name, did she? She smiled embarrassingly.] Oh gosh, I didn't even introduce myself, ahaha! I'm Monika.

[ She knew she was totally right. It was just... So much more harder to think about this with a clear mind when you came from a world likes hers. Where even the right to love had been taken from her because she'd been a "NPC." Where said love had been the only thing keeping her alive. But she needed to change. ]

I like to believe that too. [It's a bit of a naive belief, that everyone will eventually find the right person for them... But that's a nice thing to believe in.] I hope you'll find the right person too.

Nice to meet you!

[ She smiles. ]

You're in luck though, you know. Because you're talking to the very goddess of love and beauty herself! Yes, that's right, it's me.. Minako Aino!

[ As if anyone is just.. supposed to recognize that name.. But Minako manages to somehow say it with such confidence regardless. ]

[ Minako who? Thankfully, Monika's not so impolite as to point out she has whatsoever no idea who she's supposed to be. She figured she probably was pretty famous back home. Well, she'd been pretty "popular" too in her fake memories... But she'd never introduced herself like that. It was a very... Anime-ish way to go at it.

.... Please Avalon, don't be a video game in disguise. ]

A goddess of love and beauty? Gosh, I sure am lucky to have someone like you on my contact list, ahaha!

[ She didn't mind playing along, she'd done it happily with Drake. And honestly, she wished she had the courage to be like that herself. Maybe magical girl Monika will be a reality someday. ]

You're right! [ Minako stills beams a confident smile.

Don't worry, Monika. One day you too will learn how to be your best magical girl self. ]

But.. you know, even a goddess of love and beauty can be glad to make a new friend. And I know I sure am! [ Especially since Minako is still so relatively new. It's exactly the sort of time where each and every new contact is appreciated. ] So let's talk again sometime soon, okay?

I am too!

[ She laughed and nodded. Monika was pretty new too, so making new friends was nice. And unlike where she came from, they actually felt like real people which was definitely a nice bonus. ]

Mhm, I'm looking forward to our next meeting!

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video; un: lilmonix3 || #MerlinQuest

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