Actual Roleplay Post

[keylogged]

the anon is me playing an oc I cba to make an account for wheee

link to this post in site theme (since this journal’s default isn’t)

Comments

[herosandwich]

[So much!]

Pressure.

[Haha! What?]

[(Anonymous)]

[Oh?]

[Picking at that more (directly) probably won’t get anywhere, at least when they’ve just met… How about:] Great? [Soften the voice. Great pressure, pressure to be great… same difference, for these types.]

I didn't mean to bring up great expectations twice in like a week's time but here we are

[herosandwich]

Expectations.

[It's fine. He doesn't mind.]

[(Anonymous)]

[The chuckle which follows that is genuine. (Funny, he might notice in retrospect, that the others haven’t been at all.) She gestures with that raised hand again, palm out, as if presenting him under a spotlight.]

Literary. [Approving.]

[herosandwich]

[He does notice. It's too familiar not to. He'll forgive it, though. A lot of people aren't genuine right away.

[To her assessment, he nods.]

Valedictorian.

[(Anonymous)]

[Brows raise, suitably impressed. Some might call that bragging, but she’ll give him this:] Smart [Quick double-tap to the ol’ noggin.]

[herosandwich]

Study.

[Hardly bragging. He says it like the books ought to get all the credit.]

[(Anonymous)]

[Aw. That’s what they call a nice young lad.]

Dedication.

[herosandwich]

Commitment.

[(Anonymous)]

Important? [To him, as in.]

[herosandwich]

[More than anything.]

Very.

[(Anonymous)]

[Enough to set aside a hobby for the pressure of expectation. Whose, and to what extent that serves him, are separate questions entirely.]

Sound. [For now, passive approval continues.]

[herosandwich]

["Sound" like a "sound" argument? He ponders that for a moment...]

Prepared.

[(Anonymous)]

[Sound argument, and sound to prepare for] Surprises.

[herosandwich]

Ah. [A "fair enough" sort of expression, willing to accept what he did not, indeed, prepare for. He must ponder again.

[Eventually - and he sounds quite satisfied with this answer:]

Pleasant.

[(Anonymous)]

[He’s good at this game. Pleasantly so.

[There’s not much need to counter-ponder, but she offers a delay anyway, chin now cupped in sideways palm. Short-nailed fingers thrum against faded freckles. He’s got it all together, it seems.]

Time.

[herosandwich]

Time?

[Pleasant?

[Tick-tock-tick-tock.]

Waste.

[(Anonymous)]

[There it is.

[The shut-lipped smile that admission draws is genuine but doesn’t linger in the eyes; placid, turned apologetic. At any time, he’s free to] Quit. [and there’s an eyebrow raise that suggests this is about more than just the word game.

[She could have said that in more than one word herself, of course. More telling to see, however, if he has the strength.]