The Analyst

[workthroughit]

There’s a desk.

There wasn’t one before.

The make of it is rich, dark mahogany, furnished with a green banker’s lamp, a ticking metronome, a fine collection of fountain pens and a wood-mounted plaque. It is silver, polished, embossed with a name: DR. A. J. HILL.

The man sitting at the desk looks to be in his early 60s. He is clean-shaven, well-groomed, his thinning brown hair combed back to a soft sheen. His hands, fingernails clean and vein of ages gently showing, are folded on his desk.

He doesn’t address the Nexus; he addresses you. His expression is curious, prying, but there is a soft smile. That smile doesn’t quite reach those probing eyes, however.

“I would like to test you on something, if you permit.” His voice has a distinctly northern european accent; his words are paced at a hurried, crisp clip. “Would you please pick up the card in front of you and tell me. How does the picture on the other side make you feel?”

Dr. Hill smiles again, waiting. The card sitting on the desk in front of him waits as well.

( Nexus LOL )

Love And Property Damage

[silentasthe_glaive]

[Well that’s one way to make an entrance. Or at least, the aftermath of an entrance. There’s a small, perfectly spherical crater in the ground, tinged at the edges with what looks like purple energy. If someone scans the damage, there appear to be trace amounts of something that could be magic-based energies. Also, ringed around that crater are the tattered remains of a poor and unfortunate couch in the wrong place at the wrong time.]

Added to all that, there’s a young girl perched on another couch nearby. (And this one doesn’t carry any grudges for the untimely destruction of its kin.) She looks just shy this side of dazed and out of it, and the brochure is being held in shaky hands.]

“This is really interesting but… how do I go home? CAN I get home? I’m not sure if-“

[She cuts off on that. Things are still blurry and out of focus, and she can feel a headache building if she focuses too hard. So instead Hotaru rubs at her forehead, and switches tracks.]

"…Maybe I should ask a different question? If that’s okay, um… actually I don’t know what else I should ask. What should I ask about?”