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| Owner | Pose |
|---|---|
| C | In the wake of the theme park having been frozen over during Seah Unsurtr's stay, staff from St. Ursula's had been swamped treating the many victims and beyond that the island itself had been practically wrecked between all the cold damage and then the actual scenes of battle with the massive creature. There was a very real concern that Mishelam may have to close its doors once and for all ... ..which is why it's such a shock that it's back up and running a mere month hence! The woman dressed in an eye-catching bluish-brown suit and bowler hat smiles at the massive line of would-be park goers at Crossbell's docks, "That's right! Everyone at Mishelam worked very hard to bring love and happiness back to the world ... and the one who worked hardest of all is --!!" A life-sized Mishy puts his hands on his hips, standing gallantly atop the Orbal Ship ready to let its passengers board once the show was over, "Mi hi hi~! That right, it's Mishy..! I couldn't bear the thought of letting that dastardly lizard take away everyone's smiles! That's why, we all worked so very hard to bring Mishelam back to life. And to celebrate our grand re-opening, we'll be reducing the cost of entry to a fraction of what it would be! A gift, from Me-shy to You-shy!" . . . why did I agree to this? It was one thing to put on the suit to make Tio happy, but it's somehow become a real job? Lloyd Bannings thinks to himself, from within the depths of his costume. Tio, in the crowd, shakes her fists up and down excitedly. Her Mishette costume was still being prepared on the island, unfortunately -- or, perhaps for Lloyd, more fortunately than he realized. Rixia scratches her cheek, standing beside her, with a nervous laugh. MEANWHILE: The owners had reached out through the SSS to the Elites they'd run into over the course of their many difficult trials against the Cryptids they'd fought -- the park had originally meant to only provide the ones who'd fought Seah Unsurtr with their special tickets, but the SSS were easily able to convince them to provide more for +1's. The docks to the revived Mishelam Wonderland are far more hospitable this time around, everyone here could be assured; the tropical breeze was quite pleasant, the sky was a bright and cloudless blue, and the heat was perfectly tepid and neither too hot, nor too cold, nor even muggy. Entry into the plaza proper reveals it bustling with life and joy, the garden in the center showing a pink, Mishy-shaped pattern of flower placement along with a much smaller pink Mishy Mascot standing watch over the garden in question, her tickets in hand, ready to dispense them to their new owners. Tio's voice drawls out in a slightly more upbeat deadpan than usual, "Yay~! Mishette's so happy to see all of you. Let's all have a lot of fun and make plenty of friends." |
| Featherman Neo | Featherman Neo is here for the show. He's pre-bought merch. Over his trademark red costume, he's wearing a Mishy baseball cap, a Mishy t-shirt, and has a big foam Mishy finger. He's watching the show with, well, you can't tell his facial expression, but he seems pretty excited. He cheers at the end of Mishy's speech, and turns to Tio once they enter and get their tickets. "Mishette! What should we do first? I'm very excited!" He seems genuine. |
| Candy | Candy has never been to anything like this before--the closest would be traveling carnivals, and even those have become scarce in the leaner, more recent years. There is no kerfuffle, no misunderstanding, nothing to resemble that infamous, amusing snapshot of history from Earths beside his own, wherein a certain person of interest was denied entry to a theme park. Candy isn't a diplomat anyway, and so far, his run-ins with the SSS have amounted to a misunderstanding and an explosive tirade. Accordingly, he cheers right alongside Featherman Neo at the end of that little speech. He doesn't yet realize the people in those Mishy and Mishette costumes are people he's forcefully introduced to the butt of a shotgun and other such dirty tricks in recent memory. "This place is so cute!" He runs a hand through his hair and beams, taking it all in. "We oughta hit the ferris wheel! Who's gonna ride it with me?" |
| Redshift Operators | The Redshift Operators are here as well. Why's that? It's not like they were personally involved in the defense of the park, but at the very least their cyborg ninja member has been involved extensively in some of these, and as a result, they're here aboard the orbal ship. It'd be a bit of a faux pas for the armored members of the Redshifts to wear heavy hardsuits and such on this visit, so as a result, they're wearing... *light* hardsuits, the equivalent of casual spacesuits, with roughly the same mask design. This means almost nothing changes for the astronaut or the woman with the complex respirator and goggles, except for the fact that the latter makes sure to purchase a branded Mishette-ear headband to perch atop her hair. Two, actually: One for herself, and one to antagonize the grumpy bastard who came along. "Indeed, it's quite <adorable>." Says one of the Redshifts to Candy, briefly breaking into an esoteric eastern language. "But I'd recommend you not allow my larger friend to join you on the ferris wheel." She leans in close. "None have sat next to him on theme-park rides have ever been the same." That's likely due to his sheer seven-foot size and the fact that he exerts at least six hundred pounds of weight on any ride. He'll maybe get forbidden from the ferris wheel. "Where's the shooting gallery? Might as well have some fun while we're here." Grumbles the grumpiest of the Redshifts. "Hey, Newt, c'mon. Lowest score buys the meals." "Thanks for treating me. Let's go." Looks like he and the astronaut fellow will probably be handling themselves. As with many of the encounters in Crossbell, it's going to be the cyborg woman who is the main actor for the stage. |
| Hibiki Tachibana | Needless to say, a trip to Mishelam Wonderland when it's not frozen over is probably exactly what the doctor ordered. Here with one MIKU KOHINATA as her tagalong (obstensibly just to enjoy the fun too, actually to make 100% sure Hibiki enjoys herself), Hibiki Tachibana is surprised in the best way by the time they're stepping into the plaza of the theme park again. "It really is a wonderland..." She murmurs. "Completely different compared to before..." Without Seah Unsurtr's presence ruining everything, it's enough that she almost really does forget all her current troubles. Almost. But that sure won't diminish how much she enjoys the day, and the pair of teenage girls gratefully move to take their tickets with Hibiki giving definitely-not-Tio-actually-Mishette a nod and a subdued smile. "Nothing can keep Mishy down, huh? Ferris wheel might not be a bad idea, but I'm up for hearing recommendations," she adds on in Featherman's direction. Miku pipes up happily from right beside her, holding her hand. "Mishy...Mishette...just how many more members of the Mishy family will we get to meet here, I wonder?" |
| Rita Ma | Mishelam Wonderland looked very different when it was a grisly popsicle-scape, and so even though she's sort of been here before, Rita finds herself in the same boat as Candy: mouth agape, eyes innocently wide. "This is... Ms. Dwarf, how are you supposed to have fun in a place like this? I can't even pick what to do." She's dressed like a perfectly ordinary girl, of course, but maybe a slightly nicer one than usual. Her shoes are 'Sunday best', and her pretty skirt and cute jacket look to have been recently ironed, though naturally that's as much of an illusion as the rest of her. Reflexively, she reaches out to take Hibiki's other hand, then flinches back when she remembers. Instead she forces herself to cover her guilty grimace with a smile and give Miku a cheerful wave. "It's good to meet you, Miku Kohinata! Hibiki's mentioned you, you know. I'm Rita Ma, one of her coworkers. You've been taking good care of my friend, haven't you? So thanks!" |
| C | "Mishette likes the Ferris Wheel. But." Mishy's little sister pauses to tap the side of her big, fuzzy head and says, "Maybe it'd be better to ask that to our Fortune Teller? These tickets will let you go to any attraction once for free..." And everyone had five tickets; enough for each of the main attractions, and a free dinner for everyone at their famous five-star resteraunt! Though, if they intended to stay the night, they'd need to pay their fare at the Mishelam Inn; albeit at a discounted price Mishette nods fervently at Candy's suggestion of the Ferris Wheel, for obvious reasons given what she just said -- and really, who doesn't like riding those things? Given the majority of the Redshift Operators bringing out the Sunday Spacesuits for the occasion, the whole gaggle are accosted by children ogling them, such as a young boy in shorts and a vested shirt hopping up and down, "Wow! Look, everyone, aren't their suits so cool?! They must be Mishy's new allies!" Indeed -- Neutron and Red Dwarf may find it difficult to wade through, while Red Giant is treated like a jungle gym -- and White Dwarf even receives her own share of fans, such as a little girl with a pink bow on her head and a checkered white and pink sun-dress, "Uuuuuh...c...can I get your autograph...?" She holds up a notebook and ink pen. Eventually, though, the parents, siblings and/or guardians of the various tots manage to catch up to their offspring and pry them back, apologizing to the group profusely for the trouble caused. Never let it be said that spacemen weren't cool. Mishette clears her throat, "Ahem~. If you're looking for our shooting gallery, you should go to the Horror Coaster...." Which leads her into answering the question regarding Mishette's family. What a serious question! "There is a long and tragic backstory regarding Mishy and Mishette's parents ... but the only other one you need to be concerned about right now is Evil Mishy, Mishy's scruffy, no good evil twin who smokes and reads dirty magazines on-duty. He's holed up in the Horror Coaster with his legion of monsters." Mishette says this with utmost seriousess. As an aside, if Lloyd is Mishy and Tio is Mishette, then from that descriptor it isn't difficult to determine who Evil Mishy is. Mishette also makes sure to give Rita her ticket! As well, she reaches out and provides White Dwarf with a miniature map of the park. "This is usually for employees only ... but Mishette already knows where everything is, this is her gift from Me-shy to You-shy." |
| Featherman Neo | Featherman Neo nods to Mishette. "If you like the ferris wheel, I trust you!" And then turns to Candy. "We've met once. Featherman Neo, friend to all, a redeemer of wicked souls. Would you like to go together? After all, she said this is a place to make new friends!" The others all get waves, and the Redshift Operators, despite Neo's thoughts about them, get a smile and a laugh as the kids approach. That's genuinely cute! Featherman Neo looks at Hibiki's right sleeve for a second, and then nods. "Good to see you, Hibiki! Have a lovely time with your friend." |
| Rita Ma | Rita holds her tickets to her chest with both hands, as if the were deeply precious treasures, before eventually remembering she has a little satchel-purse to stick them into. "Thank you, Ms. Mishette!" she says, her face lighting up with a deeply headpattable smile. It fades away just a moment later. "'Legion of monsters'," she reiterates softly. Her expression is abruptly devoid of feeling. Her pupils constrict to little pinpoints. "I understand. Where is the 'Horror Coaster', Ms. Mishette?" |
| Redshift Operators | The giant's aura of personal menace never does seem to affect children. He's happy to pick them up, though every time a parent stops by with their child, he picks them up with one hand and holds them out to the parent in a way that makes his light hardsuit's minor motors wail unnervingly. "Here." Is all he says. It's kind of horrifying; his one damaged optic seems to burn dangerously in its socket. White Dwarf's signature is one that is so complex that it takes a few seconds; it results in a series of eastern and western symbols that are read in multiple meanings, and even has an extra, especially menacing meaning when viewed upside down. It is not her real name, of course, her actual real name is something boring. But it's sure cool!! As the mapkeeper of the Redshifts, the woman with the long ponytail unfolds it and assists the others. "Hmhmhm! While only a fraction of my power would be needed to comprehend this realm, but your assistance is still appreciated." The gratitude, at least, is honest, even if its premise isn't. "Let's partake of the lesser joys. Just a moment." Before the grumpy man gets out of arm's reach, she quickly sneaks one of the mishette headbands she bought onto his head, and pulls back. "*Now* we can continue, and--" Something strikes her. She holds onto her "cursed" mechanical arm, with a rush of "pain". She sees into the future... Blood running knee-deep in the theme park's streets! A slaughter of unimaginable scale! No! This dark future must be prevented! "Rita." She reaches out, and puts a mechanical palm softly on her shoulder. "Perhaps *after* you have eaten?" |
| Hibiki Tachibana | "Ah..." There's a very quiet, slightly surprised sound when Hibiki picks up on what Rita did, and her own expression goes into something halfway between apologetic and '...oh yeah'. Apparently sensing this, Miku interjects with unnatural smoothness and a bright smile. "I should be the one thanking you! Hibiki's told me all about you, and how close you two are. Please keep looking out for her, won't you?" "Miku--" Hibiki murmurs with all the tone of someone who's mom is embarrassing them before sighing. "We will, Featherman! You guys have a good time over there!" She nods him and Candy off, and then gives a small chuckle at the sight of the Redshift Ops being heckled before she looks back to Rita and Mishette. "Evil Mishy, huh...?" Rita gets a glance, but a certain someone is thankfully already on it. "Something tells me's gonna have his hands full already, so I'll leave you guys to it. Then I guess we'll head off to..." "The Fortune Teller!" I wonder why. |
| C | Looking up at White Dwarf with a big smile, she thanks her excitedly, "W-wow...your name sure is complicated, but it looks cool...!" Of course she doesn't know how to read it, but that's besides the point. Most autographs in here are chicken-scratch, anyhow, at least this is cool looking non-sense. <J-IC-Scene> C | Mishette nods her head and grabs Rita by the hand, "Mishy will be here soon to receive more guests after his break. Let's go beat up Evil Mishy." <J-IC-Scene> Redshift Operators | White Dwarf says, "Rita. Perhaps *after* you have eaten?" <J-IC-Scene> Rita Ma says, "! ... Oh- okay. I do feel a little hungry. Thank you for reminding me." Mishette taps her chin in a thinking gesture, "There's lots of snack stands throughout the park ... but there's an actual resteraunt in the rotunda, too. Your tickets are good for one meal there each." She waves goodbye to Featherman and Candy first, and then again to Miku and Hibiki, who both pass by Lloyd with his Mishy head removed, sipping on a big bottle of coconut juice behind a bush. THE FORTUNETELLER: A woman with long blue hair and an elaborate veil covering her face, but not her voluptuous figure, greets Hibiki and Miku from her station in the rotunda, a weird 'shop' full of mystical mumbo jumbo. ...though. For some reason you feel like a lot of these items are shockingly dangerous, somehow. Maybe she really could tell fortunes? "Hello~. My name is lost to time, but, my advice is sound and accurate. I can see that you two are very special guests, with a very special ticket .... well, how about it, would you like me to tell your fortune?" "Although, ufufufu~. You may not like what I have to say. That red-eyed, handsome boy from before stormed off after forking over his mira .. at least your fortune will be free, no?" |
| Rita Ma | A MOMENT AGO: Rita smiles a precious little smile with just the slightest devious undercurrent, obviously cherishing the rare opportunity to destroy Hibiki with praise. "Really, she told you about me? That's so sweet of her! It makes me so happy to know she thinks of me like that." When they depart, she stands on her tiptoes to wave after them. "Have fun at the fortune-teller! We can meet back up for dinner, right?" ---- NOW:Rita takes Mishette's hand, still in something like a trance- but White Dwarf's words snap her out of it. She shakes her head a little, her pupils dilating once more. "Um, right! Actually, Ms. Mishette, I am feeling sort of hungry. Are there any of those stalls that'd have... you know...?" She smiles apologetically, feeling a little guilty for even asking. "... Then after that, I can beat up Evil Mishy for you. Is that okay?" |
| Candy | "Sure, sounds good to me," says Candy to Featherman. "Too bad about the spaceman, though. I bet he likes the ferris wheel, too." This, over the groaning of the giant's servos. Candy excitedly claps his hands, rubbing his palms together, before clapping Featherman on the back. "Well, let's go! Lastonethere'sacop!" He promptly takes off--cheating with short range teleportation that makes it look like someone made a stop-motion short of him default-posing his way across the park grounds. He does lose some time because he stops to ogle some souvenirs. |
| Featherman Neo | Candy cheats. But Featherman is faster than a normal human, and as soon as he's told 'lastonethere'sacop', he BOLTS. He runs as fast as he possibly can to get to the Ferris Wheel. Nobody calls Featherman Neo a cop. Nobody! Once they're there (and the winner has been settled), he moves to exchange his ticket to get on the ride with Candy. He asks, genially, once they're in the wheel. "So, why did you join the Watch?" There's not a single drop of ill-will at all. In fact, it sounds like sympathizing. |
| Hibiki Tachibana | "Yeah, we'll see you there! Don't be too rough with that guy, even if he probably deserves it!" Hibiki waves off Rita as they separate. Yeah, she figured that one out. He's too nice to get eaten no matter what Tio thinks. Probably. NOW, AT THE FORTUNETELLER'S: Hibiki looks slightly skeptical at the array of mystical stuff on display, but when she thinks better on it, she realizes where they are and that most of it is probably the real deal. Miku, for her part, looks both fully faithful and determined. "A red-eyed handsome boy...?" "Yes please, ma'am! We'd like..." Drumroll. "...the future fortune, if that's alright!" "If she's reading for the both of us, wouldn't that...?" After a moment, Hibiki decides against finishing that out loud. Whether there's any crossover between that and the love fortune isn't any of her business. "Y-Yeah, that's the one I was going to ask for, anyway...how does all this work, anyway?" |
| C | FOOD: Mishette nods, "That's alright. Evil Mishy deserves to get beaten up by everyone." she assures. Looking between her and White Dwarf, she then goes on to say, "Mishette is also a little parched, so ..." Having remembered that Rita had asked Randy for a lot of raw meat last time, Mishette who is FOR SURE not Tio, does her best to remember where that one grilled food stall was and winds up leadinig Rita not too far away, about a seven minute walk through the rotunda and out somewhere between the Ferris Wheel and the Fortune Teller. There's a large, burly man far too large and muscular for his itty bitty grill and much too masculine for his Mishy Ears and pawprint t-shirt. "Nya. Welcome to my grill, what'll it be?" he says, genially, with a voice as deep as a rumbling earthquake. Mishette, from seemingly nowhere, produces 500 Mira. "Whatever she wants." FERRIS WHEEL: Candy is gawked at frequently as he default poses his way towards the Ferris Wheel area. Featherman, who was here prior, can tell that the place is far more lively than it had been before -- though several buildings were now missing, that had been smashed up by Seah Unsurtr. Likely, they just didn't have the time or money to repair them and had cut their losses. It did however, make more room for souvenir stands, food stalls, and resting areas that many common folk were enjoying. Both rich and poor, young and old alike seemed to be enoying their time here, and the souvenirs were of a wide variety instead of being /only/ Mishy branded, Candy can tell. The man in the red, velvet uniform accepts the ticket with a smile. "Thank you very much, and please enjoy your ride!" The man then turns and cycles the next booth, opening the door to let Candy and Featherman in with a conspiratorial wink. |
| Candy | Candy loves conspiratorial winks. He gives one right back, and raises his eyebrows to boot. There's nothing going on here that would warrant either--but he loves to throw them in especially when they're not warranted. Once he's piled in, Featherman's question is addressed just as conversationally as it was posed. Candy's palms lay in his lap and he wears a smile--despite the fact that his gawking had cost him freedom from cophood, he's still pretty glad to be here. "Well," he says, shifting to slip an arm around the back of the seat, "Even if you can do something by yourself, more hands makes the work go faster. Plus, it feels better, doing something with other people, especially when you're done and you can all appreciate it." There's a knowing smile as he rests his chin on the opposite hand, "Or, did you mean 'why the Watch and not some other thing?'" Now that his palms aren't in his lap anymore, Featherman can see that, at some point, somehow, Candy obtained for himself a small souvenir from one of those stands. The outline of something cute makes itself known in his pocket. |
| C | FORTUNETELLER: "Ahaha~." Chuckling to herself, she motions to the two wooden chairs in front of her table for the two to be seated, and makes vaguely mystical motions over her crystal ball. "Well for this type of reading ... I'll use this. A reading of the future, is it?" She holds her hand out to Hibiki and makes a 'gimme' motion with her long, well maintained and painted nails so that she might receive one of her tickets, and moves to slide it into one of her drawers. "A girl who suffers from misfortune ... indeed, you are unlucky, Hibiki Tachibana. There are many trials ahead of you and the ones you hold dear, the tighter you grip them, the more of that storm they shall weather." "You, especially, may wish to watch yourself," she mentions off-handedly to Miku, " ... otherwise you might find yourself swept straight into your next life before you know it." "Beware pride, pained boys, and cackling women. Not myself, of course, ufufu~." "Although, the future is also not set in stone. Life is what you make of it, after all." |
| Redshift Operators | White Dwarf decides to join Rita and Mishette. Tio is one that she recalls, but her voice is obscured juuuust enough to not realize that this is the one who riot-hosed her excessively before. Rita, of course, is one she likes, purely because she really likes someonw with Secret Dark Evil and a Monsterous Side, and is always happy to pretend to be the same. "I'm happy to see the Mishy family has its own Red Giant just like ours. Truly remarkable." She says, as she reaches the grilled food stall. She'll pay for her own order of yakitori, of course (she pronounces it just-slightly-wrong), with her own supply of Credits, and... *how* exactly is she eating? She never seems to be biting into it, but there's always missing pieces when you look later. "And for you, Rita? I'd recommend something filling, considering the circumstances. It is best that we not incite any dread curses or evil alternate souls, such as it is." Rita's may be more an instinctive compulsion, but hey! It roughly maps to those things White Dwarf truly loves. |
| Featherman Neo | Featherman sees the souvenir, as he sits with Candy after conspiratorial winking. He nods, and then clarifies his question. "I did mean not some other thing. Obviously, you don't like cops, until you just became one." He says, playfully. "I'm not the biggest fan, either, but my justice doesn't discriminate on who I work with. It's why I'm currently a free agent. But the Watch...has always felt the most pure to my heart." He's being honest. Featherman Neo is a big-time Watch sympathizer, it seems. |
| Rita Ma | On the walk over, Rita produces a little canteen from her satchel and takes frequent sips. She's not sweating, but staying hydrated is really important anyway! She's just about to try and hand over a ticket when Mishette puts down the mira for her meal. "Oh!! Thank you so much, Ms. Mishette! You really are wonderful," she says brightly. Her hand squeezes Mishette's through the costume's glove as she answers White Dwarf: "I don't want to impose, but... you're right, I ought to fill up. So please don't worry about any 'curses', Ms. Dwarf!" That innocent, sunny smile is turned on the burly man. "Um, I'd like..." ---- Bones crunch. Skin is gulped down in sheets. Gristle gets torn to ribbons with a twist of her head. Blood and juices run down Rita's chin and neck, down her wrists, and scab under her fingernails. A perfect engine of destruction, one hundred percent enamel. Her claws are like a knife and fork; her throat is like an in-sink garbage disposal. Any piranha can skeletonize a cow, but Rita doesn't leave a single bone behind. She blinks a few times after the last raw rib vanishes, her brain visibly rebooting after the shark-like glassy-eyed frenzy. After a moment Rita gives an embarrassed little cough, turning her head aside to wipe the juices away with a napkin. "Um. I... thank you, Ms. Mishette. I think I feel a lot better now." "Anyway, where's Evil Mishy? You still wanted me to fight him, right?" |
| C | FOOD: "Coming right up, nya." he says with a nod. He didn't know who Red Giant was, but he sounded very manly and thus, has the grill-keep's respect. He takes Rita's order and ... A Short Time Later.. Tio dabs her face, having taken off her Mishette head in private after they'd all gotten their orders and sat down somewhere to eat, dutifully cleaning the splash zone disaster off of her head and hair. She'd gotten pineapple juice as her freshment of choice and, in doing so, has revealed her face and true identity to White Dwarf. That's right ... Tio was really Mishy's little sister all along. What a twist! "Yes, Evil Mishy is on the other side of the park ... the Crystal Palace was damaged badly enough that it was split into two new attractions." Though there were apparently plans to make a new castle-like attraction later, she didn't know much about the details. Tio places the Mishette head back over her own, "Let's go beat him up." she says, giving Rita a re-assuring squeeze with her own paw. That mangy Evil Mishy was going to pay for all of his misdeeds, for sure. |
| Hibiki Tachibana | Hibiki hands over their payment in tickets, and both of the pair take their seats. Though Miku is looking much more openly invested, it's obvious that the blonde of the two is listening closely even despite her skepticism from before. It becomes even more obvious when she starts actually taking their fortune. "The tighter I grip them--?" Her mouth falls open slightly, and she blinks a few times. Miku, sitting right beside her, exchanges glances with her before they simultaneously look back to the woman. "You're saying I'll be in danger, too...?" Pride and pained boys. That's...suspiciously accurate. Hibiki looks just a little worried before the fortuneteller finishes, upon which she turns her head back up and nods seriously. "...I won't let that happen. If the future isn't set in stone, then it doesn't matter how unlucky I am. We'll just have to change it for the better." Miku, who had been looking a bit solemn herself, brightens up on hearing that with a teasing tone. "Isn't that too cool of a line to give at a time like this, Hibiki? It's just a fortune, you know." "Y-Yeah, I guess so..." She rubs at the back of her neck with her hand, before clearing her throat. "...Thanks. I'll remember what you said, miss." |
| Redshift Operators | Absolutely terrifying. It's like the intersection of a kitten who overexcitedly slams headfirst into a bowl of milk, and a rogue chainsaw with no regard for OSHA regulations. The cyborg swordswoman is almost too awed by the display to wield her yakitori stick in elegant, totally excessive deflections of the juice-spray. Nothing could predict this. "..." She regards Rita, staring directly at her mouth, for several seconds, before she perks right back up into her overconfident chuuni tones. "Hmhmhm, do not worry, <Lita>! The information I have decoded from this artifact map shows clearly our path..." She strikes a dramatic pose of intense consideration. "...to <HORROR COASTER!>" She'll take Rita's opposite side, and does dramatic map-considering poses constantly on the way there. |
| Candy | "Because the Paladins are selfish and so is the Concord. It's just different kinds, is all," explains Candy casually. He was, apparently, quite ready for that to be the question. "When the dog dies, the rabies goes too. But the Paladins, they do not understand this. They see somebody thumb-screwing other people, and they think, 'ho ho! We have to stop this.' Fine. Good, even." He nods, as if conceding a point. "The problem is the way they do it. They care more about how you /dress up/ doing the right thing than actually /doing/ the right thing, ah? And they can't not care about it--because if they stop, then the Commonwealth pulls the plug. Limey, she talks about cops and robbers, but you tell me who had the giant police... blimp..." He gesticulates in an idle circle with his hand. "Airship... spaceship... station... whatever. That thing wasn't built to help people, it was built so the Commonwealth could slap their dicks on the table and say 'beat this!'" "The Langstrom woman likes to take the people that died on that thing and lay 'em at our feet, like they didn't take that job knowing one day somebody might call that stupid fucking bluff." Candy shakes his head, and falls silent for a moment. He's looking away, down at the ground. But something else strikes him, and he bolts upright with an index finger angrily jabbed in the air. "People die every day out there because helping them would mean getting your hands dirty or doing something some fat piggy in an office somewhere wouldn't like. Me, I wanna burn those places down, give people control over their own lives again." So... why not the Concord? His tone is somber, reflective, as he calms down again. "The oranges... well, they seem like they want to be the ones in control, and that's not what I want. What I want... it'd be a pretty big change from the way we do things now, and I might not ever get to see it." The implication is that it's a change that'd upset people used to being in charge. |
| Featherman Neo | Candy is quite energetic about this, in different ways. Featherman Neo listens carefully, before speaking. "I agree, mostly. I don't think you and I see eye to eye on how to do it - especially since I have been aiding the SSS..." This isn't a secret, the Watch already knows. "But the Concord cares more about their ambition, while the Paladins primarily care more about pageantry. Even so..." "Grandmaster Eryl Fairfax means well. Many of them do. I don't think the problem is with the Paladins. I think it's with the Commonwealth. They saw the Union, and wanted to be as much of that while cutting off the bad parts. But I'm not sure they entirely have." But there is a pause. "But Ad Coelum was sad, either way. It may have been necessary for your people, but at the same time, a lot of life was lost. And that's something I want to avoid. A Featherman does not kill, because if you do it enough in anger, it stains the soul black." This sounds more like experience than just heroic bullshit. "The questioning is not to interrogate you, of course. I think we could work together, in the future. But to do so, I need to understand where you come from! And since I have no reason to distrust you, I'm listening to miss Rita and not simply trying to understand you through your mind." Featherman peers out the window. Perhaps they're at the top, now? |
| C | THE FORTUNETELLER: Snickering, the woman nods her head, "That's the spirit. Don't despair at the future ... such things, always, are in your own two hands. Good luck, girls ... also ..." She raises one hand pinches her forefinger to her thumb, "Try and have better spending habits~. Growing up in a circus taught me just how loose purse strings really are, but it'd be better if you two had a wonderful time tonight, isn't it~?" Upon leaving the shop, they aren't given much time to consider what to do next with the rest of their tickets before a man in a casual blazer stomps by them, tears in his eyes. "H...how did I lose all my money to that guy....!?" The rest area just ahead that the man had stomped off from, is now occupied by a familiar boy with a shock of white hair and reddish brown eyes and a happily sneering grin on his face, "Hoo~. Talk about a real catch, for a second I thought that guy was gonna' lose the clothes on his back, too." he says to himself. |
| C | THE FERRIS WHEEL: The cabin that the two are sitting in finally reaches the apex of its movement right as their conversation reaches its own climax. Featherman looks out the window and bears witness to Mishelam in all its glory; and he may realize, it is easy to see why this is a good dating spot. The reflection of the sun on the shining blue waters, the muffled sounds of joy and celebration across the park and a bird's eye view of everything it has to offer, including the Mishette-faced garden at the plaza. And the horizon is decorated with the Horror Coaster and Castle of Mirrors, the remains of the Crystal Palace which has taken on the asymmetrical appearance of a black ruined haunted ruin, and a shining beacon of mystery respectively. This is the place that they all saved, together. And ... a treachorous notion may come, this exact vantage point is also most likely where he was shot. And if so, the assailant had to have the sharp eyes of an eagle, indeed. |
| Rita Ma | Rita very conscientiously (and with no small amount of embarrassment) helps Tio clean off her face with a napkin. "I'm sorry, miss T- Ms. Mishette! I should've sat further away. You're alright, aren't you?" Her expression is a tense sort of grimace. Even when people tell me it's okay to be 'this way' around them... I still feel like it's not. As if they'll finally see something that'll make them push me away, like they should have at the start. The other shoe has to drop sometime. But it's rude, isn't it, to let them know that? To tell them I'm scared they'll stop tolerating me. ... The best thing for it is just to pretend not to be scared. But I still am. She stays hand-in-hand with Mishette on the whole walk over to the Horror Coaster, with White Dwarf close by her opposite side. As they approach the attraction, she finally broaches a difficult topic. "Hey, Ms. Dwarf. Do you know that I'm not Japanese?" |
| Hibiki Tachibana | "Aha...we'll try to remember that..." Hibiki gives an awkward chuckle and nods. "I like to think I'm pretty frugal when it comes to spending." Miku nods along. "We'll make sure to enjoy ourselves! Thank you for the fortune, miss!" On their way out, they only get the briefest moment to consider meeting back up with one of the other groups when the extremely unfortunate individual trudging past gets them both stopping to blink and watch him go off miserably into the distance. "He lost all his money? Talk about timing..." Looking back towards he came, Hibiki stops for a moment, eyes going slightly wide before she starts forward. "Hibiki?" She doesn't stop, but she does look back over his shoulder. "He's someone I remember!" Pushing up to a light jog, Hibiki waves up with her good hand to get the white-haired boy's attention. "You again...! From when we met and went to that diner, right? I'm not seeing things, am I?" |
| C | HORROR COASTER: Pumping her free paw, Mishette walks side by side with Rita, White Dwarf leading them onwards to an inevitible victory. ... its obvious, of course, that they get many odd stares. But there's also just as many delighted squeals of "those three are so cute together!" and "they have so many new mascots, this is just lovely!" or "that one's so lucky, she's being escorted by Mishette AND one of the new characters! Guh..." So on and so forth. By the time they reach the ominous HORROR COASTER, Rita had worked up the courage to address an issue. The black, ruined castle looms overhead while Mishette turns to face the two of them, the red skylight flashing through the black mist pouring from the tops of it. " ... japanese ..? Oh, a place from out in the multiverse. I heard that it is somewhat similar to the easternmost countries here in Zemuria. "Where are you from? Mishette is from Mishelam, obviously." |
| C | THE GAMBLER: "Oh...? Huh, well damn. Small world, ain't it?" With a lazy smile, he waves at her. He seems to be wearing a nearly identical getup to the last time they met and, he appears to have set up a miniature folding table in front of the benches of the resting area on which a green playing mat has been laid. Auspiciously, he was sorting out two decks of Blade cards; and to the right of his lap is a rucksack with a variety of other winnings spanning from jewelry, to mira, quartz, and even whole wallets. It isn't rocket science to determine just what the man from before had meant about losing all his money, now. With a cheeky smile, he asks, "You come here looking for a hot date? Already got a cutie on one arm, now you need a stud on the other? Wow, you're incorrigible." |
| Hibiki Tachibana | It only takes a couple moments for Hibiki to get the general idea here, that's for sure. He really did get people to bet their entire wallets against him!? When he says that, she only briefly sputters before shaking her head vehemently. "Very funny. Something tells me you and Randy would get along..." "Well, Hibiki? /Are/ you here looking for a hot date?" Miku fully catches up and questions, with a curious tilt of her head, with a tone that makes it hard to tell if she's teasing. She is, but it's enough that Hibiki has a bead of sweat go down the side of her face. "N-No, of course not, geez..." She actively stops herself from tripping over her words again, before planting her hand on her hip. "I just was surprised. This is..." Hibiki pauses, looking at him. "...Actually, I didn't get your name before. What are you doing here, anyway? ...Other than the obvious." |
| Redshift Operators | "Hmmmm? Of course I knew that, <Lita>. You come from a world suffering a great disaster, and yet you make your home aboard boats. If you came from an earth suffering great disaster and were Japanese, you would be in Japan, as it would be the only surviving nation, for various reasons." The ninja says, in smug, knowing tones. "You see, historically, disasters must either completely obliterate the Japanese, or allow Japan and only Japan to survive, but remaining refugees? Certainly not, <Lita>." Wait, so why *is* she saying it like that?! She also joyously indulges her role as a Character, showing off. She never put on a Discount Dan's Imitation Human Flesh Sleeve today, so she can do little handshakes with her robot arm! As for the park proper? "Truly remarkable... this place *overflows* with dark auras! We *have* to go inside." She's starry-eyed! Or, at least, starry-goggled. |
| Candy | Candy's silent, at the apex, save for a single, breathy, 'wow.' He can't fly, he's not particularly agile, and most of the vantage points he's ever had, were had because of his teleportation or his knowledge of the area. This area is new to him, and it's good. So many smiles, the sparkle of sunlight broken on the water. "I think I can see the others!" He points towards the Horror Coaster. His smile is reflected on the window; an expression of wonderment and simple joy. The ride hangs there, giving the two of them the chance to drink everything in. It dawns on him, then: he's got to take someone special up in one of these, sometime. There's a bronze blush in that reflection-- *Or maybe someone special will take -me- to one.* It's only once the ride starts moving again that he's back on the original topic. "It /is/ sad. I don't want people to die. But it don't matter how well they mean, because those kinds of people are the kind that fuck everything up." The back of his hand strikes the open palm of the opposite, three times, to emphasize the last three words. "They're the kind of people who believe the army recruiter, you know? Who hear 'what an honor it is to serve your country' and think, 'holy shit, sign me up!'" "My friend," says Candy, placing a hand on Featherman's shoulder, "There are a lot more people like that than there are locusts, vultures and pigs. Those people, they end up doing exactly what the animals want, and /lots/ of 'em die never knowing that. Lots of those people died on that thing, you bet, but what's really sad is that thing was designed to attract them." "People that can move the kinda shit to make an Ad Coelem, they need people who believe in stupid shit like 'honor' and 'the soul of the country,' I dunno how you call it." He shrugs his shoulders. "What was that word you used? Pageantry? Maybe. I dunno. You wanna know where I come from?" He falls silent, and there's a prolonged sigh, with his shoulders heaving in tandem. His posture in the seat shifts forward, his hands dipping below his knees and clasping loosely together. "Somebody, somewhere, had a vision that didn't include me and my family. And that person, he sold enough people on that vision, and sold it good enough, that people put on the uniforms, and picked up the guns for it. I was eight. That's where I come from. And where I come from, when the dog dies, the rabies goes, too." "We can work together. But you worry about your soul, and let me worry about mine. You understand, Featherman?" |
| C | THE GAMBLER: He laughs and waves one hand, "Well who wouldn't want to come and see Zemuria's favorite theme park re-open? Besides, with the cost of entry temporarily lowered, even a poor schmuck like me can get in, today." Winking at Miku, he leans back in his seat and folds one leg over the other. "So .. since you're both here, how about a game? If you play, I'll tell you my name. But you have to also give me one of those tickets you got in exchange." "The name's Rean Coldsteel, by the way." He holds his hand out in an exaggerated 'gimme', "I already told you so now you gotta' pay up!" |
| Rita Ma | The attention from the crowds (now that she's gotten the gore and juices cleaned off) makes Rita embarrassed to the point of hiding her blushing face with one hand, the other still holding Mishette's. Even so, she's wearing a stupid smile, as much as she doesn't want to show it. "Miss Mishette... they really love you, don't they? Is this why you like looking like that so much?" I think I could understand you a little, if that's the case. White Dwarf's explanation just gets a confused wheezing cough and a wide-eyed look out of her. "Is that really how it works...? But what's special about Japan? I don't get it. I don't even know much about them, except that they did some really bad things before the floods." She nods to Mishette earnestly in response to her question. "It's like Ms. Dwarf said. I grew up on a little boat with just my dad and my brother. Then my dad died, and we moved to a bigger boat called the 'Union Busan'. I guess that's where I'm from. So I've never seen anything like this at all." She pauses for just a moment in front of the Horror Coaster. Her hands ball up into little fists. Whoever this 'Evil Mishy' is, he's about to get the beating of his life. Her body shimmers subtly for just a moment as her invisible true form steps out of the hollow wrappings of her disguise-body, leaving them behind as a decoy. The decoy Rita walks into the ride with the hidden real one trailing a few feet behind, just in case. |
| Hibiki Tachibana | ""Rean..." "...Coldsteel?" Miku looks politely surprised, while Hibiki is squinting slightly. She raises a finger, stops with her mouth open, then slowly lowers it. "Wait, but then what are we supposed to get if we win now?" Despite saying that, Hibiki actually does take one of their tickets to give to him, right before taking a seat opposite from him. "...Well actually, you can tell me more about yourself instead. Since apparently, you knew plenty about my circumstances, but I didn't know any about yours. That seems fair." There's a slightly wistful tone in her voice that only lasts a moment before she squares up, and Miku takes a seat next to her. "Mr. Coldsteel," she starts, without a single bit of hesitation in saying it, "You're not, um...what they call a 'scam artist', right? But I'll play, too! Hibiki taught me a little about how to, to help her practice." |
| Featherman Neo | Featherman doesn't shy from the contact. As Candy talks, shares his story, Featherman makes a noise that sounds like sympathy. At the end... "I understand. If I can help you in your world, I will. And I won't try and save you, because I don't think you need it. But if you *do* ever start walking the path of the red, of that great nameless demon who started that suffering, I'll have to change it." That might be words for concern, but Featherman laughs. "But unlike him, your ideals are pure. They're covered in blood, but they're pure! You will most likely be a true Featherman ally who avoids that path. Perhaps together, we can find a world that doesn't need all of these lives shed." There's a ding on his belt. He nods, knowingly. Candy won't have any idea what it means. Together, they will scale the Tower before it crumbles over them. |
| C | Mishette nods her head slightly, "This is .. one of the bonds I have to other people ... " she admits, before adding on, "and also, I really do just like Mishelam. It is full of precious memories for me." She seemed pleased as pinkly as her costume was colored at the positive reception, and reaches out with her free paw to rub the top if Rita's head the same way that Lloyd did to her, or Kea, when they felt sad. "You sound like you've had a hard life. But I'm glad we were able to meet eachother here ... and I hope that Mishelam becomes a good memory for you, too." Especially as she, like Tio, hadn't had any idea of what these kinds of places were like before coming here. From that perspective, she felt a sense of camaraderie with Rita that she didn't share, even with the SSS. The group hand over their tickets to the velvet-red garbed attendant who smiles and opens the drawbridge that leads to the Horror Coaster. Mishette herself explains the rules, as they all clamber into a kart mounted to an orbal rail. "These special Mishy Masers can banish the monsters inside in a flash," -- they're actually paintball guns, it seems. "We have to shoot down as many of Evil Mishy's minions as possible before we reach the end and confront the mastermind himself." The ghostly, true Rita is un-noticed as she trails behind. The group is then sent on a sprawling tour of the ruined remains of the Crystal Palace, with plenty of glowing holograms to shoot with their 'Mishy Masers'. Tio has about a six-out-of-ten shot accuracy at best, perhaps due to the constraints of shooting with her Mishette mask on. Rita is the only one who might be acclimated to the darkness and the fog too, and the red mood lighting helps really sell the 'real-ness' of the holographic apparitions they were battling. And like a roller coaster, it does accelerate and go through many dips, turns, spins and looping twirls as they are shot through nearly two miles of re-purposed ruins before coming to a stop in the final room ... where a Mishy with glowing yellow eyes, a purple coat of fur and a sneer of crooked whiskers blocks their path. "Nyeh!" "If you thought it would be as easy as defeating my underlings, you're dead wrong! Consider this trip to Gehenna a gift..from Me-shy to You-shy! Gahahaha!" Mishette raises her Mishy Maser and immediately begins pelting him with an unending barrage of paintballs; perhaps this is why she'd barely been shooting, earlier. "W-wait, Tiotot, hold on this suit isn't padded -- I'm not done going through my lines -- AAAAAAAAAAAA!!" Randy yells, drowning under what would presumably soon be a three-way barrage. But maybe the other two were kinder than that? ... Probably not. |
| C | THE GAMBLER: "Me..? Haha, no way. C'mon, is this the face of some no-good crook?" Rean Coldsteel gives a winning smile that practically twinkles in the sunlight. There's no way he was about to take them for a ride. "Great, it's a deal, then. But you have to beat me to get something out of it!" ....and oddly enough, he proceeds to lose every single game of Blade, somehow. Hibiki and Miku have a massive, three-game long streak on each of their records. While they were free to use their own deck -- lended from Vulcan -- that still shouldn't indicate he was just cheating the whole time, right? Rean Coldsteel sweats, dabbing at his forehead, "Jeez. I might actually have to cough up my life's story now .... but, how about one more game? Winner takes all. I'll even stake my pot on it." Raising his rucksack up, he gives it a little shake, and they could both be assured there was quite a day of winnings there. "Aaaaaand if I win this time, I want ..a date! A beauty on each arm, what more could a guy ask for?" "Well? Feel up to one more?" "If not, then you can just forfeit everything you already won to the pot ... ehehehe~." |
| Rita Ma | Despite the invisibility shell-game she's playing with false bodies and all, Rita actually starts to relax into the ride's kayfabe once she figures out that the guns shoot paintballs and the monsters are fake. Even her decoy body smiles and leans out of her seat, eagerly gunning for the high score- Tio won't be much competition if she's conserving her ammo that strictly, but White Dwarf will doubtlessly make for a worthy opponent. That means her gun's completely dry by the time they reach the end. But that won't matter. The monster I'm supposed to defeat... there it is. It's hideous. Is this the kind of beast that Tio skinned to make her Ms. Mishette costume? "Rita" stares at Evil Mishy blankly for a moment, and then dissolves. The real Rita shimmers into view behind him while he's talking. She's not paying attention to the words. A tentacle wraps around his ankle, whips him into the air with terrifying speed, and then slams him into the ground behind her hard enough to crack the floor. She twists around, eyes wide and fist pulled back, ready to slug Evil Mishy in the face with her full superhuman strength. There's only a single, horrifying second where anyone else can intervene, where her whole body is lethally coiled like a spring. Then her hand is a blur. The shockwave of the punch makes her clothes flutter. It sounds like a gunshot. |
| Redshift Operators | "Ah, a treasured homeland, even if it *overflows with darkness*. I am much the same. Not about Mishalem, obviously. I've never been here before in my life. Unless...?" The goggles flicker and flutter in a way that seems to suggest waggling eyebrows. The precognitive has one hell of a time with her paintball thing. She totally lacks firearms skills, but the ability to spam attempts ahead of time gives her a fairly good shot accuracy on surprise popups. It's a little bit like having a couple save slots to save-scum with! She regards Tio's spray with some consternation. She's starting to feel less offended by the riot-hosing she received before, because it's fairly clear she has just about as much regard for the people she knows. For her own part, the cyborg has done a *lot* of shooting, not holding much in reserve, but she joins in with a few key shots. Her grip on the "weapon" is lost in the shockwave of the heavy punch though. The rumbling of the ruthless strike knocks it free of her hand. She's still stuck in the cart when Rita reveals her secret, and so her own strategy is to call out in the moments before she slugs Evil Mishy, "<So fast>--! *Rita no!* You already got maximum points!" Huh? What *about* the violence? Come on, Crossbell PD's SSS owes them, this probably follows the Rule of Simpsons Prison. A little roughness on a costume never made it look *less* evil. |
| Hibiki Tachibana | The challenge is issued, and the pair proceed to double-beat Rean Coldsteel into the card game equivalent of a crater in the ground. Hibiki for her part looks to be steadily picking up in mood and confidence the more they win - while Miku keeps an even expression, and is probably the only one of the two who's /actually/ a little in-the-know about what might be going on here, on top of actually being noticeably more measured and with a more methodical playstyle. Between which one of them is actually better at playing Blade, it's pretty easy to tell. Wasn't Miku only supposed to have been helping her practice? "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Coldsteel. I don't want to hear any complaints when you lose, okay?" But rather than calling him out on anything, the entirely ordinary girl is the one who immediately accepts with a smile, yet also an undeniable 'bring it on' aura emanating from behind the sweet expression. For Hibiki, the stakes almost get her to call it there on principle, but she ends up sighing and nodding with a grin. "...Alright, you're on. Either way, it'll be a good chance to get to know each other better, huh?" |
| C | HORROR COASTER *BOOM* White Dwarf and Mishette rack up a ton of bonus points by shooting Evil Mishy, with the latter having saved up enough ammo to get enough of a bonus to catch up to the former. But nothing takes the cake like the titanic blow that knocks Evil Mishy off his feet and sends him directly into one of the pillars with enough force to drive him through it, shaking the entire attraction. Outside, there's something of a panic, followed swiftly by confusion as the shaking stops as quickly as it began. Evil Mishy's paint-splattered head rolls across the ground to Rita Ma's feet. Silence pervades the dust clouding the room, mixing blearily with the obscuring black mist spewed from the vents of the fog machines planted in cleverly hidden spots of the coaster. Several stones shift as Randy crawls out, the blow having punched clean through his costume and the clothes underneath to leave a nasty looking bruise on his chest. "Guh..." It is a true testament to Randy Orlando's true capabilities that this was the worst he got from such a visceral strike, "Dear Aidios, I thought I was about to die ... whew. -- oof." He staggers as he pushes himself to his feet, "Did ya' really need to friggin' sucker punch me like that?! And, even Tiotot shot me up like some kind of gangbanger, that was awful." Mishette pumps her paw, hoisting her Mishy Maser to the air, "We won. This was your just desserts for all your misdeeds, Evil Mishy, you utter lousse. Reflect on it wisely." After taking some time to catch his breath, Randy presents them with their prizes; for White Dwarf in second place, the Sitting Mishy plush. It's bigger than a teddybear and is meant to be used as a decoration for a dresser, or something similar and along with it is a silver Mishy strap. "This goes to second place." Rita receives a Ride-Along Mishy Kaiser, a depiction of Mishy in a royal red coat and a big golden crown on his head, who is capable of affixing himself squarely upon someone's arms, shoulder, or head to come along on a grand adventure. Along with this, she receives a golden Mishy strap. "The first place prize; treat it well, yeah?" "..unfortunately, Tiotot didn't score enough points to land third place, so all she gets is the consolation prize." It's a bronze Mishy strap, and a coupon for a free ice-cream at the beach behind the Rotunda. "Now...I /really/ need to catch a breather.." |
| Candy | Candy blinks. For a moment, he's dumbstruck, but only just. "Okay," he says, between quiet laugher. "Whatever you say, Featherman. I'll be on the lookout for any, ah, big red guys. And I promise only to flirt with them a little, ah? Hahaha." More seriously, "Looking forward to it." Candy extends his hand for a firm shake--and when the ride is over, he steps out of the booth and gives a pleased stretch. It was a pretty good experience. Even with the sudden hard ideological turns, the view was great, and next time he can always leave that part out. Candy chuckles, then parts ways with Featherman, offering a casual wave as he wanders around the park. *I bet Rita's having fun!* Evil Mishy sure didn't have fun, but there will be no help for Randy from Candy, because he instead is drawn in by the sight of the GAMBLER, the sizable sum emptied onto the table, and its rapid shrinkage. He utters a low whistle, gradually studying how the game is played. He likes these sort of things! There's a gleam in his eye, the more he begins to understand--and it turns a shade of 'mischievous approval' at that Miku girl's challenge. He hasn't introduced himself, but he can wait. He wants to watch an expert in play. The moment that the GAMBLER's eyes should turn towards him, however, his expression is every bit that of the unassuming, impressed country rube. "Wow!" |
| C | THE GAMBLER: "Yep..a real good chance! And don't worry, I promise not to kow-tow too hard if you manage to do me in. Alright, draw.." The rules of Blade were relatively simple. Most cards reflected a weapon and had a number affixed to them, along with special Effect Cards which did not have values but executed other valuable effects. At the start of the game, each player draws and plays one card, and the one with the lower score gains the first turn. Each player then takes turns playing cards; playing a numbered card will end a player's turn, but they may play any number of Effect Cards before then. The exception to this is the Orbal Staff card, which is both an Effect Card and a Weapon Card and as such, follows Weapon Card rulings; its special effect revives the last card from that player's field removed from play. The other Effect Cards were Bolt and Mirror; the former destroying the last card played by the opponent and removing it from play, and the latter reversing the fields and accordingly, swapping the scores of the targetted player. At least, that's how both Miku and Hibiki understood it, they were taught to play with Vulcan's deck after all... But this time, Rean Coldsteel reveals his secret weapon. The brand new second series effect cards that he had refrained from using prior, even when he had them in his hand. He turns around a losing match after Miku pulls off an excellently timed Mirror to swap her score of 14 with his score of 21. It seemed like a certain victory, yet .. "Bet'chya never saw one of these before, have you?" he grins, its a card depicting a sword and a gun cloaked in a raging pink aura, titled FORCE. "Force doubles my score from fourteen to twenty eight...aaaaaand, I'll go ahead and throw down this Blast card, too." It was a rapier, from which a green whirlwind expanded. "It lets me pick a card from your hand to discard...but seeing as you've only got the one, that's all she wrote. Looks like I win~." |
| Rita Ma | Rita takes a couple of deep breaths in the immediate aftermath of her heavy exertion, but doesn't drop her guard. After all, Evil Mishy could be waiting in the dust, just looking for a chance to pounce! Then her brain finally processes White Dwarf's words- "Rita no!"- just as Evil Mishy's costume head rolls to a stop at her feet. The puzzle pieces finally connect in her head, and she claps both her hands over her mouth in shock and dismay. "Mister Randy...! Oh, no!" As soon as he extracts himself from the rubble, she's on him again- but this time with a hug and hot, apologetic tears. "Oh, Mr. Randy, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you! Nobody told me. After all the nice things you did for me..." He's not going to hate me, is he? I'd understand it if he did. Fortunately, she's placated and reassured by the offerings of toys. When she finally leaves the ride with the Ride-Along Mishy Kaiser cradled protectively in her arms, she's only sniffling a little bit. |
| Hibiki Tachibana | Candy makes his appearance at the rest stop, and Hibiki at least notices him soon enough to give him a genial wave before they have to get back to focusing on stomping Rean Coldsteel down into the dirt. At first, she was pretty sure it couldn't be that bad, even if he went all out. ...And Miku thought the same. She had her suspicions his streak of winning must have been because he was doing the tried and true trick of just playing bad on purpose to bait them into a bad bet. But as long as she played smart, there's no way he could turn this around even if he did get serious. ...But neither of them ever could have suspected this. An assured win turned into... "W-Wait, what kind of card is that...?" "It doubled the score!? No way! I never heard of anything like that before! How did you--" In the end, there's no substitute for simply owning better cards. And there's no way to strategize around them when they were kept hidden this entire time, leading to both teenage girls collapsing facedown first onto the table in an exaggerated symbol of defeat. "A-All this time...we totally got played..." |
| C | HORROR COASTER: Randy forgives her easily, along with the prospect of toys for her, and Mishette is left to escort Rita and White Dwarf out through the exit of the attraction that loops them back around into the rotunda. " ...uhm ... " she starts, scuffing the feet of her costume on the ground. " ... sorry ... I should have told you." Of course, Randy was tough enough to take his licks, but Tio had just assumed Rita was in on it. It went to show how she'd gotten swept up in her own world, in the end and now Rita's feelings were hurt because of it. As for Randy's physical pains, he deserved it, so she didn't give it a second thought. "How do I make it up to you..?" she asks, tentatively, looking between Rita and perhaps, White Dwarf for assistance. |
| Rita Ma | "No, it's... it's not your fault, Ms. Mishette. Please don't apologize. I should've figured things out," Rita says softly. She manages a little smile, even, although making eye contact is still hard for her. "I just... I heard 'Monster', and I went overboard. Even though I should've been thinking about the person in the suit." She glances over at Randy, her smile turning into a grimace. "I'm still sorry. I really mean it. But... I know how I can make up with Randy, and you can make up with me, Ms. Mishette!" Rita reaches into her little satchel and pulls out her four remaining tickets. "Let's all go get that dinner together, alright? You promised it was good!" She just ate like twenty pounds of raw meat not fifteen minutes ago. Jesus. |
| C | HORROR COASTER: Mishette excitedly bobs her head back and forth in a cute nod, " .. okay!" Randy meanwhile, scratches his cheek from a ways behind them. "...ahaha." Apparently, her appetite does not perturb Mishette. Though that is probably because she saw her devour about that much raw meat back at St. Ursula's, too, and thus just assumes that she can eat even more. Excitedly reaching both paws out, one to grasp Rita's hand and the other to grasp White Dwarf's, Mishette begins making a bee-line towards the five-star resteraunt that could be reached from going deeper into the rotunda, just as the sun begins to set over the surface of the horizon and casts both the sky and sea into a glittering, yellow-orange hue. THE GAMBLER: Smiling with a silky grin, Rean Coldsteel hands the spare deck off to Candy. It, like Hibiki's, only contained phase one Blade cards. "Now..since you two haven't run away yet, I've got a great idea; the firework's are gonna' start soon. Why don't we head to the beach? This ticket I won off you should get us some mixers from the stand. But don't you little chickadees worry, I'll make sure not to get you any alchohol." |
| Hibiki Tachibana | Fortunately, Hibiki and Miku don't remain laid out for very long, and both of them are even back to smiling before long. Hibiki did mention that it'd be a good opportunity to get to learn more about him, just in a different way, so maybe losing isn't such a bad deal after all. "Well, a loss is a loss, Mr. Coldsteel! We'll just have to come prepared next time," Miku says brightly, with a wide, eyes-closed smile. "Of course we won't run off on you." Hibiki needs to run a hand back through her hair before laughing it off. "The beach...it'd be pretty nice to visit it for something like that compared to last time. Alright, you got a deal." Getting out of her chair, Candy gets an apologetic grin from her. "...If you end up playing against him sometime, I'm countin' on you to get payback for us, Candy." "You know, if we're using the ticket for that, isn't it basically like we never gave it up in the first place...?" |
| Redshift Operators | "It is certainly no fault of yours. I found the experience quite a joy, I simply could not predict such power in <Lita>." Says the precognitive. Somehow, she manages to look Excessively Cool while keeping a big stuffed Sitting Mishy over her shoulders. "Hmhmhmhm!" She also looks Randy over on the way out, squinting her goggle-lights. Nothing life-threatening? Okay, good. SSS don't owe them a *life*, at least. "<Lita>, I shall teach you something important of the world beyond your boats. On land, there can be great distances between <human> and <monster>. The distance pollutes the meaning of the term, the distance means that it can begin to take on new meanings. Meanings that are lesser, meanings that are humorous, meanings that are silly, or meanings that are meant to communicate only to the very young. You are adjusted to constrained contexts, the interiors only of ships, where words are strictly defined, said only when practical. But out here, on land, the stretching of distance creates a stretching of meaning. Perhaps this example shows the dimensions of that elasticity." She rambles as they go on the beeline towards the restaurant. Is, uh, is this gonna be okay? With how Rita eats? Hmmm. Maybe not. But she'll enjoy it anyway. |
| Candy | Candy silently mouths 'chickadees' while thumbing his suspenders and shaking his head in disbelief. Still, the deck is his, at least. Maybe if they meet again, he'll have had some time to brush up on the game with Hibiki and Miku. He pats his pocket. Yep--still there. Tomartin, a cheerful little red tomato-looking mascot, beams up at him from his palm. Candy grins back down at Tomartin. Someone he knows might like it! If he can manage, he'll get something nice for everyone to remember today by--even if he has to get a goofy branded bag to carry it all. |
| C | Sunset bleeds into evening. Randy, Lloyd and Tio all join White Dwarf and Tio for dinner at a resteraunt that overlooks the beach and the sea with wide panes of glass. It's a setting full of well furnished wood and cloth, and shockingly enough, it is more than capable of feeding Rita. ...although. She does wind up cleaning out most of their meat and making a mess, it's a funny affair where everyone, even the astonished chef and waiting staff have fun. It's also where Rita is introduced to Lloyd's adopted daughter, Kea Bannings. She seems a good deal younger than even Tio by a few years, but her sunny smile paired with vibrant green hair and eyes makes her a memorable standout. Rixia Mao stops by later, as well, and departs with Lloyd and Kea to the veranda to get a better look at the lakeside just in time for the fireworks to start popping off outside, causing the night sky to explode in a flurry of color. The beach has a number of paper lanterns set out to the water once everyone had rescinded from it for the day. Although this was where Hibiki had fought Seah Unsurtr with the others -- it was like stepping into a completely unrecognizable place from that day. There's a bench for her and Miku to sit at, while Rean Coldsteel leans up against a nearby orbal lamp with his arms crossed over his chest. Fireworks pop off well into the night, making Mishelam's grand re-opening one for everyone to think back on fondly -- and with more than enough pep to shake off the bad memories left behind by the prior events. Not only the Cryptid's attack, but of everything that happened after, too. I'm glad. But that's just the Mishy Magic, huh? the white haired boy thinks to himself with a small smile. |