(no subject)

[pullsneedles]

Lucas peers into the door from Milliways.

Yep, still Kumatora's bathroom.

"I'll be right back," he tells Enzo and Tyler.

He steps into the bathroom and out into Kumatora's bedroom, Boney beside him. The three talk for a bit, catching up after the three years they've been separated. What to do about Duster, the Hummingbird Egg, and the Pigmask Army.

The plan is simple enough: Lucas is going to go up into the attic while Kumatora, as Violet, goes out and collects the members of DCMC. Once she's out of the room, Lucas goes back to Milliways.

"So guys, I think there might be a change of plans. I gotta sneak through the attic so the bodyguards in the hallway won't see me. Feel like coming along?"

Boney, wearing a red and white cap and a green shirt, pokes his head out and gives them a "Woof!" of greeting.

Comments

[a1enzo]

"Yeah, of course."

Accessing a new power. Heavy.

[pullsneedles]

"All right. The map said the room to the right side is the one we want to keep going."

The one the mice ran to.

[basic_powers]

"Let's get on it then." Tyler replies, keeping the saber on but also turning on the real flashlight to shine it on ahead of them as he trots into the next room first...

Right into a very fat brown mouse attacking him along with a bat.

...Mr. Bat, now is not the time to dive-bomb the kid the saber!

WHACK!!

[a1enzo]

While Tyler attacks high, Enzo hits low with the yo-yo, sending the mouse skidding a good few yards away.

[pullsneedles]

Lucas takes his from the middle, swinging to hit the elder batty Tyler knocked down.

Boney chases after the mouse, making sure it's not going to come back.

But while things are going well here, Lucas notices something up ahead.

"Do you guys hear that?" he asks.

[a1enzo]

"Sounds like music. This is a club, you said."

Doesn't sound like it's coming from downstairs, though.

[basic_powers]

"...it sounds way too close...it's coming from up here?"

[pullsneedles]

"It shouldn't be DCMC. The concert's over and Kumatora said she'd get'em all together in Duster's room."

Boney trots back after chasing the mouse.

"Boney, can you go see what's going on in the next room?" Lucas asks.

The dog barks and sniffs ahead. He barks a few more times at the next doorway.

"There's a guitar in there but Boney doesn't see anyone playing it."

[a1enzo]

"So... it's playing itself?"

[basic_powers]

"...five dollars says it isn't doing that the way Bob does."

[a1enzo]

"No bet."

[pullsneedles]

"Wait, who's Bob and what are dollars?" Lucas asks.

Then he shakes his head a little, hoping the PSI fever will fade soon, and walks ahead to check himself.

His eyes widen a bit.

"Yeah, that guitar is definitely playing itself. And I think it's coming towards us."

Time for a smaaaaash!

[a1enzo]

"My brother-in-law, money, yes it is, and what the frag."

Enzo adopts a defensive stance while trying to figure out what is even an effective way to attack (or defend against) a guitar.

[basic_powers]

When in doubt, start whacking away at it with whatever you have handy!

Lightsaber combo hits! -ksssht!Kssht!Ksshht!-

[pullsneedles]

"Oh, you're kidding me!" is Lucas's reaction when a self-playing drum comes to join the brawl...

In a room with two mice and a frog, no creatures attacking any others, the group catches their breath. On one side is a group of conspicuous-looking presents.

"So... Can honestly say that's never happened to me before."

A few steps towards the presents and Lucas looks quite relieved.

"Least my PSI fever's gone. And it looks like I got a stronger Lifeup."

The frog hops over towards him and briefly converses with the boy while Boney sniffs at the mice.

[basic_powers]

"Somebody here..." Tyler says, finding himself a place to sit, and eyeing the two mice wearily, before getting himself a strawberry snack bar and another one out for Enzo. "Has a really warped imagination."

[a1enzo]

Enzo accepts the snack bar gratefully. At least these mice can't seem to be bothered to attack them.

"So... that isn't normal around here," he says wearily. "Good to know. Congrats on the upgrade."

[pullsneedles]

"Not normal from what I've seen but I've never been to Club Titiboo before tonight. This might be normal for them."

Lucas gets out some beef jerky and splits it with Boney.

"The Pigmask Army might be good ones for warped imaginations. Kumatora and I were talking about their influence on Tazmily before I let you guys in here. Fassad, too. I didn't see him here but he has ties to the factory and this club is only for factory workers."

Though that doesn't feel right. Lucas has the feeling Kumatora wouldn't have worked here as long as she has if Fassad came here often.

[basic_powers]

Sometimes things don't add up right, though Tyler highly doubts that the guitar, drum, and fauna outside of this room were acting normally.

"I remember you telling me about Fassad...and the Pigmasks...what have they been up to lately?" Tyler asks around a mouthful of strawberry jam-filled grainbar. Mhmmm. Strawberry.

[pullsneedles]

"Fassad's still selling the Happy Boxes. And more and more people in town are working at the factory. Enzo, you remember when we went to see Isaac so you could look at his Happy Box? He's working at the factory and wants to be a Pigmask now."

He eyes the floor, as if looking at the main room of the club from above.

"There were some Pigmasks in the club tonight. Two of the ones we normally see in town and a higher rank one with a couple of girls."

[a1enzo]

"Those're our targets?"

[pullsneedles]

"They'd have the most information. Thomas was down there, too. I don't know what he knows but he might be more willing to talk than the Pigmasks."

Lucas then turns his head to the mice, who seem to be chittering away at him. His eyes widen a bit and he mouths the name, "Alfie?" One of the mice then puts a loaf of nut bread in his hands.

"Um, thank you?" he says back.

[basic_powers]

"I don't think we'd be able to find out too much from those targets by spying on them here, Enzo." Tyler answers, before staring at Lucas' conversation with the mice, and the nutbread given to him. Then he starts to eye up the packages in the corner, walking over to open one up.

"We wouldn't overhear that much, though maybe that higher ranking Pigmask will brag to the girls he's got around him. you know, trying to impress them."

[a1enzo]

"Yeah, but we can't count on it," Enzo agrees. "We'll have to get down there. Which probably means more weird stuff attacking us. Honestly, this is as random as a Game. And what was up with those mice?" he demands of Lucas.

[pullsneedles]

"They think I'm their grandson Alfie," Lucas says, shrugging before breaking off some of the nut bread to eat.

He didn't really need to, though. The present Tyler opened made everyone feel fully restored.

"There's always the way we came from. You can do that if there's not a way from here. There are a pair of bodyguards in front of Kumatora's door, but I got an item that can distract them if you wanna take it."

A beat.

"A Game?"