(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]

"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?"

[a1enzo]

"Oh, yeah, Games are one of the things Users use computers for. Playing in them is one of a Guardian's duties. Some of them can be really weird."

He does not go into further detail. Lucas' world doesn't have computers at all, so it's not essential, and the full explanation can get really depressing.

[basic_powers]

"It's a long story...anyhow, I think we'd better move on." Tyler looks at Lucas. "It might be easier to sneak out of the band room than your friend's room anyways."

[pullsneedles]

"You might be right. But I'm still gonna give you guys the Made You Look. The bodyguards should be in the same hallway, so it'd still be a good idea to distract them."

Lucas offers the nut bread in his hands to anyone who wants some before pocketing the rest and getting out the Made You Look.

"It's a sort of siren. Works pretty much the same as some bombs, pull here and toss away."

[basic_powers]

"I'll take that," Tyler says, reaching out for the Made You Look after putting some of the nutbread into his pack. He might have all the toys, but to be honest, he's a lot better at USING them.

[a1enzo]

Enzo cheerfully accepts his own role as meat shield muscle. "I think the inside of that backpack's bigger than the outside."

He pockets some nut bread as well. Mmmm, nut bread.

[pullsneedles]

"He should help other people store things, then," Lucas jokes as he and Boney lead the way out this time.

***************************

"As you can plainly see, I am a wooden bass," the Jealous Bass at the end of the attic path says to a stunned Lucas and company. "I'm still in my prime. But ever since the bass below showed up, I've been left to rot in this moldy-smelling attic."

He turns to them while Lucas whispers, "Really?"

"I'm filled with so much frustration," the Jealous Bass continues. "I'm gonna turn this frustration into violence and take my stress out on you guys! You're gonna be bawlin' your eyes out!"

A guitar and drum joined the bass while Lucas began using his PSI. He could be heard saying, "DefenseUpα!" every now and again, psychically shielding his friends.

[basic_powers]

...What....the..FUCK. Tyler only has a second to stare and gape before fight begins, and a player guitar and a beaten drum join in to help the Jealous Bass in it's fight.

"Enzo! You aim for the guitar!" Tyler shouts, throwing some snapping smokebombs at the drum.

[a1enzo]

"Right!" Enzo charges at the guitar, smacking it with his yo-yo on the way, turning its music (which has an odd, sobbing quality) into discordant jangling.

Then he grabs it, clamps his hands over its strings, and holds it until it stops struggling.

[pullsneedles]

It's a smart tactic. Otherwise the Jealous Bass surely would have gotten in a jam session of a painful sort.

Boney bites at the Bass but he tosses the dog off.

Lucas cries out, "PK Love!" and the instruments are hit with his psychic attack.

[basic_powers]

"You're getting your kneecap privileges revoked buster!" Tyler shouts, swinging his lightsaber to take a few whacks at the drum as it marches back through the smokebombs.