pullsneedles | New Pork City

New Pork City

With a great KSSSSSSSSH! the limo lands at the entrance of Master Porky's neon haven, New Pork City. The streets are lined with lively distractions and familiar faces, the people of Tazmily bustling about at the cinema or the arcade.

Boney nudges his owner's hand with his nose, giving him a comforting lick. Kumatora puts a hand near her eyes, scanning the area. Duster fiddles with a wall staple, itching to move but wanting to stay still.

Lucas soaks it all in, frowning faintly.

Where to?

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"Yeah, yeah, I get the point."

Dinah doesn't spare a glance for her friends: she knows they'll be fine. She just rolls to her feet and vaults over the back of the chimera, playing both her hands on the button as she does so.

And the Ultimate Chimera slumps to the floor, this time to stay down.

"Might be worth it to fetch whatever he was guarding," Duster says, carefully limping past the creature to the bathroom it came from.

On the other side, Lucas opens up the door to a very large, lavish private bathroom, complete with a gold toilet.

"The pissing statues are a little much," Kumatora comments.

There. Are. No. Words.

Autor tilts his head at the ridiculous bathroom, searching for Non-Ultimate Chimeras or other monsters.

Then he turns to Kumatora. "Um. Ladies first?" he says, almost joking. "I'll cover you."

He'll try not to cling to her like a burr.

Kumatora doesn't even think he's trying.

"Look, it's been a long day and I'll admit it's kind of sweet but I don't need a pet right now," she jokes right back.

"Kumatora, don't tease him," Lucas goes as he and Boney walk through the private throne room.

"Those statues," Enzo says as he follows, "had better not come to life."

Wouldn't that just be the icing on the urinal cake?

"Er, sorry," Autor murmurs to Kumatora, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Of all the places to hold a maze, why bathrooms?" he says, plodding across the floor. "Anyone see a way out?"

"And this is why I always make sure I go before a big mission," says Dinah, standing at the back of the group as she rotates each ankle. "I'd be pretty uncomfortable if I hadn't."

She is being helpful!

"Anyone have to go while we're here?" Duster asks, rejoining the group.

After a general shaking of heads, Duster gives Lucas what was found in the bathroom holding the Ultimate Chimera.

"I think it helps your PSI," he explains about the small but awesome looking ring.

Boney barks near the back wall, scratching at a door.

"Good boy, Boney," Autor murmurs, once they reach the door. He presses his ear up against it carefully. "I don't hear any growling."

Boney comes over for pets at that, tail wagging.

The group finds a stairwell behind the door, forcing them upward once more. Awaiting on the next floor is a pink seashell fashioned into a house with a small mouse sitting nearby.

"Guess this is Locria's house," Kumatora comments, stepping forward to open the door.

"Interesting decor."

Dinah looks up at the seashell as the door is opened.

"Oh good. Giant sealife. That's never ended badly for me."

The seashell, however, is empty of life. Instead, there are crates of bananas, some familiar white clothes, and a vanity holding a pair of horns just like Fassad's.

Kumatora rubs just above her eye, shaking her head. Duster murmurs to himself that this would explain how Fassad was able to survive so much. Lucas just finds himself staring down at the floor.

"(Are you looking for Locria?)" the mouse from outside asks anyone who can understand him. "(Locria doesn't come around much anymore. He didn't seem like a good person to most and had this creepy 'Nwehehehe' laugh, but at least he was nice to me.)"

Evil mode, huh?

Autor draws in the mood around him and frowns. Moving carefully, to give Lucas plenty of warning, Autor reaches out to briefly squeeze the other boy's shoulder.

Lucas absently pats Autor's hand, appreciative even if it's not quite enough. Duster limps to the vanity and retrieves a lipstick and razor, what would have been Locria's memento if things were different. Kumatora suddenly upturns a crate of bananas.

Why does it all keep piling on? When will it finally be enough?

"Code," Enzo mutters, nudging a banana away with his foot.

Duster hands Kumatora the razor and lipstick.

"Feel any better?" he asks.

"No," she mopes. "Should've punched Fassad's stupid face harder."

"It'll be his loss and our gain if we can keep going."

They have nothing left to do with Locria's possessions and leave the shell one by one.

The elevator takes them up once again, the commotion of a party awaiting them when they stop. The doors open to a play room, the game on the floor appearing to be some version of whack-a-mole. A small, chubby, blond boy of a robot waits by the side, a red light flashing on his head.

"Ah, Master Lucas has arrived at last," the chauffeur from the flying limo greets at the door. "And I will be your host in these games to determine if you are a fit playmate for Master Porky."

With a gesture to the others, he adds, "Would anyone else like to play?"

Games, eh? Like there's even a question. This is his job. Enzo steps forward.

"'Fit playmates', huh?" Autor mutters, and stands beside Enzo.

"Very well! Three opponents to test their worth against Master Mini-Porky!"

The Porkybot approaches and takes up a mallet, set to play the whack-a-mole game. It ambles rather slow, eventually thunking mole after mole for a grand total of-

"10 moles for Master Mini-Porky," the host tallies. "Master Lucas, you're next. Do bear in mind that Master Porky absolutely adores the word 'win.' And if the words 'indulge' and 'humor' mean anything to you, you'll know what to do."

"Huh?" Lucas goes as he picks up the mallet. But he turns back to see Kumatora mouth something and makes an understanding, "Oh!"

"But," the host continues, "If you try to throw the match, Master Porky will be very displeased indeed. Understand?"

Lucas nods again.

"And mind the old guy in the hat. If you hit him, you'll get zapped. Begin!"

The whack-a-mole game starts again and Lucas very quickly taps mole after mole, counting under his breath with each one. After hitting the ninth one, he stands in the middle and waits for the host to call time.

"Wow! What an incredibly close match! Nine moles!"

The host then gestures to Enzo and says, "You are next, sir."

Enzo, as he picks up the mallet, raises his eyebrows at Lucas and Kumatora and mouths, Nine?

Lucas hands the mallet over. Both he and Kumatora mouth, Nine.

Deliberately trying not to win a game goes very much against the grain, but... nine it is. He whacks the first nine moles flawlessly, and runs out the clock tossing the mallet from hand to hand.

"Another stunningly close total of nine moles!" the host cheers. Then, with a point to Autor, "Now how will you fare, sir?"

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