[Nexus] Mallside I: You Do Not Know the Power of the Mallside

[Barkhouse Bestiary]

Nope.

No foxes.

At least none to Rebo's knowledge.

"A housecat with wings, hmm? Oh certainly possible," Lando the wizard replies! "Though if you want it to actually fly that's a different story. That is a bit harder. To make a cat fly it needs more than just wings after all. Many physiological changes."

So many changes.

"Or it could simply borrow a magical organ from dragons. They shouldn't be able to fly either."

The little boy smiles at the kind words. "Thank you, mister!" and with that he takes the cage and goes wandering off to deliver the animal.

Aurora Fountain

The man is visibly befuddled by that, "Y-you arre a cusstomer, do you nnot wish to consume?

[Aurora Fountain]

"So, I take it you have a shop here then? I mean, I know nothing about you."

Aurora Fountain

He nods, relieved that they understand each other,My employerr sent me out to find someone innteressting. You are that. Also, sandwiches. he says, brandishing a sack lunch.

[Aurora Fountain]

"Alright. Let's go, then."

She stands up. Her movements are smooth, accompanied only by the whir of gears and a faint hiss of steam.

Aurora Fountain

Without another word, the man ambles off, and it isn't too long before he's standing in front of...

The Mental Menagerie

A rather large woman stands just beside the door, wearing a brown frock and a wide, generous smile, "Oh Waldorf, Dahling, a customer at last, aren't you just a sight. Come, come in, what type of experience are you looking to have?" She's trying to usher the girl-bot into the store quickly, before anyone has a change of heart.

[Mental Menagerie]

Talnissa is ushered.

"I don't know. What kind of store is this? He wasn't very clear."

[EE]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rotting Baron

Boris nods. "Do you need ammunition for the rifle? That clip's empty."

---

"Hm? Oh, no, we have ammunition in stock. If you'd like we could set you up with some Seeker Bullets as well, if you like?" Kara asks.

[Barkhouse Bestiary]

"I guess I didn't think it through that thoroughly. Still, magic exists for a reason. I think borrowing that magical dragon organ would work for this, as long as it isn't related to breathing fire as well..." Xalicus didn't expect one thing to justify all improbable things about dragons, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vael

[Food Court]

"No, it's okay." A little weird, but okay. Or is it? Maybe she doesn't have a proper basis for what is and isn't weird. "Have you been here long?" Aleph asks, making a brave, if not particularly inspired move towards conversation.


[Neon Coliseum]

Grace glances up to the customer in question, a polite smile ready, and meets the surprise with her own. "Takara? I thought..." Grace's smile turns genuine, and she reaches out to give Takara hug, carefully holding the pearl in one hand. "I'm glad to see you again."

---

[Food Court]

"Me? Nah, I haven't been around long." He looks down at a spot next to her. "Mind if I take that spot? Anyway, I've only been here a little. In fact, I only just got back from deadtime recently. How about you?"

___

[Neon Coliseum]

Takara returns the embrace warmly. "It is good to see you as well." She smiles. "I had not hoped to see anyone I knew. I have been gone for a long time."

Mental Menagerie

The lady tisks and gives Waldorf a playful slap across the shoulder as he passes her, sending him stumbling. "Forgive the old fuddy duddy, he's very forgetful before lunch. Allow me to welcome you to the mental menagerie. We deal in memories, skill sets, emotions, wistful flights of fancy and such. Here you can find almost any thought worth thinking, ready to be transplanted into your brain at little to no cost. You pick a memory from our extensive list of fine products and then we'll give it to you in exchange for a copy of one of your memories of equal or greater value to add to the list. That way we always stay current in these tough economic times. We employ plenty of "talent scouts" like Waldorf here to find interesting people, because lets face it, interesting folk lead interesting lives!" Her speech is enthusiastic and unrehearsed, and she rushes through it excitedly.

[Mental Menagerie]

"I'm sorry, as that sound interesting, but I'm afraid that my memories would be inaccessible to you."

A cloud of steam flows out of the robot, though it won't damage anything.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Murkus

MagMart

"If you say so." Adir says, giving a little shrug. He pushes their little cart along the length of the shelf, coming across a section of self-help books for taking care of a baby. The stag grabs one or two of these hastily. He's never been one for reading, but he could use all the help he can get.

---

Sakura, of course, doesn't know what the bokk is. She really needs to learn to read. She can guess based on the cover, however. "What's that about? Something about the baby?"

Mental Menagerie

The fat lady perks up even more, "I wouldn't worry about us getting into your head sweetie, that's our job after all. But if it's an issue, you can talk with our sales consultant Celena, who handles alternate forms of payment." She bellows into the back room, healthy set of opera lungs on her, calling for the consultant, "Celena, number four up front!"

Quick as anything a little girl in a set of pink pyjamas appears next to the hulking woman, "And how will miss be paying today?"

[Food Court]

Aleph watches the interaction between the Mental Menagerie employee and the robot girl curiously, but when she realizes the knight is speaking to her again, she swiftly redirects her attention. "Oh, um, go ahead. I've only been here a few days, but it seems... nice." And really really weird, but she doesn't feel like she should say that out loud.


[Neon Coliseum]

"I wasn't sure I'd see you again. Where did you go?" Grace asks as she steps back, smiling, then holds Takara's pearl out to her, along with a nice stack of tokens. "And here. It's high time I repaid your hospitality in kind."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slii Arhem

Mental Menagerie

The fat lady perks up even more, "I wouldn't worry about us getting into your head sweetie, that's our job after all. But if it's an issue, you can talk with our sales consultant Celena, who handles alternate forms of payment." She bellows into the back room, healthy set of opera lungs on her, calling for the consultant, "Celena, number four up front!"

Quick as anything a little girl in a set of pink pyjamas appears next to the hulking woman, "And how will miss be paying today?"

---

The cloud of steam (not the robot) says "I'm not sure. I don't even know if you can get into my memories to add the new ones. You see, I'm a spirit possessing a cloud of steam because of a miscast spell."

[Barkhouse Bestiary]

Lando gives a wheezy old-man laugh. "Oh dear Paradise Planet no. No, it wouldn't breath fire unless you specifically ask that it can. We pride ourselves here at the Barkhouse Bestiary in providing precisely the custom-made companion that our guests desire."

That's good.

A fire-breathing cat could cause some real problems...

"It will have only what features you order. And for that matter we can design its temperament and personality if you like as well. Some guests prefer that to be a surprise, though."

[Concourse]

Divaonar walks the halls of Mallside, a wicker cage with a jackalope inside in his arms. He's headed toward a nearby candy store that had specially ordered the animal. Apparently it's supposed to be a mascot of sorts?

[Food Court]

The Knight takes a seat, placing his helmet beside him, letting out a breath as he stretched and then settled in. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes, I think this might be the most beautiful place in all existence. And sometimes it's hard to think of it that way." He tilts his head to look at her. "Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?"

___

[Neon Coliseum]

"I was... apart from everything else, for a while." Takara rubs the back of her neck awkwardly, realizing that her words don't really explain anything. "I withdrew into myself, and into solitude. It is something that has happened to me before."

Her cheeks color slightly, "Oh, but... it was just a little thing, but if you insist, I will accept your gift."

Mental Menagerie

"Oh we deal with all sorts here, I'm an incorporeal being that secretly owns this store, hiding behind illusions of incompetent, overly cheerful employees to keep up appearances. To each his own really. Trust me, if you can sit that robo-suit down, we can give you a wonderful time. Teehee! The little girl twirls in place, seemingly unaware that she had just given up company secrets.

[Mental Menagerie]

Talnissa flows back into the suit, and says "Do you copy the memories I provide, or take them away?"

Mental Menagerie

The girl attempts to pat the suit reassuringly on the knee, "We make copies, after all, it wouldn't be a very fair trade if we stole your memories and only gave you copies of the ones we have in stock." More twirling, and a failed handstand follow this.

[Food Court]

"Umm... Nevada. That's where I lived, at least. I think. I don't really know where I was for a while though. There's a lot that's hard for me to remember." Which, to anyone who gets to know her, will seem quite odd- Aleph has a rather phenomenal memory. "I don't know if that name will mean anything to you though." She's been doing a bit of reading on Nexus, after all, and realizes just how unlikely it is for anyone to be from the same place she is from.


[Neon Coliseum]

"It was worth much more than a few plastic tokens." Grace says seriously, pressing the pearl and tokens into Takara's hands. "I know we didn't talk long, or even meet more than once, but it meant a great dealt to me."

"So, let me try and give you a little fun in return, okay?" Grace says, smiling a little.

[Food Court]

"Nope! Never heard of Nevada." The knight glanced up at the ceiling. "I haven't been home in forever. We called it Aria. It was a beautiful place. I still miss it, sometimes."

___

[Neon Coliseum]

Takara nods slightly and smiles, then takes her pearl and the tokens, looking them over briefly. "So, you offer these tokens to these shrines, and then the game plays?" She gestures at the arcade machines around her.

[Barkhouse Bestiary]

"Good to know. Being set on fire by a flying feline isn't an experience I think I'd enjoy." Xalicus was more confident now that he was sure his new kitty wouldn't be too dangerous. "Of course, it'd make an interesting contrast to that canid who tried to freeze me earlier today...

"Now, I'm not particular about the personality as long as it's tolerable. So probably not a vicious, wanting-to-devour-me-alive type."

[Food Court]

"What was it like there? Was it safe?" Aleph asks curiously crossing her legs to get a better seat on the edge of the fountain. She'd better be careful though, or she'll fall right in and probably dye her stark white outfit orange.


[Neon Coliseum]

Grace gives a chuckle. "Well yes, but they aren't shrines. I can see why you'd say that though. I mean, their shapes aren't entirely off. There is no magic or divine power to though, it's all technological. Don't ask me how it works, because I really can't explain it." She shrugs, holding up her hands. Grace was never all that good with nonmagical devices.

[Barkhouse Bestiary]

The kitty would be just as dangerous as he orders it to be! That's the upside to this store. They can get just what their customers want.

"Ice dogs? How dreadful. The Nexus can be a dangerous place my friend, very dangerous indeed," Lando muses.

Such as the danger brought about by the presence of ice dogs.

"Very well. It takes some time for these orders to be filled, if you must know. Creating an animal from scratch takes a great deal of work after. A custom order usually takes two days to fill."

That's still pretty darn fast all things considered.

"Now then, what about fur color? Eye color? Gender?"

[Food Court]

"Safe?" The Knight appears surprised by the question. "That's usually not the first question people ask me about it. For most people it seems to b a given." He looks at the fountain. "It was peaceful. A little idyllic. And safe, yes."

___

[Neon Coliseum]

"Ah, I see." Takara looks around. "Which one is Pac-Man? That other person said Pac-Man was popular."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Bushranger

[EE]

"Hm? Oh, no, we have ammunition in stock. If you'd like we could set you up with some Seeker Bullets as well, if you like?" Kara asks.

---

Now Boris looks curious. "I've never heard of those. I think I can guess, but do you mind telling me what they are?"

[Food Court]

"...it just seems like an important question to ask." Aleph looks down at the fountain, feeling slightly uncomfortable at his reaction. "But why would you leave somewhere like that? And come here?"


[Neon Coliseum]

"I think... that one." Grace points out the Pac Man arcade machine. "I'm not sure why it is popular though. It's pretty old, not nearly as flashy or engaging as some of the new ones. I guess it is just a classic."

[Food Court]

"Because in some places, it isn't safe. And it's my job to try and change that."

___

[Neon Coliseum]

"What is Pac-Man about?" Takara approaches the arcade cabinet, looking at the decals curiously.